Chapter Twenty-One
Waiting for the first match of the day in the players’ area near the locker rooms made Isaac’s stomach tense. He was used to pre-match nerves and assumed everyone got them, even if this wasn’t as serious as it might have been.
In some ways, it was a whole lotmoreserious. He rubbed his thumb over the little pink, blue and purple bisexual flag sewn to the arm of his shirt, stomach clenching all over again. It’d started out as a lie, but…
Now, he wasn’t so sure. About anything.
Except thatstraightprobably didn’t fit anymore. That was both easier and harder to accept than he would have liked.
Someone approaching him snapped him out of his thoughts, his heart sinking as he looked up and saw who it was.
Adriana.
What the hell was she doing here?
“What the hell are you doing here?” Isaac asked aloud, glad his voice wasn’t shaking. He remembered their last encounter all too well, and he didn’t really want to talk to her—or, ideally,seeher—right now.
Or ever again, honestly. He was used to being yelled at, but that had been different.
“Competing in the tournament, obviously,” she said, gesturing at herself.
Isaac raised an eyebrow.
“As anally, silly,” she said, showing too many teeth as she smiled. It was a vicious, predatory smile that made the hair on the back of Isaac’s neck stand up.
He couldn’t exactly escape, though. He didn’t have anywhere to go other than back into the locker room, and he didn’t really want to hang around in the dark.
“I think you’re supposed to not have a problem with the people you’re allied to,” Isaac responded, wishing she’d just go away but knowing that ignoring her wouldn’t help.
Adriana snorted. “I don’t have a problem with gay people,” she said. “I love them, some of my best friends are gay.”
“But you do have a problem with bisexuals?”
Isaac was still getting used to thinking of himself that way, the word awkward in his mouth. Not that he was uncomfortable with it, exactly, just that it wasnew. Saying it in front of Adriana was a lot worse than thinking it in his head.
“Not in general. Justyou, because it’s bullshit.”
“It’s not bullshit,” Isaac said, his confidence building. He knew he wasn’t faking this anymore. He didn’t knoweverythingabout his own sexuality, but that was okay. He was even starting tobelieveit was okay to be unsure, but to pick up and use the label anyway.
Because it felt right. Because he was attracted to women, and he was attracted to Julian, and he really hadn’t hated kissing Tim all the way back when this started, either. And none of those were things he wanted to deny anymore.
“Yeah it is,” Adriana said. “You’re gonna dump this guy, what’s his name, the minute this tournament is over.”
“I’m not gonna dump Julian the minute the tournament’s over,” Isaac said calmly, sosurethat he didn’t even need to get upset about it. He wanted to keep Julian after this, and he thought that maybe Julian felt the same way.
Adriana laughed. No,cackled. That was the word for the sound she made.
Isaac looked down at his feet. She’d always had a way of making him feel like an idiot, even if he hadn’t done anything to feel like an idiotabout.
“Oh, that’s so cute. You think you’re in love with him,” she said.
“Iamin love with him,” Isaac said, his heart pounding as soon as he got the words out. He hadn’t said it out loud yet.
Hearing it in his own voice made it seem so much more real.
He was in love with Julian. The thought made his chest feel tight, like there was too much emotion to contain in his body. He felt as though he might burst with it, come apart at the seams trying to hold it in.
It was a shame he hadn’t said it to Julian first, but it’d be easier now. He’d do it tonight, as soon as they were alone together. There was no point waiting any longer than that.
