“Yeah, I’m sorry too,” I tell her. “I shouldn’t have tried to control what you do.”
Not everyone’s into that, I guess.
Cassie grins. “It does go to show how perfect we are as besties, though, doesn’t it? Same taste and all.”
She says it like it’s a secret—like we’re having a moment outside of Atticus, since we’re talkingabouthim.
Little does she know, Atticus is very much in the loop.
“Listen, Cas,” I start, rubbing my sweaty palms on my jeans. “I have something to say to you. It’s why I invited you out.”
She nods eagerly, her eyes flickering to Atticus with an untamed heat every few seconds.
“The truth is… I’ve been keeping a secret from you.” At my words, her eyes widen once more, but I keep talking. “At first I was scared nobody would treat me the same, that I’d be less of a man. Butnow, I’ve decided that if that does happen, those people were never meant to be in my life.”
“Okay…” she draws nervously, as if she knows what I’m going to say but wasn’t prepared for me to say it here—in front ofhim.
Little does she know…
“I’m gay. Or maybe bi? I don’t know for sure, but the definite is that I like men.”
“Oh, Cam,” Cassie coos, smiling sweetly. “I figured, after the party and all. Well, honestly, I had an inkling after what happened with Julian at Chastain Castle.”
A breath of relief leaves me, and I slump back against the booth. “Really? And you don’t care?”
She scrunches her nose, smoothing her napkin where it sits on the table. “Why would I? Who you fuck isn’t for me to decide.”
Ouch. Message received. I will no longer try to dictate whoshefucks. Especially now that it won’t be the man I love.
“Okay. Cool. Thank you,” I say.
“Of course! But uh, why is Atticus here if that’s what you wanted to tell me? Are you coming out to him too?” Cassie asks.
“Oh, I’ve known,” Atticus tells her, smug and cocky.
Her eyes narrow on my shoulder, where it’s pressing into his bicep.
“We’re dating,” I blurt out. “Back when we all first started hanging out, we were already seeing each other.”
Some kind of revelation happens within her, and Cassie’s mouth falls open, then closes, and her eyes widen.
“Oh! Ohhhhh, that makes sense.Thatis why you were so on my case about him.” Her expression shifts from shocked understanding to hurt in a second flat. “Why didn’t you just tell me, instead of letting me run around like an idiot? I would have respected it.”
Guilt courses through me because she’s right. She has always been accepting of Kim, who’s gayer than anyone I know, and has never given me a reason to doubt her loyalty to me.
“I was just… scared,” I admit softly.
Cassie’s eyes soften, but before she can speak, the waitress appears, ready to take our order.
Atticus’s arm drapes over the back of the booth, his fingertips grazing my shoulder.
“I’ll have the chicken salad sandwich with chips and a water,” he starts, confident and firm. “And he’ll have the club with fries and a Powerade.”
I smile at the waitress, once again overwhelmed by how often Idon’thave to use my useless brain.
Cassie puts her order in, leveling me with a blank expression once the waitress leaves.
“Is there anything else you’ve been keeping from me?” she asks, and though she does sound a little hurt, she’s not angry.
