It’s because I’m in love with my sister.
Chapter Nine
Ali
“Morning.” My eyes spring open at the sound of Drake’s voice. They widen when I see he’s lying in bed with me.
He’s over the blanket completely dressed in his jersey and a pair of jeans. It’s game day. They always wear their jerseys on game day, but this is not just any game. It’s the Homecoming game and it’s a big deal for our whole family.
“Happy birthday.” His crooked smile is so sweet and I can’t remember the last time Drake was in my bedroom, let alone in my bed.
“What are you doing?” spills out of my lips as I sit up.
He’s been doing a lot of weird crap these past few weeks. It might not look weird to other people, but he’s been friendly and sending me random texts here and there. He called me down for breakfast so I had to hang out with everyone each morning.
He’s making it impossible to avoid him. Every time I turn around I’m nearly tripping over him. Lindsey is loving every second of it because wherever Drake is so is Liam. I thought Drake was around more because Liam asked him. If I’m reading Liam’s grunts right, he’s totally into her.
This stuff at home, though, doesn’t have anything to do with Liam and Lindsey, so it has to be something else. Could Mom and Dad have said something to him about being nicer to me? They could’ve seen we’re not close anymore and asked him about it. I know the two of us would bend over backwards for them because my dad is my kryptonite and Mom is Drake’s.
He sits up holding a cupcake and lights the candle. “It’s your birthday,” he reminds me.
I know it’s my birthday but I still don’t get why he’s in my bed. He brings it closer to me and I find myself shaking my head, a smile pulling at my lips.
“Make a wish.”
My eyes meet his as I lean forward and close them. I make my wish and blow out the candle, and when I open my eyes he’s still sitting there. I wish this to be real because I miss him so much. When I see he’s still there, on my bed and not looking pissed off, my heart soars.
He pulls the candle out of the cupcake and holds it out for me. I suck the icing off the end out of habit and it’s not until I’m actually doing it do I realize what this looks like. I’m licking the icing off the end of the candle while he’s holding it and watching me. We’re both in my bed and I realize the position we’re in and it sends a weird thrill through my body.
“Thanks,” I sputter, jerking back, and my face heats. He doesn’t call me out on it as he pulls the wrapper from the bottom of the cupcake.
“I don’t want to overshadow your birthday with the Homecoming game,” he tells me, handing me the cupcake. It’s too early for the dessert but I take a bite anyway. It’s my birthday and Drake knows my favorite kind of cupcake. His.
He knows how to make the best icing I’ve ever had. He used to make it for me all the time; then things changed and I stopped asking. Every now and then when he still makes them I always snag one and eat it in my room. I didn’t see him making them last night so that means he got up early just for me and my heart flutters.
“It’s no big deal,” I tell him after I swallow my bite.
He reaches over and his thumb grazes my cheek. We both freeze as our eyes lock and that same buzz tingles across my skin. Something’s been different these past few weeks, but this is nothing like that. He drops his hand away quickly and springs from the bed. I watch out of the corner of my eye as he quickly untucks his jersey and lets it hang down in front of him.
“It is a big deal and I wanted to be the first to tell you happy birthday.”
I lick my lips and watch him step back from my bed. Did he feel the same thing when he touched me? I squeeze my legs together, thankful I have a blanket over them. My nipples tighten and I try to tug the blanket up without making it look obvious.
“Thanks,” I say again.
He nods as he turns to leave and almost runs into my closed bedroom door. He pulls it together before he walks out and shuts the door behind him. When I look down I can very clearly see through my thin sleep shirt and I groan, shoving the rest of the cupcake into my mouth.
That’s why things have changed.