Page 133 of Ace of All Hearts

“Okay,” I say in a huff. “I think someone’s projecting her coming out anxiety real bad.”

“Sorry,” she sighs. “You know me…I…I hate coming outs. I think they’re stupid, and I never wanted to do one in the first place. Why can’t I just be…me.”

I put two hands on her cheeks, keeping her attention on me. “Hey. Firstly, you have nothing to apologize for. It’s okay to be anxious to come out.”

She nods between my palms, her lips pouting from how tight I’m holding her.

“Secondly, you don’t have to come out if you don’t want to. Every queer person’s experience should be tailored to achieve their own happiness. No one else’s.”

“It’s not even fair that I have to go through this, and you never had to,” she complains low.

“Bit weird to say that, since it’s mainly because I have no parents, but let’s put that on the coming out anxiety too.”

“Oh…Yes.” She bites her lip and gives me a sorry smile.

“Okay, I’m going to give you another chance at this.” I twirl for her. “How do I look?”

“Gorgeous,” she smiles before going on her toes to give me a kiss.

“That’s what I thought.” I take her hand in mine and squeeze it. “Let’s go, Sunshine.”

Old money always dines for hours on end. We’ve been here for almost three hours, and we’re only now reaching dessert. Rachel still hasn’t said anything about her sexuality and I’m starting to think she doesn’t want to anymore. Which is fine, she can do whatever she wants. Although, I do wish I didn’t have to dine with her snake of a mother and coward of a father.

The sound of cutlery against china has been a prominent feature of tonight’s conversation, and I’m bored to death.

“Rachel. Your elbows, sweetie,” her mom says, looking right at me.

Right. I pull my elbows away from the table, knowing the message is for me.

She turns to her daughter. “I must say, when you said you were coming with a close friend, I didn’t expect…Rose.”

I smile brightly at her, pretending I don’t understand her unsaid words. She thought she was going to introduce her to a new boyfriend.

Rachel told her parents that Conor was abusing her and cheating on her. She told her mom he attacked her when she confronted him about the cheating and that she hadn’t heard from him since.

And, of course, since she learned about all this, her mom has been hoping to set her up with someone else. Someone who canprotect herfrom the big bad world. What a fucking joke. She never gives her daughter a break.

“Mom,” Rachel groans, her mouth full.

She smiles back, her cheeks trembling from the effort. “But, you know, we’ve always loved having her around.”

Sure.

I must have come to this house a hundred times. They never had dinner with me once.

I give Rachel an encouraging smile, but she stuffs more food in her mouth so she can’t speak. I look at my untouched dessert. I can’t eat anymore. I have a small stomach, and I don’t want to make myself feel sick.

Rachel starts rubbing her fingers against the three scars on her face. The ones that make her look like a tiger used her as a tennis ball. I glare at her until she gets the message and stops touching them.

“Mom,” Rachel says more clearly now that she’s swallowed. “Dad.”

Her dad smiles at her, not really listening. She takes a deep breath and rearranges her chair.

“Rose isn’t my friend,” she says too quickly for anyone to actually understand. But that’s okay. They got it anyway.

Her mom raises an eyebrow so high I wonder if it’ll break in two. Her fake smile drops, and her mouth pinches.

Her dad slowly puts his cutlery down on his plate, but other than that, he doesn’t react.

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