Has the whole world let Zeke down at some point?
“I’d like to come to your opening night, if that’s okay with you,” I tell him.
Zeke pauses with his fork halfway to his mouth.
“You really don’t have to.”
“Of course I don’t have to, but Iwant to. It’s important to me.”
“Why?”
I think about this for a second because, honestly? I’m not actually surewhy. But it only takes a second for the answer to hit me.
“Because it’s important toyou.”
Chapter 10
Zeke
Iwonder if Talon believes that because he’s straight, Iwouldn’t be attracted to him.
Because I am.
And it’s sentences like his last one that make me certain I’m not going to survive him. Hell, I might not even survive this lunch.
“Is that okay?” he asks again when I don’t respond right away.Sorry, must’ve swallowed my tongue.
“Um, yeah. I can get you a ticket if you want.” I’d be concerned about him running into Derek, but for all his jealousy, Derek’s never attended one of my plays. I figured he’d want to stake his claim, but he seems hellbent on pretending like the theater, and my involvement in it, don’t exist. Mostly, I think he uses the time I’m at rehearsal and the shows to get high or run around on me.
“I don’t mind paying for a ticket. I want to support the theater and the show,” Talon says.
I nod, not knowing what to say. I’m saved from having to answer by his phone ringing again. When he flips it over tocheck the number, I see the name Dahlia on the screen, and his jaw clenches.
“Excuse me for a second,” he says, sliding out of the booth.
I take the opportunity to check my own phone.
The first notification is a message from my bank.Low balance: $76.29.
Gee, thanks for the reminder that I’m broke as fuck on Christmas.
I ordered the fries because they were cheap, and as much as I wanted to turn down Talon’s barbecue, it was really fucking good. I can’t remember the last time I ate until I was full. Looking at the decimated plate in front of me, I realize with horror that I ate almost all of it.
Shit. That means I need to offer to pay for half of it.Guess that balance is going to drop even lower.
The next notification freezes my blood in my veins.
It’s a text from Derek.
Derek
Why are you at Billy’s BBQ?
Shit.I forgot he can see my location. For so long, it hasn’t mattered because I’m either at home, the theater, or Summit. Thinking fast, I type a response as close to the truth as I can get.
Me
Just getting some cheese fries as a Christmas treat for myself.
