Calvin

Calvin Berry was having the best night of his life.

The prom that he never thought he would go to had just ended, and Calvin had been out on the floor dancing to every song.

And he’d been dancing with the hottest guy in school.

Jack Roberts.

Tall, perfect Jack Roberts with his wavy brown hair and sculpted muscles that made him look like one of those Greek statues. He was the star of the football team, the gorgeous, dreamy guy who had turned down who-knows-how-many girls to take Calvin to prom instead.

So what if Calvin’s dream date also happened to be his best friend.

That part didn’t matter. Not tonight, anyway. Tonight, it was Jack and Calvin, on a date to prom, just like Calvin had dreamed about ever since he’d been old enough to realize prom was a thing.

“I can’t believe this is really my life,” Calvin said, doing his best not to skip through the parking lot as he walked with Jack back to the limo that they had rented for the night. “I’m not ever going to forget a single minute of this night for as long as I live, I can promise you that.”

Jack grinned and slung an arm around Calvin’s shoulder, pulling him in for a half-hug that made Calvin forget where he was and what he was doing. “I had a pretty awesome time, too. I never would have thought it, but you make a pretty damn good date, Calvin.”

Calvin looked up and fixed him with a mock-glare. “You wouldn’t have thought I’d be a good date?”

“You know what I mean,” Jack said, laughing. “Only because we’re friends. You’re my buddy. I’ve never thought of you as a date before, until we started talking about going to prom together…”

Well, it at least made more sense when he said it like that. But Calvin still didn’t love the fact that Jack was throwing water on the fantasy Calvin had been busy living out all night.

“And now?” Calvin asked, because apparently, he couldn’t help himself from asking questions he already knew the answer to. “You think of me as a date?”

Jack shrugged. “Of course. You’re my date tonight, right? Tomorrow we go back to being buddies, but tonight…”

The way his voice trailed off made Calvin’s heart skip a beat. The night already had a dream-like quality to it—the way he had arrived at prom in a limo with his literal dream date. But now, with Jack’s arm around his shoulders and Jack saying all of those things about how they were dating for tonight, it really did make Calvin think for a moment that anything might be possible.

Jack stopped next to the door of the limo and opened it for Calvin but stopped him just before he could climb inside.

“Hey,” Jack said, putting a finger under Calvin’s chin and tilting his head up slightly. “You know I was just joking about not thinking you’d be a good date, right? I really do hope you’ve had a great time, and there’s honestly nobody else I would have rather come here with.”

Calvin nodded. He couldn’t speak. Couldn’t think. Couldn’t even breathe with Jack so close, with those big, intense brown eyes staring down at him and making Calvin feel like he was the only thing Jack could see.

He was close enough that Jack’s scent—that intoxicating mixture of soap, cologne, and Jack—filled Calvin’s nostrils.

“Thank you,” Calvin said, once his voice finally came back. “There’s nobody else I’d rather be here with, either.”

As if that wasn’t perfectly obvious by the way Calvin had been staring at him like a heart-eyed emoji all night.

But there was something about the way Jack was looking back at him, something about the way Jack was still holding onto Calvin’s shoulder that made him pause, made him cock his head to the side and inch a little closer.

There was something about that magical, wonderful night that made Calvin hold his breath and close his eyes and stand on his toes to reach the softest, warmest lips he’d ever felt.

Of course, they also happened to be the only lips Calvin had ever felt, but that didn’t matter because he was kissing Jack.

Kissing.

Jack.

Until suddenly he wasn’t.

“What the hell, Calvin?”

He stumbled backward and opened his eyes to see Jack looking at him with a mixture of horror and shock.

“I… I…” Calvin fumbled over the words as he tried to figure out what had just happened. What had he done? Had he really just tried to make out with his best friend? With Jack? What had he been thinking?

“Look, man,” Jack shook his head as his eyes darted around the parking lot before settling on Calvin again. “I don’t… I’m not… It’s not like that between us, okay?”

“Right. Okay,” Calvin nodded frantically, taking a step forward but stopping again when Jack put up a hand. “I’m sorry, Jack. I didn’t mean to do that. I don’t even know—”

“It’s fine,” Jack said, cutting him off with a look that said it clearly wasn’t fine. “Don’t worry about it, okay? Just… just please get in the car.”

“Okay,” Calvin said, scrambling through the open door an instant before Jack closed it behind him. Calvin reached for the door handle and opened it again, his voice shaking as he peered out to where Jack was still standing. “Are you, um… are you coming?”

Jack shook his head. “You can go on without me. I’ll catch a ride later.” He gave Calvin a hard look, then took a deep breath, his tone softening just a little. “Look, it’s fine. We’re good. I just need some time to think. Okay?”

“Sure,” Calvin said, doing his best to sound like he wasn’t about to cry. “Of course. I’ll, um… talk to you later.”

“Later,” Jack echoed, then turned and walked away.

For several long seconds, Calvin sat there, watching Jack walk back across the mostly-empty parking lot, hoping he’d turn around or at least look over his shoulder and give some sign, some indication that things really were okay between them.

But that never happened.

“You ready, kid?” the limo driver called from the front seat.

“Yeah,” Calvin said, but his voice was so low he couldn’t be sure the man had heard him.

Whatever. It didn’t matter.

Calvin had just tried—no, not tried—had just kissed his best friend. His straight best friend.

He’d never seen that look on Jack’s face before. That shocked, scared, disappointed look. Calvin hoped he’d never see that look again.

But the way Jack had walked away without looking back made Calvin think that probably wouldn’t be an issue.

Deep down, in the pit of his stomach, Calvin was pretty sure his friendship was over.

He had ruined it.

On the best night of his life.

With just one kiss.