Pitbabe S2, Chapter 8 pg8

 Pitbabe S2, Chapter 8 pg8

   “I think so,” Charlie nodded slowly. I could sense he was still worried about his younger brother, even though he said Jeff was improving. The bond between them was something I’d always envied. Charlie was such a sweet older brother, and Jeff was a dependable younger one. Even though Jeff could come off as aloof and indifferent at times, I could see the constant care he had for Charlie. Meanwhile, Charlie showed his love for his Phii so gently and openly that it was almost enviable—completely different from the rough, hardcore sibling dynamic I had with Phii Alan. “Sorry for using our day off like this. I know Babe probably wanted to spend it just the two of us.”

   “Nah, it’s fine. Honestly, being here’s great—free food and all. I practically treat this place like my own home anyway, so it’s not much different,” I said with a smile, feeling a weight lift off my chest seeing that Charlie wasn’t putting on a front anymore. Thinking back, he’d seemed anxious all afternoon. Maybe next time I should pay closer attention to him. “I thought you were still mad at me.”

   “Honestly, I was still a bit mad.”

   “Huh?”

   “But seeing you help out with the work made it go away. Climbing trees is exhausting, but you didn’t complain at all.”

   “Well, you were mad at me. Who’d dare complain?”

   “Thanks,” Charlie said with a wide smile. To me, that smile suited him best—bright and adorable. Just looking at it made me feel like tomorrow was bound to bring something good. That was my little goal each day. “Thanks for understanding.”

   “You’re welcome,” I smiled back. “And thanks for not being mad at me anymore.”

   “I can’t stay mad for long.”

   “Feeling sorry for me, huh?”

   “Nope. I’m just scared you’d get mad back. That’s way harder to fix.”

   “You’re just too cute.”

   Charlie let out a soft laugh before reaching over to hold my hand. My legs, from my shins to my toes, were freezing from the pool water, but my palm felt warm because Charlie was holding it. In the quiet atmosphere, with a deep purple sky, tiny twinkling stars, and a gentle breeze brushing against my skin, the tall trees swayed as if dancing. Everything was so simple that the old me would never have imagined “happiness” in my dictionary could be defined by something this ordinary. But of course, the sky and those stars would mean nothing if Charlie wasn’t the one giving them meaning.

   “Not much longer now, Babe,” Charlie said softly, his gaze drifting forward as if he wasn’t looking at anything in particular, just resting his eyes.

   “Hm?”

   “Soon we’ll be able to live peacefully together. No more fears.”

   “I’ve never been afraid.”

   “I wasn’t talking about you,” Charlie turned to meet my eyes, the corners of his mouth lifting into a cute smile. His eyes seemed full of contentment, but I was certain there was more than just one emotion in them. “The one who’s afraid… is me.”

   “There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

   “As long as you are happy, I have nothing to fear anymore.”

   It would be impossible for me to tell Charlie, “Stop worrying already,” “I can take care of myself,” or “You’re overthinking it.” Because the truth is, my life these days isn’t exactly peaceful. I barely go anywhere—just home, the racetrack, the garage, and Paul’s house—because those are the places I can at least be sure are safe. Anywhere else, Charlie’s always with me. The people who are dangerous to me aren’t just those who hate me; there are plenty who want to exploit me too. Most people still don’t believe I’m just an ordinary guy now. They’re convinced it’s all a staged act by Team X to protect me. It sounds like a conspiracy theory, but somehow people buy into it blindly.

   “Then stop being scared right now.” I leaned in close, pressing a soft kiss on the lips of the anxious guy. “Because I’m happy now.”

   “It could be even happier, you know.”

   “Seriously?” I pretended to widen my eyes in surprise. “This is already overflowing out my mouth and ears.”

   “This is still not enough.”

   “So what do we do…”

   Beep!

   Splash!

   It all happened in a split second. Charlie slid into the pool, pulling me down with him. The water splashed loudly, but probably not loud enough to disturb the homeowners cuddling in the movie room. That room’s soundproofing was better than a big theater—Phii Alan had invested heavily in it, to the point that North still complains about why he didn’t put that money into the team instead (even though it was his own money).

   “Charlie!” That was the first word I blurted out after swallowing several gulps of pool water. I was soaked from head to toe, and so was Charlie. But that guy was still grinning, even with water droplets clinging to his glasses, practically turning them into a fly’s eyes. “If I die from this—”

   “It’s just water. If you die, so be it.”

   “I’m choking here!”

   “Come on, let’s kiss to make you better.”

   “That’s got nothing to do with it.” My mouth kept grumbling, but my arms automatically wrapped around Charlie’s neck. He grabbed my waist, pulling me into an embrace, tilting his face perfectly for a kiss. Charlie’s lips were warm, with a faint cool tang of chlorine. It felt strange, but a good kind of strange. Even when he slipped his tongue into my mouth, there was a faint rusty taste, but it didn’t make the kiss any less heated.

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