Page 55 of My Three Roommates

“Brad’s seeing him too, from what I’ve heard,” Nadine says.

“Is that true?” Paige snaps.

“Yes. It is.” I’ve never seen my friends look so horrified before. I get that my situation is unusual. Of course it is. It’s still nothing to be this shocked about.

“Brad’s gone gay?” Rosalie asks me. “Is that what you’re trying to tell us?”

“He’s not. He’s involved with Cody and me. We’re all together.” I swallow hard. This is no time to bring Tanner up. “It’s not that big of a deal.”

“It’s a massive deal,” Rosalie says faintly. “How can you not want to get married, Kenna? That’s what you’ve always wanted.”

“Is this is because Brad won’t marry you?” Paige’s voice is sharp as a knife. “Is he just pushing this open relationship idea to dodge that and avoid coming all the way out?”

“Of course not.” I pause. “I still want to get married.” Even as I say the words, they don’t ring true. Do I? The idea hasn’t crossed my mind once since we all got together. Now I don’t know if that’s what I want. Does Brad? Could there really some truth to what Paige’s suggesting?

Doubt begins to creep in as they keep talking all at once. I wish they were drowning each other out, but their criticism comes through loud and clear.

“You’re betraying the trust that you and Brad have built together. You’re disrespecting your relationship,” Nadine says.

A lump forms in my throat. I know my friends are pretty traditional about relationships, but I never thought they’d judge me this harshly.

“I’m not disrespecting anything.” I’m working so hard to keep my voice from shaking. “Brad and I have talked about this. We trust each other. We love each other. Why can’t you just accept that?”

Nadine sets her hand on my shoulder. “We’re not trying to attack you, Kenna. We just don’t understand. We care about you, and we don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“How can you say that? All you’re doing is standing here and judging me without even trying to understand.”

Paige softens her tone. “We do want you to be happy, Kenna. That’s why we want to stop you from making a big mistake.”

“I am happy,” I insist.

Nadine and Paige exchange a disapproving glance.

“Kenna, your life was on track,” Paige says in that sharp, no-nonsense tone she gets when she’s giving advice she knows you don’t really want to hear.

“I know you thought it was a little too soon to move in with Brad, but it really wasn’t. If your relationship is progressing forward, that’s a positive thing. So many guys drag their feet about moving in. Brad didn’t. You’re living together now. You two should be heading towards marriage, not messing around with other guys. Not you, and especially not him.”

“Why shouldn’t he? If that’s something he wants to try out, then I’m completely on board. Brad needs to be himself and I support him.”

“That makes no sense,” Nadine says. “Even if you’re letting him fool around with guys or whatever, and he’s letting you do the same thing too, when does it stop? Why would you delay getting married for something like that?”

Paige jumps in. “And why is Brad suddenly telling you he’s into guys now? Is it because you moved in and now he’s trying to backtrack? Is this his excuse for pulling away from you?”

Their questions are coming at me like bullet fire. “Brad said it’s been on his mind for a long time and he wanted to tell me.”

“But why now?” Rosalie asks. “Why does he want to do something that will push you away, right after you moved in together? That should be bringing you closer, not creating more distance between you. Because if he’s into guys, then he’s not going to be building a life with you.”

“Where does that leave you, Kenna?” Nadine asks.

I open and close my mouth. I wish I could tell her none of that matters, but she’s hitting on some doubts I’ve had myself. I never told Brad or anyone else, I just shoved them aside any time they ever tried to surface.

I can’t help but wonder if everything my friends are saying is true. What if Brad just wants to go off with Tanner, or even Cody, and leave me behind?

I’m a lot less confident than I was when I walked in.

Rosalie’s mouth is set. “Are you still coming to my wedding, Kenna?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?” I say in surprise. “You’re one of my best friends.”

---