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“But—”
Dylan held up his hand. “Don’t worry. I won’t say anything.”
Maybe it was time I finally told the truth to my friend.
“I’m gay.”
Holy fuck, I’d actually said it. And sober too.
“Besides Reed, my therapist, and Henn, you’re the only other person I’ve told. But for some reason, I still haven’t been able to come out,” I paused and shook my head. “Where I come from, there’s no such thing as gay. You’re either straight or you’re dead. And that fear is so instilled in me, I don’t know if I’ll ever shake it loose.”
Dylan studied me for a long moment.
“You’re not alone in that fear. It took me a long time to come to terms with my sexuality. Hiding was part of the reason for my drinking. Always worrying that I might be found out. Pushing my desires into dark corners that never saw the light of day. I didn’t know how being bi might affect my career. But things are different now. It ain’t ten years ago. And I can tell you this, Tate. The moment I started living my truth, that was the moment I started living.”
Dylan patted me on the shoulder and left me standing alone on the deck.
Coming out was one thing.
Facing my feelings for Reed was another.
I looked out to sea, and while the water appeared calm, dark clouds rolled in, and the wind picked up.
A perfect storm was brewing.
And I had no idea if I was going to survive the wreckage.
CHAPTER 13
REED
PRESENT DAY
If acting taught me anything over the past decade, it’s to expect the unexpected.
Tate and I reached a stalemate of sorts thanks to that trip to Thailand.
I don’t know if it was the kiss or me making a drunk fool of myself, but the anger that had fueled us for months and months had slowed to a simmer.
We managed to complete filming without delay, or getting arrested, or pissing off the crew.
A win in my book, even though things were still tense because we were both too stubborn to make the first move and talk about what happened. Despite seeing each other at various industry events, Tate and I pretty much ignored each other.
I guess silence was better than fighting.
Thank fuck I was busy.
I had two movies in production this year, both for streaming services.
It left me with little time to worry about the ghost of Tate Aduma.
Was I finally letting him go?
Or perhaps I had just accepted the fact that my relationship with him was like a puzzle I could never quite figure out.
One that was missing one important piece.
While getting my makeup prepped for the shoot today, my phone buzzed. I smiled when I saw my sister’s name appear.
