Heart and Soul [bxb]

Chapter Forty-Five

It was Lydia who opened the door for Carter, on Saturday.

She inspected him from top to bottom with a sweeping appreciative glance, smiling just before her brother pushed her out of the way. Carter grinned as Johnny came into view.

"Hey."

"Hey," Carter replied.

"You look nice," Lydia mused, as Carter stepped inside.

He let out a sheepish laugh, scratching the back of his neck. "Thanks."

Lydia eyed him knowingly. "I wonder who you're trying to impress."

Carter laughed awkwardly. He wasn't trying to impress anyone. It's not like he had dressed up or anything. Maybe he'd made sure his best pair of jeans would be clean for this particular night, and he had worn his only polo shirt—the navy-blue one that fit nicely around the shoulders. But he hadn't done much to his hair and he had even stopped himself from putting on cologne, because he didn't want to look like he was trying too hard. Or smell like it.

"Leave him alone," Johnny chided, closing the door.

Lydia shot him a coy, doe-eyed look. "It was an innocent question."

"From you? If only."

Lydia faked an offended gasp and Johnny shooed her off to the living room.

Carter turned to look at Johnny. "Where are your parents?"

Johnny smiled, stepping forward. "Inside," he answered vaguely.

"I should go say hi."

Johnny nodded in agreement, but his hands moved up to tug at Carter's collar. Carter couldn't deny him the stolen kiss that followed. Which wasn't so much stolen as it was willingly given.

"You do look nice," Johnny murmured against Carter's lips. His hands slipped up and over Carter's shoulders.

Carter was beginning to enjoy Johnny's fixation with his shoulders. And maybe he knew how this particular shirt hugged his frame too.

He wasn't trying to impress anyone, but it didn't hurt to cause a good impression. Look clean and presentable for the parents, and tug on just the right strings with Johnny.

"You look good too," Carter said through a smile.

Johnny rolled his eyes and Carter put a stop to it by locking their lips in a chaste kiss.

"You do," he asserted, relishing in the way Johnny seemed to fight a smile.

"Parrish."

Carter turned around, feeling Johnny's hands slip away from him. "Sir," he said, stepping forward. "Good evening."

Coach Mason returned his greeting with a nod. "Wanna come in?"

"Sure."

"Diane is in the kitchen," Coach said, as Carter followed him to the living room. "Dinner is almost ready though."

"Should I help with anything?" Carter asked.

"Just take a seat at the table, I'll help Diane bring the food," the man said, before disappearing toward the kitchen.

Lydia walked past her brother and around the dinner table to take a seat. Carter looked at Johnny as he pulled a chair across the table, and the other boy shot him a reassuring smile.

"You can sit here," Johnny said, touching the chair to his side, opposite Lydia.

Carter smiled thankfully.