Page 10 of His Secret

“Do you have class tomorrow?” he asks.

“If I did, I wouldn’t be here. I’m not that irresponsible.”

He laughs. “Okay, so stay. My bed is big enough. I can give you something to change into so you don’t sleep in jeans.”

“No, it’s okay. I’ll make it home fine. It’s not too far away. Maybe right under thirty minutes.”

“Just stay and stop being weird. It’s not a big deal.”

To you.

“Well—” I yawn. “I guess. Thanks. Um.”

“Bathroom is down the hall to the left. I’ll find you some pants. They’ll probably be too big, but…” He shrugs, but doesn’t finish his thought. “Okay, let me show you what to use in the bathroom.”

I don’t question what he means, choosing to quietly follow him instead. There are still people downstairs, but nobody sees us as we cross the hall.

Adrian opens the cabinet under the sink and pulls out a caddy. “This is my stuff. Soaps, mouthwash, toothpaste, deodorant, etcetera. Use what you need. I don’t have extra toothbrushes, but you can use the floss and mouthwash.” He hands over a pair of pants. “And here’s these.”

I take them and give him a small smile. “Thanks.”

He turns around and goes back to his room, so I close the door and start my routine. I don’t shower because I don’t want some of the other guys to try to come in, but I do quickly undress and basically give myself a sponge bath with what looked like a clean cloth in a basket full of them, and some of Adrian’s body wash. I focus on the important parts and toss the cloth in the hamper before using some lotion and mouthwash. With my own T-shirt and underwear back on, I take the lounge pants Adrian gave me and pull them up my legs. They are big on me, in both length and in the waist, but luckily there’s a drawstring.

I quietly open the door and peek out, hoping nobody else is up here. I don’t know why I’m sneaking like I’m going to get in trouble, but as soon as I realize I’m alone, I rush to Adrian’s room before I see anyone.

When I get inside, I quickly shut the door behind me. Adrian’s at the bed, pulling the covers down, but he spins around at the noise. “Someone chasing you?”

“No.”

He laughs. “You’re being weird.”

“No I’m not.”

“Pants okay?” he asks with a quick glance.

“Yeah, fine.”

“Cool. I’m gonna use the bathroom now, but you can get comfortable.”

Once he’s gone, I remove my shirt and climb under the covers, turning to the side so he can’t see my face when he gets back in.

The door clicks with his return, but he doesn’t say anything. I hear some shuffling and a drawer close, and then the bed dips with his weight.

After a few seconds, he says, “You asleep?”

I hesitate briefly. “No.”

I feel him roll around. “Did you used to date James Parrish?”

I stop breathing.

CHAPTER FOUR

MATÍAS

The silence stretchesfor what feels like forever, and I contemplate two things simultaneously. The first is launching myself out of his second story window, and the second is pretending to have fallen asleep in the five seconds since he asked me if I was asleep.

Neither one seems great.

---