Page 92 of Small Sacrifices

"Safe," Max repeats. "What do you mean, safe?"

"That's what I asked him. He wouldn't give me a straight answer."

At the wordstraight,a grin flashes across Max's face. It's buried quickly, replaced by his almost scowl, but it's there long enough that Reid can realize how strikingly similar Max and Everett look with happy expressions on their faces.

"Well, what's he doing tonight, then?" Max gets right back to the interrogation. There's a little furrow between his delicately manicured brows.

"He said he wanted to talk to your father." That's good, right? Not a lie, but also not too much information.

"He said he wanted to talk to our father, and he wanted mesafe?"

Oh, okay. So maybe not good. Not good for multiple reasons, come to think of it.Is that fear on Max's face? It could also just be irritation, but context says differently.

"I'm sorry, that was imprecise. Everett said that he was going to talk to your father and didn't want you to interrupt them. He also, at a separate point in the conversation, said that he wanted you to be somewhere safe."

It's clear by the disbelief on Max's face that this explanation didn't make things better for him. He opens his mouth like he's going to ask another question, but stops mid-inhale. A look down at his shoes makes his hair fall into his face again. But even through the dark curtain, Reid can see him squeeze his eyes shut.

When Max's face reappears in full view, however, there's a grin plastered to it. The teen pushes off the door and ambles over to Reid, drops into a tailor's seat on the carpet in front of him.

"So what are your intentions with my brother?" he asks. It's like the exchange they just had never happened. If Reid didn't remember it, he would think that Max was in a good mood, curious and teasing him. He's pretty sure that's not what this is.

That doesn't stop him from answering the question. "I want to spend time with him."

Max rolls his eyes. "Well, duh. But, like, why? It's not much fun dating someone who has to remain in the closet, is it? I mean, what could you even do besides the obvious?"

"Talk to him," Reid says slowly. Is this a genuine question? "Watch movies together, play board games, stuff like that." Planning to end his father's political career among them. "A lot of the things people do socially are too much for me, anyway. Most restaurants are too loud. And so is every bar I've ever set foot in."

"So what—you're just along for the ride?" There's an edge to Max's words, but Reid can't tell what it is. The word ride rings a bell in the back of Reid's mind, especially in connection with what Max said earlier aboutthe obvious.It makes him want to bang his head against a wall. He should've remembered how difficult teenagers can be.

"Is that supposed to be sexual innuendo?"

Max breaks out into a gleeful cackle. "I'm sorry, what?"

Oh, good. Reid breathes a sigh of relief. "I just had to make sure. These sorts of things go straight over my head, usually. But if it were, the answer would be no. Your brother is a very kind person, and I want to get to know him better."

He wants to learn all the different ways to make Everett smile or laugh, hear every stupid joke he makes at least once. And he'd really like to see the relief on his face once he realizes that he and his sibling are finally free of their father. Preferably sometime soon.

"So you like him, then." Max's facial expression is shrewd. Reid would like to know what that means.

He won't ask, of course. Right now, he's busy being disoriented by how hard his heart is suddenly beating in his throat. "Yes."

Why is this so nerve-wracking? Surely, Everett knows Reid likes him. Otherwise, why would he be kissing him and letting him sleep in his bed? But he's never said it out loud, at least not like that, and maybe that's what's making this feel so intense. Reid resists the urge to groan. There are so many new feelings involved in this, and he doesn't know how to read them yet. It's not only confusing, but frustrating.

"Alright," Max says. He's still squinting, but at least he's smiling now. "So, who made the first move?"

Reid snorts, because that's usually all the answer that he would dignify that question with. As if it's even an option thathe'd make the first move on anything. He says as much and then, he adds, "You know your brother, he's very outgoing. I didn't even know I was attracted to men until recently."

He doesn't say"until I met your brother."Which is a good thing because he's already said too much. Max's eyes light up. "So you're, like bi?"

It's a near thing, but Reid doesn't groan in frustration. In his head, he's already had this conversation with his parents. And it didn't end well. But that's not Max's fault. Reid brought this on himself by not watching his mouth.

"I don't know," he says. "But I don't really care, either. I like Everett. That's all I need to know right now. I can still figure out the rest later, if I ever want to."

And he was maybe expecting confusion from Max, but not eyes this wide. "You don't want to… That's not important to you?"

Should it be important to him? Is that a thing? So far, Reid has lived in a bit of a cishet bubble. He's never had many friends, and as far as he knows, his entire family is straight. Yes, he'sinteractedwith queer people, but he's never really talked to them, and certainly not about queerness. Well, except Everett. But what little they have talked about it, Everett seemed to take it all in stride.

"Well, I'm still Reid," Reid says. "That hasn't changed. The rest is just details. They don't concern anyone but me, and I'm not particularly concerned about them."

---