Page 2 of His Secret

He looks a little taken aback and then follows me as we head for the door. “Well, first of all, it’smyparty. You’re welcome at my parties.”

“I don’t really drink.”

“So?”

“Isn’t that the whole point of a party?”

“And to have fun, play games, hook up, and hang out with your friends. You’re not interested in any of that?”

I mull over how to tell him that, no, I’m never really thinking of any of that, and he takes my silence as the beginning of my acquiescence.

“Come on. I know you wanna,” he says, nudging my arm and giving me a smile.

My stupid, childish heart flutters in my chest, and I know right this moment that I’ll do anything for him. Anything to see that smile. Anything. Even if it’s a bad idea.

“Fine.”

“Fuck yeah!” he shouts, grabbing me by my shoulders and shaking me. “I’m gonna make sure you have the time of your life, Cruz.”

I went the rest of the week thinking about that damnparty. I stressed over what to wear. I wondered how many people would be there. I plotted an escape plan. I even got excited over hanging out with Adrian outside of a classroom…

What I didn’t do was expect everything to change that night.

CHAPTER TWO

MATÍAS

“If you don’t come outside rightnow, I’m turning around and going back home.”

Adrian’s boisterous laugh pours into my ear through the phone. “Okay, okay. I’m coming.”

As soon as I see him make his way down the steps of the house, I finally exit my car and meet him in the grass.

“You were really gonna wait at the curb all night?” he asks with a laugh.

“You don’t understand the anxiety I have just being here. Why are there fifty cars?”

“Because I’m popular,” he says with a shrug and boyish grin.

“Aren’t they drinking? I hope there’s still fifty cars here when the night is over.”

He snorts and chuckles, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and tugging me toward the door. “You always so straight and narrow?”

Not straight, I think to myself. I’m not necessarily in the closet, but I don’t think many people know about my sexuality, because most people don’t know anything about me. Ikeep to myself and talk to a few people in each class. I don’t hang out and have a lot of extracurriculars. I’ve had a couple boyfriends here and there, but nothing too serious. I don’t know if Adrian even knows I’m gay. I wonder if he were to find out if it would change anything between us.

“I obey the law, if that’s what you mean.”

He laughs again. “You don’t want a drink?” he asks as we step inside.

“Just water is fine.”

As we maneuver our way through people, we find ourselves in the kitchen where he dumps half a water bottle into a red Solo cup and hands it to me.

“Let me introduce you to some people.”

“Do we have to do that?”

He chuckles. “Yes. We have to.”

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