Ethan’s confession, delivered with such raw
emotion, just left me cold. Two weeks ago, I
would have jumped at the chance. But those
two weeks had taught me the meaning of
“public opinion.” I’d experienced firsthand what
Leo meant about being different and visible.
Ethan’s offer felt…naive.
“Okay,” I said, smiling. I looped my arm around
his neck and steered him towards the door.
“Let’s go.”
A flash of joy lit Ethan’s eyes. But as we
reached the door, he froze.
I chuckled, releasing my hold on him. “Still want
me to come back, Ethan? Think we can go back
to how things were? You know we can’t. Not
after that post.”
Ethan’s face fell, his eyes darting nervously
around. His hands clenched and unclenched. He
said nothing, just turned and practically ran, his
retreat as hasty as his arrival.
I watched him go, a bitter smile on my face. I
knew it
<
- 24.
Ethan didn’t come back. I focused on classes,
exams, the final transition from college to the
real world. Leo, though a year older, was on an
athletic track and planning for grad school. He
trained, studied, and…bickered with me.
“Dude, you’re staying here, but most people are
graduating,” I said one day, picking at my
takeout. “You sure you want to stay single? No
plans to make a move on your mystery man?” It
amazed me how tight–lipped Leo was. Two
months of living together, and I hadn’t gleaned
a single clue about his crush. He was Fort
Knox–level secretive.
“This is where I give you some life advice,” I continued. “Relationships aren’t just something you think about. Even if he’s straight, you gotta at least…try. Make a move, confess, something. Don’t want to end up…”
Leo made a disgusted sound and dropped a
piece of chicken in my container. “He’s not
straight,” he muttered. “And he has someone he likes.”
<
“What?!” The news was so shocking that I
fumbled my chopsticks and a dumpling
splashed back into the container, sending spicy
broth flying. Leo, head down over his food, got
a face full of it.
He dropped his chopsticks and scrambled for
the bathroom, eyes streaming. “What the hell,
Caleb! You did that on purpose!”
Horrified, I grabbed some napkins and followed
him, dabbing at his face. “Sorry! Sorry! So
sorry! I didn’t… Oh my god, are you…”
His phone started ringing. His hands were wet,
so I answered, putting it on speaker.
“Leo!” his RA’s voice boomed through the
speaker. “Don’t screw up tomorrow’s match!
Got it?”
“Yeah, yeah,” Leo mumbled, wiping his eyes. “What’s with the attitude? Ungrateful little… I even delivered your crush to your doorstep, and you haven’t even thanked me…” The line went
dead.
Leo stared at me, clutching his phone, his face a mixture of panic and something else. “I…uh…….
1
<
- 25.
I was speechless. I never would’ve guessed. Leo’s secret crush…was me? I didn’t even
remember him from my college years.
Leo sat next to me, miserably rubbing his eyes. “Freshman year, you walked past the basketball court. I was playing, and your…legs…distracted me. I got knocked out of bounds.” He winced. “And you, you little… you grinned at me and said, ‘Whoa, dude, you totally flew!‘ I almost
died of annoyance. But then…you gave me a water bottle. And I…I watched you happily
trailing after Ethan like a lovesick puppy, and…I was hooked.” He turned away, rubbing the back of his neck, his ears bright red. “So…um…my
game tomorrow…wanna come? I lost that
game, you know. Because of you. Now that this
is all…out in the open, I kinda wanna…win this
time.”
I looked down, speechless. My phone buzzed. A
text from Ethan. “What if I’m willing to be
brave?”
