Page 149 of In Plain Sight

“About three months, but it’s complicated,” I said. Hopefully that was enough to keep their questions at bay.

“Seriously?” Isaac asked. “But I thought both of you were straight.”

“So were we until a few months ago,” Jamie pointed out. “Or at least we thought we were.”

“I’m bi,” Luka said. “I just wasn’t out until now.”

“Same with me. The not being out part,” I clarified. “I’m gay.”

Saying those words to my mother had been terrifying, but even with their shocked reactions, it felt good to tell our friends. Like I was finally shedding the last of the persona I’d spent my entire adult life trying to project.

“That’s really not as shocking as it should be,” Jesse said, his gaze locked on me. “I can’t believe I didn’t see it before.”

“Right?” Isaac agreed. “Like it’s so obvious now that you say it, but I had no clue.”

“That was by design,” I said.

A look of understanding crossed Isaac’s features. “Your mom.”

I nodded.

“Why don’t you look shocked? Or even surprised?” Cass asked her dad.

Nate glanced at me, his question clear. I nodded.

“I already knew,” he said. “Not about them, but I knew about Zander.”

Cass glanced at Devon. “Same with you, Uncle Dev?”

He flicked his gaze to mine. I nodded again.

“Yeah,” Dev confirmed.

“You’re not surprised,” Luka said to Asa.

“No,” he said simply. “But I would be if I hadn’t come by the shop earlier this week.”

“Earlier this week?” Luka and I asked together.

“When I stopped by to talk to Dev. I heard your joke about that chick not having the two things you find important in a partner. Kinda hard to interpret someone needing a cock and balls to get your motor running as anything but queer.”

Luka and I exchanged horrified looks.

“I suspected you might be, but I wasn’t sure until I heard that.” He turned his attention to Luka. “I figured you out the first time you came out to the bar with us.”

“You did?” Luka gaped at Asa.

He nodded. “You’re subtle, but I saw you check out the bartender, the one who always wears the backward ball cap. But I only saw that because I was checking him out too.”

“Jesus.” Luka looked at me.

“Did you know about them being together?” Cass asked. “Because I had no clue, and I’m usually really good at clocking that sort of thing.”

Asa nodded. “I figured it out that same night. After I talked to Dev, I saw you having a moment together.”

Luka’s entire body went rigid, and he gripped my hand so hard a sting of pain radiated up my arm.

“We didn’t do anything in here,” he said to Dev and Nate, the panic in his voice palpable. “I swear. He was just?—”

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