Page 55 of We Are the Stars

“What the shit? How long were you two screwing around then?”

Nate and Blake exchange a look. “Since about three months after Ma passed.”

“What! And you didn’t think to tell me? Yourbestfriend?”

“To be fair, it was new to us. We had no idea it would turn into what it did.”

Carsen rolls his eyes. “Oh, please. You two have been mooning over one another foryears.Anyone who paid even a lick of attention to you knew it.”

“Whichtotallyexplains the horde of girlfriends I had over the years,” Nate argues.

“Sleeping with a girl does not make her your girlfriend. We’ve been over this, Nate,” Blake tells him.

“You had girlfriends too!”

“Girlfriend.One. And all we ever did was kiss.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” I say. “Youwere a virgin until you and Nate were together?”

Blake blushes. “Guilty.”

“How? You’re…well, hot as hell. How did you not have women crawling all over you?”

“He did.” The jealousy in Nate’s voice is clear.

“What can I say? I’m a little traditional. Wanted to wait for true love.”

“Awww.”

“Oh, gag me.”

“That can be arranged,” Blake teases Carsen with another wink.

“Blake, stop teasing him.” Nate points to his boyfriend. “He played hard to get with the ladies. He’s not as innocent as he acts.”

“I played hard to get with you too.”

“True, but you wanted me, so it wasn’tthathard to get you.”

“You two make a cute couple. Very natural. Good chemistry,” I observe.

Nate smacks a kiss against Blake’s cheek. “Thank you. He’s a good first boyfriend.”

“Last boyfriend,” Blake tosses back with seriousness.

“We’ll see.”

Blake pinches him and the two take off, running after each other and throwing playful punches—and judging from the loud crash that follows, whatever else they can find.

“Don’t break anything!” Carsen shouts, grabbing the pizzas off the counter and sliding them into the oven. He inches close to me, edging his hand near mine. Our pinkies graze, and I feel that tingle begin again. “Sorry about them.”

“They’re amazing.”

His smile grows. “Yeah, they are. They stuck with me through all the bullshit. Hell, they kept sticking by me even when they were going through their own crap when they came out.”

“Have you guys lived together long?”

“Since about six months after Ma died. They’d already practically lived at our place in Boston for years. Our parents ran in the same social circles and none of us had much parental authority hanging over our heads. We kind of did what we wanted, when we wanted. They were over eighteen and having some family issues, so their moving in just happened.”

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