He looked at Kael again and I rolled my eyes. Austin and I mostly stayed out of each other’s dating lives. Not that there was much on my end to be nosy about. I had had only one serious boyfriend, and the more time that passed, I came to realize we weren’t as serious as I thought. I had been told I love you only by someone who didn’t mean it. Austin was different, falling in love every week. He somehow managed to stay honest about it, channeling his need and loneliness into physical contact. If it was the thing that made his life a little better, who was I to judge? I had that same itch, just no one to scratch it.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Kael and I were smushed together on one end of the couch. Not squished. Not smashed. Smushed. Austin and a guy who had introduced himself as Lawson were on one cushion; Kael and I were on the other.

“You look so familiar,” Lawson said to Kael after a few minutes.

Kael reeled off a few things that sounded like Army lingo and Lawson shook his head. “No, that’s not it.”

“You say that to everyone,” Austin said. Then he grabbed a video game controller from a basket under the entertainment center. “Who’s ready to play?”

“Not me,” Lawson said. “Time to go. I have to be up at five for duty.” He and Austin stood up and did that handshake thing guys do where they slap their palms together and make a fist.

Once there was more room, I moved over a little on the couch. We weren’t smushed anymore, but my thigh was still touching Kael’s.

“Do you want to play?” Austin lifted a controller to Kael, who shook his head.

“No, I don’t really play.”

Oh, thank God.

“Who wants to play?” Austin asked again, holding up a controller to see if he had any takers.

The front door opened and a familiar face walked in. I couldn’t remember his name off the top of my head, but I knew he and Austin used to hang out before he went to our uncle’s house to keep out of trouble. Yeah, because that had worked out so well.

“Mendoza!” Austin rushed to the door to greet the guy in the Raiders shirt. Austin always collected people around him. He was good at it.

The guy, presumably Mendoza, hugged Austin. His eyes landed on me as I stared him down. My cheeks flushed. He looked next to me, to Kael.

“Martin! What the fuck are you doing here!” he said, pulling away from my brother. He walked over to the couch and Kael stuck his hand out between us. It took me longer than it should’ve to realize that they knew each other very well.

“Thought you were staying in tonight.” Mendoza’s honey-colored eyes were on me.

“I was going to,” Kael said.