"Can you pass the chips?" Cam asks, leaning over me as he tries to reach for them himself.

I grab the bowl, sliding them his way and shuffling the flashcards in my hand. We've been studying for the last few days, preparing for Mr. Farris' famous end of week quiz and upcoming midterm. Cam's actually been doing really freaking awesome in chem lately. He wasn't lying when he said he was trying. I think he just had to crack the code that is Mr. Farris. It's about taking the right notes and studying the proper pieces of information. A big piece is also always being ready, because his pop quizzes are no joke.

I'm about to read him a card, test out how well he's got the midterm concepts when my phone chimes. I reach for it and turn it over.

Dad: Hey Bug. Another late one. I'll be home as soon as I can.

Another late one. He says it like it's no big deal. Like he doesn't have them more often than not.

"Everything okay?" Cam asks, his eyes holding mine with that genuine concern dancing behind them.

"Yeah," I say, dropping my phone to my notebook and lifting the stack of flashcards. "It was just my dad letting me know he'll be home late."

"He's been late a lot this year."

"No more than usual. Okay, a substance releases heat when it changes from..."

"Liquid to solid. I thought Jare said your dad would be around more now that it was just you and him."

"Yeah, well, I guess some things never change. What is an acid?"

"A substance with a pH of less than 7. Does it get lonely? Being here by yourself?"

"It's fine. What is an alloy?"

"A mixture containing at least one metal," he quickly responds. I nod, flipping to the next flashcard. Before I can read it, his hand is on mine, lowering the cards to my lap as his eyes find mine. There's a tenderness behind them, that wavering shield dropping just enough to make my insides feel open to the elements. His voice low, he continues, "It gets real freaking quiet when my uncle is out of town. It's why I still come here. When it's quiet..." He pauses as his gaze drops to his hands.

"The noise is the loudest," I finish for him, bringing his emerald orbs back to mine.

"Yeah," he whispers. His fingers fold around my hand, the warmth like a blanket on a cold winter night. "It's real freaking loud. I hate it."

"Me too," I acknowledge, letting my voice fall quiet. "I've always had my brothers to drown it out, you know? They were always up to something. When Jare left...it's like all I had was the quiet. But I guess you've had a lot more experience with that than I have, huh?"

He drops his head for a moment, nodding before he's looking back at me. "Yeah. I love my uncle. And I owe him everything. I mean, he gave up his entire life to raise me. He dropped out of college, got into a trade that I don't even know makes him happy, all to put food on the table for me. The thing is, baseball saved me. It gave me this place to escape to. When I'm on that field, nothing else exists. But it's become more than that. When I go pro, if I go pro, I can finally give my uncle back every penny I took and then some."

"Cam," I lean forward, pulling his hand into my lap and bringing him closer. "I don't think for one second your uncle sees it that way. He loves you. And I'd bet he'd do it all over again without a single regret."

"I know." He pauses, drawing in a slow breath. "I think that only makes it worse, though. I just want to thank him. To make his life easier. Part of that is getting a full ride so he doesn't have to worry about college. Then get drafted right out of college and pay him back."

Shifting a bit, I ask, "Do you remember the summer going into seventh grade?"

"What about it?"

"There was that heat wave. It was so hot we didn't even want to go to the beach because the sand was so hot. None of our houses had air conditioning, so there was no relief anywhere we went."

He laughs, and honestly, it's starting to become one of my favorite sounds. "I remember. We had like ten popsicles by lunch time to try and stay cool."

"I'm pretty sure my tongue was blue for the rest of the afternoon," I add, laughing at the memory. "But your uncle was home and he took us to the arcade. He said it was the only way we'd cool down because they had air conditioning. He played every game with us, and stayed with us for hours. And after the arcade, he took us to the movies where we loaded up on junk food and popcorn. Later that night..."

"He set up the tent in the backyard and let us sleep outside where it was cooler."

"Yeah. He rolled out the sleeping bags and stayed up half the night telling us stories."

"That was a good day."

"The best," I agree. "If you ask me, anyone who's willing to plan an entire day of activities just to keep you cool, isn't looking to be paid back. He's here because he wants to be, Cam. Because he loves you."

That same vulnerable gaze he's always coaxing out of me flashes across his eyes. A genuine softness glistening around a vibrant shade of green. "You're right. I know you are. But it would still be nice to take care of him for once. To thank him for everything he's sacrificed to give me a family."

"I think that's pretty selfless of you."

"You say that like you're surprised."

