Trevor frowned back at him.Who knew?
Maybe the first time he’d seen photos of Skyler out with a girl. Maybe when he’d started letting Maggie’s words slither into his head.
Maybe when a drunk driver had plowed into his mom’s car.
He couldn’t say any of that because it sounded too pathetic, so he resorted to, “I love you.”
“That’s not—” Skyler shook his head. “I know you do. I love you too. That’s why this matters so much to me.”
“And you think it doesn’t matter to me?” he asked.
“It doesn’t seem to!”
Trevor took a deep breath, hurt but trying not to rise to the bait. They kept having this same fight over and over again, like they were living in a time loop. And it always ended with both of them apologizing and Trevor thinking things were fine, but then Skyler would start up with it again a week later.
Which meant this stuff was seriously upsetting Skyler. And Trevor hated when Skyler was upset. But he couldn’t figure out how to balance what Skyler wanted from him with what their management, the fans, and the rest of the public wanted from him. He was wearing himself so thin trying.
And he didn’t think Skyler’s idea about coming out would be the magical solution Skyler expected it to be.
“Say something!” Skyler demanded.
“I don’t know what you want me to do.”
“Really?” Skyler narrowed his eyes. “Because I thought I was pretty clear. I want you to tell Maggie you’re not going to do this!”
“I ca—”
“You can’t,” Skyler said viciously. “I know. That’s what you keep saying about everything lately. So whatcanyou do?”
Trevor couldn’t breathe. “I don’t know.”
I don’t know if I can make you happy anymore.
“Fuck!” Skyler yanked one of his shirts off its hanger so hard he shook the rack, and flung it across the room. He did it again with another shirt, then one of Trevor’s too.
Trevor flinched as he watched each article of clothing land wrinkled on the floor. The wardrobe people would lecture them, but he didn’t care about that. What bothered him was that it felt like Skyler was tossing their relationship away piece by piece.
Skyler turned back to him, eyes determined like he was steeling himself for something, and Trevor braced himself. “It’s time for you to put a stop to this. You can’t let it go any further. You can’t fucking pretend to be engaged to someone else when I…Fuck.”
“When you what?”
“I—We should be—You justcan’t, okay? I won’t let you.”
Trevor narrowed his eyes. “Since when do you have control over what I do?” There were already enough people that had control over him.
Skyler gave him a remorseful look. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Well, whatdidyou mean?” he asked, on the verge of losing it now. “You say we’re okay and you can deal with the Sierra thing, but then you keep freaking out on me and making demands you know I can’t meet! So make up your mind.”
Skyler didn’t say anything, and Trevor’s harsh words echoed awfully in his head as they stood there staring at each other. And then Skyler started to cry. He swiped at his eyes furiously as if they’d betrayed him. Finally, he said, voice quiet but steady, “If you agree to do this, then it’s over for us.”
“You don’t mean that,” Trevor said. Because he didn’t. No way.
Things were bad between them right now, but not that bad. Never that bad.
But.
Skyler looked at him and shrugged. “Maybe I do.”
