In Between Days: Raising Jordan (boyxman)✅

Rise

Jordan

While changing into some dry shorts in my room, I heard the shower turn on. I was so confused. I thought Jamie really liked me. All those things we did together...the pool and the meadow, the dancing in the kitchen, the brownies, and earlier today. He kissed me and I kissed him back. I touched him, too. Now he tells me he's leaving? I knew he was leaving in September, but it was only July and I liked him. I really, really liked him, and I didn't want him to leave. Not yet. I wasn't a kid and I was more than Tim Cameron's little brother.

Fuming, I left my room and went to the bathroom. With my bare foot, I kicked the door as hard as I could and didn't care that it hurt. I kicked it again and again. The water instantly turned off and Jamie opened the door, dripping wet and holding a towel loosely around his waist. My heart skipped a beat seeing him like that. Stop thinking like that...I told myself because I was supposed to be mad at him. Face to face, I couldn't find the words I wanted to get out, more because of what was happening in my shorts.

"Calm down," he said. I was so angry I wasn't sure what I was going to do. "Give me a minute and we'll talk about it." Talk about it? Didn't he know I had a problem with talking? All I wanted was for him to stay the rest of the summer. Shaking my head, my eyes watered and I didn't like it. I wasn't one to cry; I was one to fight. "Hey," he said and went to touch my face, maybe to stroke my cheek or do something comforting, but all I wanted to do was bite his finger. Fortunately I didn't bite his finger and spit in his face instead. Jamie stood there as shocked as the first time I did it. Before I did anything else, I ran off.

"Is that the best you got?" Jamie shouted as I bolted down the stairs. If it wasn't still pouring outside, I would have run outside to hide in a spot only I knew, but since I didn't want to get wet again, I decided to go to the couch with my music. I figured my music would calm me down as it usually did.

Tim wasn't home yet and I wasn't sure when he was going to be home. I wished he were home because I was afraid I was going to do something to hurt Jamie. A few minutes later, the houseguest made an appearance in the living room. He smelled nice. Curling up on the side of the couch, I refused to look at him. I didn't want to do something I'd regret. Jamie wasn't afraid of me, though, and sat on the couch beside me.

"Don't touch me," I said, feeling his eyes on me. In an attempt to provoke me, he poked the side of my bare shoulder.

"I'm touching you," he said, poking me over and over. "Ha, ha." I kicked his leg, but that didn't stop him and he continued to poke.

"Stop it," I laughed, but I didn't want to laugh and was annoyed at myself for laughing. "Stop it," I said again. "Or I'll spit in your face again."

"What if I like it when you do that?" he said. "What if I like it when you kick and shove me?"

"Shut up," I said, not believing him and looked away again, turning up my music. Jamie snatched my headphones off my head and turned them off. Public Image Limited's Rise blared from my phone. "May the road rise with you. May the road rise with you."

"You may be wrong....ah...you may be right," Jamie sang. He really knew how to get to me, but in a good way, and my eyes drifted to him. I sat as far as I could away from him, hugging the side of the couch, wanting to be angry and annoyed. He leaned into me and kissed the side of my face. "Jordan," he said.

"Jamie," I said. He kissed the side of my face again, driving me crazy. "Don't touch me," I said as his hand moved to my bare chest, smiling against the side of my face. I didn't want to like it, but every part of me did. Every part of me liked him. "Don't touch me," I whispered.

"You like it really," he said with his lips against my neck, his hand on my chest. He kissed my neck, then my shoulder, followed by my neck again. "I liked kissing you. You're a great kisser." It was happening again. I shifted in my seat, turning my head just enough to make contact with his lips.