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Dear Peter,
I understand why you’re not taking phone calls from any of us. I can’t imagine how you must feel. I was appalled by Adam’s behavior at Fusion, and I wanted to come up to the dorm room with you both that night, but Sarah said it was best for you guys to work it out alone.
I’m so sorry, Peter, for everything. If I hadn’t chosen Fusion, if I hadn’t suspected you were gay and decided to push the issue, maybe you guys would still be friends.
Adam is getting help now to deal with his anger issues. There’s a college counselor he’s seeing, and it’s going great. He says the counselor has helped him understand that he reacted the way he did because he felt betrayed by you because you’d kept being gay a secret from him.
But I know he’d want you back in his life if you’d just forgive him. Now that he’s getting help, I think things might be even better between the two of you if you’d give him another chance. Think how good it will feel to be honest with your best friend and have him love you for who you really are?
Whatever happens, Peter, I love you. I always will, and I’m always your friend.
Truly,
Leslie
I sat down on a stool and rested my chin on my hand, the letter still in my hand.
Todd’s comment about my photo came to mind.It’s bullshit.
My photo wasn’t. But this? This was. I wanted to yell, to scream, to find a way to cast this crime off forever and for good. But it kept coming back to me. The disgust over my choices, the shame of what I’d done and who I’d hurt. Didn’t Adam feel it too? Why didn’t he? How could he keep on lying even now?
The phone rang just as the buzzer on the toaster oven went off. I hissed as I tugged the pizza bagel free and dropped it, steaming, on a plate. Rushing to answer the phone next, anxiety roiled inside me. What if it was Adam?
“Hey, you.”
Daniel.
The peace his voice gave me was like absolution. No matter what I’d done in the past, somehow, I’d ended up here with Daniel on the other end of the line. Everything was going to be all right. Everything was fine.
Danielwould never lie about me, about us, or about who he was and what he wanted. He’d never be like Adam. He’d always be what he’d been right from the start.
Honest.
“Hey,” I answered, a smile on my lips. “I’ve missed you.”
“Me too.”
“My mom leaves Saturday morning. For real this time. Are you still up for that party I mentioned?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Because I’ve missed my friends, but most of all, I’ve missed seeing you.”
“Daniel?”
“Yeah?”
I didn’t know what I’d been about to say. Was I going to tell him about Leslie’s letter? No. I didn’t want to burden him with that. “Nothing. I just wanted to be sure of you.” I didn’t know how else to explain that I’d wanted to confirm that we were together.
“Be sure of me,” Daniel said, pitching his voice lower. “Saturday night, I’ll show you just how sure of me you can be.”
“Is that a promise?”
“Petey, are you okay?”
I laughed. “You’re such a goofball. And, somehow, that’s just not as good as ‘Danny, are you okay?’ Doesn’t have quite the same ring.”
Daniel snorted. “No, it doesn’t.” He paused. “But yes, it’s a promise. You can be sure of me, and also…areyou okay? You sound tense.”
