“HE SAID HE LOVED ME. HOLY HELL; HE SAID HE LOVED ME.”

                Trace grabbed my shoulders and shook me, an annoyed expression on his face. “Zeke! Calm the fuck down!” he snapped, releasing me.

                “Trace, my boyfriend just told me he loves me and I don’t love him back!” I criedmiserably. I dropped my face into my hands and fell onto Trace’s bed.

                “Zeke, calm down. You said he was basically asleep. Maybe he didn’t mean it. It might’ve just slipped out. Calm. Down.” Trace crossed his arms and fixed me with a glare. “You’re overreacting.”

                I pulled my hands away from my face and shook my head violently. “No, I’m not!” I cried. I was going to break poor Tommy’s heart.

                “Zeke, just tell him you love him, even if it’s not completely true. He won’t know,” Trace said with a shrug.

                “Trace, I can’t! You know how Tommy always manages to read my mind,” I said quietly. Tommy would know when I was telling truth, and when I was just trying to make him feel better.

                Trace sighed and sat next to me. “Zeke, maybe he didn’t mean it. If he was tired, it could’ve slipped out,” he said.

                “If you were queer, I’d still be here, year after year, because you’re dear to me,” I mumbled under my breath. Trace raised an eyebrow.

                “Doing musicals now, Zeke?” he asked.

                “You’re saying my name a lot today.”

                “I like saying it. Zeke, Zeke, Zeke. It sounds like a fancy type of dinner.”

                “Nice to know.”

                “Welcome to The Saunders. Would you like some Zeke? Fries on the side.”

                “Trace,” I groaned. “You’re not helping.”

                “There’s nothing to help. I can’t make you love him and I can’t make him not love you,” Trace said simply. I groaned again, realizing he was right.

                “Learn how to make me love him!” I begged.

                “Well, you see, you take his pants off and-”

                “IN A NON SEXUAL WAY.”

                Trace shrugged. “Just trying to help with what I can. I don’t know how to make people fall in and out of love. That’s Cupid’s job, not mine.”

                “I’m going to go visit Tommy, I guess,” I said and stood up.

                “Good luck. If you get hungry, come on over and have some Zeke.”

                I flipped Trace off and smirked. “You wish you could get some Zeke in your mouth,” I said with a wink, ducking to avoid the pillow he whipped at my head. I chuckled and left his room, shutting the door behind me.

                “Hi Zeke!”

                I jumped in surprise and smiled weakly. “Hi Kory,” I said, trying to stay friendly. God he was so sexy. Dammit Kory! Why couldn’t you be ugly and have a terrible personality?

                “What’s wrong? Tell Kory!” he said, cocking his head to the side curiously.

                “Just…Tommy,” I said, not meeting Kory’s eyes.

                “I thought you and Tommy were all good now! Do I have to go wa-bam in his shi-zam?” Kory cried, clenching his fists and punching at an invisible punching bag.

                “Do you have to go wa…Never mind. I don’t want to know,” I said, rolling my eyes. Oh, this kid was so weird. It was hard not to love him. But I had to find some way to love Tommy, and not Kory!

                “Well, what’s wrong between you and Tommy?” Kory asked, bouncing up and down as he spoke and looking like he had to use the bathroom. This kid…

                “He’s in love with me. And I don’t think I love him back,” I whispered, hating myself. Why couldn’t I just love Tommy back? He was so incredible. Such an amazing guy. I loved everything about him, but for some reason, I just couldn’t love him.

                Kory pat me on the shoulder sympathetically. “Look Zeke, don’t beat yourself up over it. I’m sure Tommy will be okay with it. If he really loves you, he’ll wait for you to love him back,” he assured.

                “Wow Kory. That was really insightful,” I said, a little impressed.

                “I know. I read it on my Dove chocolate wrapper this morning,” he said proudly. I sighed.

                “Well, tell your Dove chocolate wrapper I said thanks. I’m going to go find Tommy now,” I said. Kory wrapped his arms around me and I blushed and hugged him back, painfully aware of how warm he was.

                “Good luck Zeke!” he said with a friendly smile.

                “Thanks,” I said quietly before hurrying out of the Saunders’s house and down towards Tommy’s house. I needed to stay away from Kory! Every time I saw him, my feelings for him just came back!

                I rang Tommy’s doorbell and waited until Brady opened the door. “Tomcat’s out back reading in the tree house. Help him down from there, Zeke. I had to help him up. And don’t tell my wife I let him up there with his injuries,” he said with a wink.

                I nodded and made my way around back. I crawled up the ladder and let myself into the tree house. Tommy was leaning against the wall, a book in his hands. His injured ankle was propped up on a pillow and wrapped thickly in gauze, the same as his wrist.

                “Ayo,” he greeted, eyes locked on his book.

                “Hey,” I said, crawling over to him. I put my arm around him and he rested his head on my shoulder, his eyes scanning the paragraph he was reading. He finished it, marked his page, and set his book on the ground.

                He turned his head and brought his lips to mine. I kissed him back deeply before pulling away. I mentally sighed. I had to talk to him about what he had said.

                “Hey Tommy. Um, when you were falling asleep last night, you said…uh…” I bit my lip nervously.

                “I said that I loved you,” he said and nodded at me to continued.

                I nodded. “Right. You said that. Did you say that because you were basically asleep, or because you meant it…?”

