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I nod, suddenly hyperaware of where my hands are and the fact that I've never officially introduced myself to her. “Sí. Um, mucho gusto.”

She laughs warmly, but gasps when her attention drops to our fingers linked together. As soon as she calls something rapid-fire over her shoulder in Spanish, Christian groans loudly. “Are you serious right now?”

My grip on his hand tightens. “What did she say?”

Before Christian can answer, Carlos snorts from the doorway. “She said it’s about time he came out to her. And that she thought he'd never do it.”

My brain short-circuits instantly as Christian leads me inside. The house is brightly decorated in gold accents, kitchen counters laid out like a buffet.

His sister, Sofia, cups a palm around her ear from her spot on the couch. “Wait, say that again.” She squints at us, then breaks into a maniacal grin. “Oh my God, pay up!”

The room explodes into noise.

Carlos swears, Christian’s aunt and uncle mutter something about losing, and even Marisol sighs heavily from beside a large Christmas tree with a few of her little cousins on her lap.

Christian spins in a slow circle. “What the hell is going on?”

Sofia begins gathering twenty-dollar bills from everyone. “We had a bet.”

“A bet on what?”

She jerks her chin toward me. “Whether you’d be dating that one before Christmas.”

I freeze, still trying to process what the hell is happening.

“I said before New Year's,” Carlos adds glumly, slapping the money into his sister’s hand. “You won by like seven hours.”

Christian stares at his family in utter shock. “You were all gambling on my love life?”

Sofia turns to me triumphantly. “Thank you for making me rich.”

“Uh.” I choke out a stunned laugh. “You’re welcome? I guess?”

Christian drags a hand down his face, muttering under his breath. “This is unbelievable. How the hell did you know when I didn't even know?”

His mom replies in Spanish, too fast for me to hear, but I catch Taylor's name. When Christian’s face turns slightly red, I give him a curious look. He seems embarrassed.

“She said she always thought I'd end up with Tay until he started dating Huck.”

His sisters burst into laughter.

I glance between them, trying to catch up. “She… thought you’d end up with Taylor?”

Carlos snorts. “Everyone did. They were like, joined at the hip.”

“That's called friendship,” Christian argues weakly.

“Sure, hermano.”

I tongue my lip ring to keep from laughing at the fact that Christian looks like he might actually melt into the floor.

His mom pats his cheek fondly before pointing at our feet as she walks away. He kicks off his shoes, and I follow suit, still reeling from the fact that his family… knew. They knew he wasn't straight and they were just waiting for him to accept it himself, like it was no big deal.

I catch him watching me closely from the corner of his eye. “I never felt anything for Tay,” he says quietly, brows knitted in worry. “Not like I do for you.”

Stopping short, I turn to give him my full attention. The noise of the house fades into the background. “I know.”

He searches my face, still tense. “You do?”