Page 69 of A Quick Stop in Paradise

“It’s kinda fun,” he said, leaning back on the bench. “Brooklyn’s a good teacher.”

“She is… definitely very good at what she does,” I said, keeping a straight face as best I could. I hoped I wasn’t blushing. Stella leaned forward, resting her arms on her knees.

“She’s really cool,” Stella said. “I don’t know how she doesn’t have a boyfriend.”

I snorted, turning it into clearing my throat as I put on a smile. “Ah… you know how it is. Not a lot of people really stay on the island. Everyone’s just coming and going.”

Stella made a face. “That’s kinda sad. Doesn’t that get lonely?”

Oscar laughed. “Doesn’t sound half-bad to me. You’re left alone to your own devices, anyone annoying in your life eventually leaves…”

Stella elbowed him. “Not everyone is a misanthrope. Some of us want real connections!”

“Like with you and Jacob,” I said.

Stella shot me a grin. “That’s not a real connection. But some of us want real connectionsanda couple of fun connections too. It’s called living life. You should try it!”

Oscar spoke for me. “I think Ryan’s living life as it is.”

“I really, really am,” I said lightly. Stella rolled her eyes.

“Okay, sure. You won’t even entertain the idea of alittleflirting with somebody while you’re here.”

“Ah… yes, well,” I said. “I’m having my fun.”

She elbowed me. “No, you are not. Come on. After this, we should go to a bar or club or something and you can at least tell me if any of the guys there are attractive.”

“I’m good, thanks.”

“Come on,” Stella said. “What’s the holdup?”

Oscar sighed. “Stella, she’s hooking up with Brooklyn.”

I choked on nothing, a hand over my mouth, but I kept my gaze straight ahead, not entertaining either of them. Stella shot him a look. “What? Ryan’s not a lesbian.”

Oscar shrugged. “I don’t know how she would choose to describe herself, but they’re very obviously a thing.”

“What?” Stella turned and shot me the look now, incredulous, eyes searching. I kept my gaze past her. “Are you—huh? Are you hooking up with Brooklyn?”

“Yep.” Which was not how I intended to come out, but fuck it, I guess here we were. Stella’s jaw dropped, looking between me and Oscar, back to me, across the gym to Brooklyn, back to me.

“Huh?” She shook her head. “Oh my god. That’s why you won’t go talking about boys or flirting or anything, because you’re already—?”

“Uh… uh-huh.” I found my fingernails suddenly very fascinating.

“But—but you were with Shane and everything, and now…?”

“Yep.” Polysyllabic words were awfully hard to come by all of a sudden. Stella blinked fast.

“So you’re… what? You’re like, bisexual or something?”

“That’d be the term for it, yeah, pretty sure that’s generally what people call it.”

“Oh my god, you never told me.”

“You never asked.”

She threw her hands up. “Who the hell asks? When was the last time you just dropped on someonehey are you bisexual?”

---