                He watched me, slight amusement in his eyes. “I said it because I meant it. I know what I said last night, and I meant to say it. I do love you Zeke. I know that. And you don’t love me back. I know that, too. It doesn’t upset me. You’ll love me.” The confidence in his voice had my heart breaking.

                Would I love him?

                I wanted to. I so desperately wanted to love Tommy Warren. But something told me that maybe he wasn’t the one for me. I’d go to college after this year of school, and then what? I was planning to go to college out of state. Could I keep up a long distance relationship with Tommy? I couldn’t just wait for him to graduate. That would be two more years. That was too long.

                “Zeke, I know what you’re thinking. Age doesn’t matter, even if I’m younger than you. I know you’re going away for college. But we’d have this whole year and most of the summer to be together. Besides, you and Mikey are looking at the same school. I’m sure my brother could sneak me in for a few nights.” He winked playfully.

                “Maybe,” I said and kissed him. How did he always seem to read my mind?

                “Even if you decide to break up with me, I’ll still love you Zeke. I can’t choose who I love, and neither can you. That’s Zeus’s job,” he said.

                “Cupid,” I corrected, thinking of Trace and what he had said earlier. “It’s Cupid’s job, dummy.”

                Tommy shrugged and rolled his eyes. “Whatever. They’re all gods. I think.”

                “I don’t think Cupid is a god,” I said.

                “Hush,” he said and kissed me. “You’re not an expert on mythology.”

                “I’ve seen Hercules before. I’m automatically an expert,” I said and stuck my tongue out at Tommy.

                “Well then you also know that the big tough guy falls for the sarcastic, emotionless son of a bitch,” Tommy said smugly.

                I smiled weakly, my heart hurting. “Maybe I will,” I said, trying to sound playful. But it came out as sad, and the look in Tommy’s eyes said he knew it.

                Tommy shifted. “I want to go inside and get a drink. It’s too hot outside for this,” he said and slowly slid his ankle off the pillow. He crawled towards the ladder and I grabbed his arm and raised an eyebrow at him.

                “I’ll help you down,” I said, pulling him back and heading towards the ladder myself. Tommy glared at me.

                “I can get down on my own,” he said in annoyance. I smiled to myself. Tommy was such a stubborn, proud person. I loved it.

                I shook my head and pecked his lips. “Not happening. Brady will kill me. Hop on my back.”

                After a mini argument, I managed to get Tommy on my back and carried him down the ladder. I gently helped him to the ground. He wrapped an arm around my neck and I helped him limp into the house.

                I watched him miserably. Tommy was way more hurt than he was letting on, and it was all my fault for knocking him down. Why had I been stupid enough to do that to him? Of course he would get hurt!

                Brady watched us, a hint of sadness in his eyes as he watched Tommy limp over to get a water bottle out of the refrigerator. Guilt ate away at me.

                                                                                ***Tommy’s POV***

                I glanced at Zeke and kissed him. “Stop it,” I breathed in his ear. He was feeling guilty, and he shouldn’t. It had been an accident. He hadn’t meant to hurt me.

                “I have to go home. My parents are expecting me for dinner. Bye Tommy,” Zeke said and hugged me. He pecked my lips before waving to dad and leaving the house.

                “Tommy, I’ll be in the basement if you need me. Go rest,” dad said and ruffled my hair before disappearing into the basement.

                I went upstairs and let myself into Sammy’s room. He glanced at me and made a face, getting up and coming over to me.

                “Little brother, it’s called knocking,” he grumbled.

                “Big brother, it’s called I don’t give a fuck. Drive me to the soccer field,” I said flatly.

                “No way! Mom and dad will kick my ass if you get hurt!” he argued.

                “Sammy, I’m not going to actually play. I just want to watch you practice. Plus, I can bring crutches and practice trapping with my left foot. I promise I’ll be careful,” I said. I really did just want to go practice trapping with my left and watch Sammy practice his shooting. I just liked being at the soccer field, to be honest.

                Sammy hesitate before sighing and nodding. “Fine Tommy,” he grumbled, grabbing his set of car keys and motioning for me to follow him.

                I hurried into my room and grabbed the crutches I had used last year when I broke my ankle. I followed Sammy downstairs and crept out the front door before getting into the car and driving to the soccer field.

                “The others are here,” Sammy said as we got out. Davey, Greg, and Phil were passing to each other on the field. We walked over to them, me on my crutches. It just hurt too much to walk. I hated it. I would manage if I had to, but the crutches were a nice relief.

                “Hey Tommy. How’s your ankle?” Davey asked.

                I shrugged. My wrist already felt a ton better, which is the only reason I could even do the crutches. “I’m fine,” I said, unconcerned.

                “I’m going to go grab a soccer ball from the supply shed,” Sammy said and turned. As he began to walk towards the supply shed, Davey whispered something to Phil.

                “Hey Sammy! Wait up!” Phil called after nodding. He hurried over to Sammy and they began to walk towards the supply shed together. I watched, slight suspicion rising in me.

                Davey slapped a hand on my shoulder and grinned. “Ayo,” he said sarcastically. I raised an eyebrow at him, not amused.

                I heard and slamming and spun around. “Dammit,” I hissed. Phil had shut Sammy in the shed, and was holding the door shut with his weight. I could hear Sammy banging on the door and yelling at Phil to let him out.

                Davey grabbed me and smirked. “I told Phil we were just going to fool around with you. Scare you a little. But you know what? I think you just might have an accident that breaks your ankle, faggot,” he growled, his smirk growing wider.

                …Aw fuck.