His cardamom scent is turning more bitter by the second. “Is everything okay?”
“Well… no, not really. You’re not the only one who’s been keeping a secret. Something happened last weekend, and it kind of sent me into a spiral.”
I notice how fear-stricken he looks, and it worries me. “Hey… you can talk to me. I know you had a different idea of who I was a week ago, but I’m not as big of a bitch as I wanted people to believe.”
He nods and says, “I hooked up with someone.”
Well, that wasn’t what I expected. “Oh, okay.”
“Not just someone,” he prefaces. “A man.”
My eyes widen the tiniest bit before I cool them, glad to have years of practice because I don’t want him to interpret my surprise as prejudice. That just wasn’t what I expected him to say.
He’s visibly shaking, his confession taking a toll on him, and I realize how brave he had to be to say those words.
I scoot closer and put my hand on his shoulder. “Brent… thank you for telling me.”
“I was scared,” he admits. “There aren’t a lot of people like me here. So, just like you, I’ve been pretending. Hoping thisthinginside me would go away so I wouldn’t have to deal with it.”
I nod, seeing the similarity in our situations, finally understanding why we gravitated toward each other, why our relationship was always bare and destitute.
“You’re not going to tell anyone, right?” Brent asks, his face suddenly fearful. “Not even Axl?”
I meet his eyes so he can see the sincerity there. “No, I’m not going to tell anyone, Ipromise. I know it’s not easy here. And even though I appreciate you comparing our situations, we both know they’re different. People are too close-minded. I don’t blame you one bit for being cautious… but I appreciate you feeling safe enough to tell me.”
He nods, a tiny smile now forming. “I’m… I’m sorry I was keeping this from you. That I entered into this relationship despite knowing I couldn’t reciprocate…”
“Hey, no. It’s okay,” I tell him. “Let’s be honest. We’re not really compatible, even if there wasn’t a sexuality issue between us.”
Brent laughs, and his scent finally softens. “Yeah. We’re both pretty strong personalities, huh?”
“It’s true. I need to be able to call the shots sometimes.” Inod. “And you need to call themallthe time, and that’s fine. That’s in your nature.”
“Probably because I don’t feel like I have much control in other aspects of my life,” he admits, and his face softens. “I just hope I do find someone one day that’s compatible with me.”
“You will, Brent. And if it’s any incentive… being yourself, and being with who you love despite others telling you not to, is fucking amazing. I wouldn’t take it back for anything.”
His brow scrunches, thinking that over. “Even though you were forced into the light? You don’t regret it?”
“Not for a single moment.”
That makes his smile form a little more naturally. “Thank you, Stacey. I hope we can be friends.”
“We already are,” I tell him. “You don’t have to go through this alone, Brent. I’m here for you, every step of the way.”
The apology tourcontinues as I drive into the parking lot of Axl’s apartment complex. We left off rocky after everything at the gala, and I hadn’t called him to check in like I said I would. God only knows how he’ll react to me showing up at his place, but I need to see him like I need fucking air to breathe. I hope he still feels the same way after I left him in that empty dining room.
Now I’m here, standing in front of his door once again, practically shaking in my Prada boots. I reach up to knock, but the door swings open. Axl’s electric scent fills my nose and sends the biggest dopamine rush to my head. Relief fills me, like I’m an addict and getting a hit of his scent was the very thing I needed to feel like myself again.
“Oh.” He stops his descent through the doorway, and a huge grin paints over his face. “Hi.”
His reaction makes me smile as well, suddenly feeling shy in my abrupt arrival. “Hi,” I reply, then point down at the keys in his hand. “Are you going somewhere?”
“I was just going to meet my dad,” he says, beckoning me inside. “Let me call him to reschedule.”
“You don’t have to reschedule.”
“I know, but I want to. He’ll understand.”
