“Alex,” he starts, more serious than I’m used to from him. “Listen. I’m not trying to date you. Clearly, that isnotmy thing. I’m not sure what the big deal is.”
“No one knows,” I admit, staring at the kitchen tile. “I don’t want that to change.”
He shrugs, picking up his bowl of cereal from beside him. “I’m not in the business of outing people.”
I nod, feeling a little bit better. I believe him, I don’t have any reason to think that he would do that. But it still doesn’t feel great knowing someone knows my secret.
That he has the ability to destroy my relationships witheveryone.
“Now that that’s settled—”
Right as he begins to speak again, my eyes land on the clock above the stove.
“Shit! I was supposed to meet Ryan!”
I’m already on the way out, grabbing my keys from the hook by the door, looking around for my jacket.
“Who’s Ryan?” Mike asks, following me from the kitchen.
“My friend, you met him the other day, remember? We were supposed to meet at ten to look at apartments.” I find my jacket on the back of a chair and tug it on, looking up when there’s an unusual amount of silence coming from Mike’s direction.
“You’re moving out?” He asks when our eyes meet.
“I was going to, before—” I gesture at the couch. “Ryan and I were gonna get a place together.”
“Ryan,” he repeats, frowning. “I don’t like him.”
“He’s not that bad.”
“He’s rude.”
“He’s just—” I stop, because I don’t have a defense for that. Hewasrude to Mike, and so was I. “Look, I have to go. Can we talk about this later?”
“Stay.”
“Mike—”
“I’m not done with you.” He says, coming back into my space. “I’ve been dreaming about your cock for weeks. Ryan can wait.”
I look down at him with wide eyes, my cheeks turning all shades of red. I don’t get how he justsaysthat stuff. “I can’t. I—I told him I’d be there.”
“Fine,” he says, looking up at me from under his lashes, his eyes darker than usual. “But you’re not allowed to move out.”
“I—” I search for a reason that I have to. Anything that would be enough to convince him, and myself, that moving out of here is still a good idea. “I’m not,” I hear myself say, and I don’t even know why except that I can’t say no to him.
Mike smiles, satisfied that he got his way. “Good. Hurry back.”
He goes back to the kitchen, the matter settled, but he doesn’t leave before he gives me a quick final kiss.
Once he’s out of the room, I stand in the entryway for a solid ten seconds before I force myself to move, texting Ryan on the way to my car.
Alex: Overslept! Be there ASAP.
“What the hell? I’ve been waiting for over an hour!” Ryan exclaims the moment I get out of the car.
I can’t even try to defend myself.
Sorry, I overslept because I didn’t want to wake up Mike. And then I stood around, kissing him and flirting with him instead of getting ready.
