“No, it’s okay,” he says. His eyes soften. “It’s kind of a sad story though.” He glances at Seb, who smiles and takes a swig of his drink.
“You’re safe with us, Stitch.”
B raises his eyebrows. “Am I? I thought you hated me, Bastian.”
Sebastian shifts uncomfortably on the log, his gaze cutting my way. In the dancing firelight, his eyes blaze like blue fire, and it stirs something warm between my legs. “I don’t hate you,” he says hesitantly, looking back at B. “I just…”
“Punched me in the face for the fun of it?” B’s eyes flare with resentment, and I pause with my drink halfway to my mouth.
Seb swallows, angling his knees toward Brantley. “I shouldn’t have done that, but it’s not like you didn’t deserve it.”
B blinks moisture from his eyes and looks away, frowning. “And I’ve apologized for it so many times.”
“Michaels, I’m sorry.” Sebastian reaches out and places a tentative hand on B’s knee.
B and I stare at him like he’s grown two heads.
“Are you guys okay?” I mutter. “Brantley’s grumpy and Seb’s getting all soft. It’s likeFreaky Fridayover here.”
They glare at me.
“You’ve grown on me, okay?” Seb says quickly. “And if you want to tell us something personal, you’re safe.”
B studies him and nods slowly, taking a long sip of his beer. “My first kiss was with a boy.” His eyes lose their focus as he talks, like he’s reliving the memory. “My best friend, Aiden. He smelled like honey, and his lips were so soft.”
“That’s sweet, B,” I say. “Did you guys date?”
He swallows heavily. “No, but I wanted to. But my dad…” He clears his throat. “My dad is very conservative. If he caught us, he would have hurt Aiden. I’m sure of it.”
“Does that mean you’re…” Seb starts.
“I’m bi,” B says, his voice wavering. “But I’ve never actually told anyone that. My dad always suspected though, and he said I would ruin my career if I came out as queer. But I guess I did that anyway when I took a puck to the throat. Ruined my career, I mean.”
My eyes fill with tears. “I’m so sorry, B. You never told me about your dad. If you had when we were together…”
“I couldn’t back then. I hate who I was. My dad controlled every aspect of my life. How I felt about you wasn’t enough. But I was wrong.”
Seb goes to stand. “ I can leave you two alone.”
“No!” we both shout, and Seb freezes.
B grabs his hand and pulls him back to the log. Sebastian’s brows crash together in confusion, and I empathize with him. Something about the way B clutches Seb’s fingers before he letsgo sends electric pulses through my body. I wipe my eyes and sniff. I don’t understand the pull I feel toward them, but when I think about the guys, it’s like I’m being torn in half from the inside out.
We sit in awkward silence, dropping our eyes to the fire. Seb gets up and throws on another log, and sparks burst into the night air. When he sits back down, B nudges him with his boot.
“Truth or dare?” B asks.
Seb looks at him. “Are we switching games?”
B stares at him intently. “Well?”
Seb sighs. “Truth, I guess.”
“How many people have you slept with?”
“Literally or…”
“Wow, okay. How many people have you hadintercoursewith?”