"I'm not surprised. I just..." My words drift off, trying to find a delicate place to land.

"You just what?"

"You're not who I always thought you were."

"Oh yeah? And who did you think I was?"

I drop my eyes, adding a playful smile. "I don't know. Maybe the kind of guy who has underwear in his car and conveniently finds excuses to never wear a shirt just to show us all that you have a well defined set of abs."

That boyish smirk pulls at the corner of his mouth. "Well defined, huh?"

"That would be the piece you focus on in all of that."

"I mean, you've clearly taken notice of said abs."

"No," I deny, even though that shade of pink flourishing my cheeks betrays me. "You just never have a shirt on and I'm very observant of details, that's all."

"Uh huh. Is that why you're blushing?"

"I am not blushing." I am most certainly blushing.

"Oh no?" He smiles, leaning forward to run a finger along my cheek. "You look brighter."

"It's warm in here," I defend, swatting his hand away. "Come on, we have more to study."

"I've nailed every flashcard for the last hour. I think I deserve a break. In fact, I think you're right about it being warm in here. Maybe I should remove my shirt to cool down...let you observe some more details."

"And here I thought I was wrong about you when clearly you're the same old coc—"

My word is cut off as Cam flies toward me, tackling me against my bed and tickling my sides.

"I'm still what, Kenze?" he teases as I scream out in laughter.

"Cam!"

"I'm still what?"

I try to move, but he swings a leg over me, pinning me to the bed beneath him as his fingers work their way along my side. I'm a writhing mess beneath him, screaming and laughing and begging him to stop.

"Please! I hate being tickled."

"I know," he responds, leaning in further and continuing to tickle me. "I'm still what, Kenze?"

"You're still cocky," I squeal.

"Mmm," he ponders, his fingers still gripping my sides. "I don't think so."

"Okay! Okay! You're not cocky."

He pauses, his hands still resting along my hips, his pinky finger grazes the exposed skin beneath my shirt. My breaths are hurried as I try to catch a steady rhythm.

His eyes hold mine, the small light beside my bed catches the glimmer of green that swirls throughout his irises. He doesn't say anything as he looks down at me, my chest rising and falling. The ever so slight movement of his fingers has me sucking in a breath. He's not trying to tickle me this time, instead, he's sliding along that small peek of skin at the base of my shirt, his eyes still locked on mine as he runs a hand around my hip.

He pauses, holding me beneath him as I swallow the heated lump within my throat. His hand feels good against my skin, and when his eyes dip to my mouth, I have the sudden desire to pull his lips to mine, to taste him like I did all those weeks ago.

I don't know the thoughts spinning through his head, but I know he's getting closer, his chest hovering me before his forehead falls gently to mine. "Kenze," he whispers, the subtle hints of desire dancing along my name.

"Cam," I breathe out. Sliding a hand along the back of his neck, I let my fingers slip into his hair and pull him closer.

He gives in, our lips barely brushing before the loud, obnoxious ring of his phone has him leaping off of me.

My hands are a shaking mess as I pull myself up. Cam is already standing, reaching in his pocket for his phone. When he pulls it out, I get a glimpse of my brother's name dancing across his screen. My eyes catch Cam's, his eyes glued to his phone before he's walking to the other end of the room.

"Hey, man," he answers, clearing his throat and promptly exiting my room.

I don't know what the hell just happened but my breaths are in frantic disarray, my heart's pounding from my chest, and I can't seem to stand on the wobbly things beneath me. It felt really good to be beneath him. And that ache to close the gap and press my lips to his, to feel his tongue slide along my own...what was that?

When my door creaks back open, I look up to see Cam hesitating in the doorway, the same terrified and panicked look on his face. His phone is grasped to his side as he leans a shoulder against my door frame.

"That was Jare. He, uh, wanted to check in about the game this weekend."

I nod, knowing it's their first game of the year. A scrimmage during the offseason, but any game in this town is a big deal. Scrimmage or not, it will be treated as a whole thing.

"How's he doing?"

"Good," he quickly answers, running his hand through his hair. "I should, um, head out."

"You're staying here this week...while your uncle is out of town?"

"Right. Yeah. But I mean, maybe I should..."

"You wanna go somewhere?" The question flies from my mouth before I can gather all of the pieces. But things are shifting and I think we need a change in scenery, something to take our mind off of whatever the hell just nearly happened. "I want to show you something. If you're up for it."

He pauses, his eyes searching mine. "Yeah. I'm up for it."