Page 45 of His Secret

He nods, and everything in his face tells me it’s not anything he wants to talk about, so I drop it.

“I’m going to see my mom. She’s only three hours away.”

“That’s nice,” he replies. “What about Christmas? Are you going there for that, too?”

I shrug, chewing another fry. “Not sure. Sometimes she goes to visit her sister. I’ll have to see what her plans are.”

“If you stay here, I’ll try my best to stay here too. We can spend the holiday together.”

“That would be nice,” I say. “I’ve never spent a holiday with a boyfriend before.

“Me either.”

I laugh. “Considering I’m your first, I’d assume not.”

He wipes his mouth with a napkin. “Not with a girlfriend either. Any short-lived relationships I had seemed to always fall at a time where I never had to buy anyone a gift. Probably a good thing. I’m a bad gift-giver. Just fair warning.”

“I’m sure you’re fine,” I say with a chuckle.

“Yeah, get back to me after Christmas.”

After we finish eating in the parking lot, I get out to throw away the trash and run into a familiar face walking out of the building with his own bag.

“Matías?”

I tilt my head, squinting at him until it hits me. The guy from the bar. The one I never replied to when he texted me.

“Hey,” I say in a voice too high and screechy. “How are you?”

He smiles. “I’m good. How are you?

“I’m good,” I say with a nod.

He licks his lips, shoving one hand into the pocket of his hoodie. “I texted you, and either you gave me a wrong number or you decided you weren’t interested. Not sure which I’d prefer, to be honest,” he says with a small grin.

“Sorry,” I say, my lips drawing down on the ends. “It was my number, but it was a weird night, and my friend was with me, and?—”

“That friend?” he questions, pointing his chin at my car behind me.

I turn and find Adrian watching the interaction from the passenger seat.

“Yes. That friend.”

“Based on how he’s looking at me right now, I’m assuming not just a friend anymore.”

I chew on my bottom lip, unsure how to reply. Adrian’s not out, but disagreeing with his assessment feels wrong too.

“Uh. It’s complicated.”

He nods. “Well, I can give you my card, and if you’re evernotin a complicated situation, you can call me. My cell is on there.”

Blake hands it over and smiles at me before walking to his car.

I make my way back to Adrian, the card in my fingers.

“Is that the guy from the bar?” he asks as soon as I close the door.

“Yeah.”

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