Page 11 of His Secret

How in the hell does he know I’m gay? Or know anything about James? Why would he ask about him at all?

“No,” I answer simply, hoping he’ll leave it alone.

“Oh,” he replies quickly. “He had mentioned?—”

I sigh. “James had a crush on me. It wasn’t reciprocated.”

“Oh,” he says again. “Is it because…” He doesn’t know how to finish the question, but he wants answers.

“What do you want to know, Adrian?”

He’s quiet for a little while. “I don’t want you to think I care either way. I don’t.”

“But you need to know if you have a gay guy sleeping in your bed?”

“No!” he says loudly. “No. Not that at all.”

“I think I’m gonna go,” I say, sitting up.

“Please don’t,” he says, the bed shifting with his movement. “I’m really not trying to judge you.”

“Nottryingto,” I say.

He reaches for me, his hand clasping around my arm as I go to stand up. “I just—I need to…” He sighs. “God, please just tell me I’m not alone.”

My back stiffens and my eyes widen at the window. Did he just…

“What?” I question softly.

He falls back onto the bed with a heavy sigh and when I look over my shoulder, I see he has his hands over his face.

I take a breath. “Yes. I’m gay.”

His hands fall away from his face, revealing an expression that melts from worry to wonder. “You are?”

I nod. “Yes.”

He exhales, closing his eyes as his lips form the tiniest smile. “I’m not alone.”

“So, you’re…”

“Bi?”

“Is that a question?”

“Well, I’ve never actually done anything with a guy, so?—”

“That doesn’t matter.”

“Nobody knows,” he says, sitting up quickly, his eyes wild with panic as he looks at me. “Nobody. I’ve never even…” He shakes his head. “Nobody can know. Please don’t say anything.”

“I won’t.”

“Okay.”

“Did you befriend me so you could know another queer person?” I ask, suddenly feeling sick. “So you could tell someone you’d think would understand and keep your secret?”

He sits up. “No. I didn’t know until a week ago. I have James in another class, and I guess he saw you and me leaving project management together, so he started talking about you.”

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