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“Oh my god!” Mackie jumps off the couch and runs over, pulling Hyla into her arms and straight to her lips. Then tongues get involved. Hyla’s hand slides into Mackie’s hair. I think I hear one of them moan.
Gross.
“Get a room!” Trevor yells.
Mackie pulls her lips away from Hyla and giggles, then leads her to her bedroom.
“That was fast,” Trevor says with a laugh.
“Yeah, and these walls are thin, so we better get out of here unless we want a show,” Sarah adds.
We stand up and Trevor throws an arm around Amanda. “So, you gonna come hang out with us?” He’s got his sexy voice on. I wish I didn’t know that, but three years of him dating my sister means I know more things about him than I ever needed to.
Amanda’s eyes narrow. She shoves his arm off her shoulder. “If you’re lucky.”
He laughs boisterously and says, “We’re gonna be good friends.”
As we walk out of the room, I notice Aaron looking at me. He’s got a sexy smile on his face. My heart flutters, then slams into my chest.
Being friends with your exsucks.
“Okay, what’s the deal with the two of them?” Amanda asks as she slides up next to me at the annual friends’ Christmas party at Joel’s house. She nods at Mackenzie and Hyla. Mackie is sitting on Hyla’s lap and they’re intermittently kissing and giggling.
I turn to look at Amanda. We decided to invite her to the Christmas party—which we always have on the twenty-sixth—so she could get to know us better and meet some of our other friends.
I cock an eyebrow at Amanda as I watch her. She seems almost annoyed by the two of them. “You jealous?”
She laughs. “No. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I think Mackie is hot, but I don’t play with other people’s toys, whether it’s official or not. I’m asking because… I don’t know. I’m bisexual, and it wasn’t always easy for me to talk about, but it was a part of me. I felt it almost on a cellular level. It seems similar for Mackenzie. But Hyla? She doesn’t seem to know how she feels. I mean, it’s obvious she loves Mackie, but otherwise…” She shakes her head. “I’m not sure why, but I feel strangely protective of Mackie. Maybe it’s because I’ve had my own heart shattered before, but I’d hate to see her go through that.”
I nod. I can’t disagree. I love Hyla, and I know she loves Mackenzie. I can see it, but I’ve always been a little worried that her uncertainty about herself would come back to hurt their relationship—if they even technically have one—in the long run.
“Hyla is complicated,” I explain quietly. “Her parents have high expectations for who Hyla should be. Not necessarily good grades, but the path she takes in life. It matters to them. And while publicly they’d never say they don’t want a gay daughter… they don’t want a gay daughter. Hyla knows that. They’ve been hard on her for her entire life, and yet, she’s still trying to please them. She’s always had her life mapped out for her and told what to do. Though at times she fights back, ultimately, she always goes back to them, trying to earn their love. It’s heartbreaking.” I let out a sigh. “Trevor’s mom used to be her mother’s best friend, but Hyla’s mom got caught up in high society living, something Trevor’s mom never wanted. Still, she plays the game and continues to look out for Hyla, but it’s not enough for her, it never has been. Seeing her with Mackie makes me happy because it’s something just for her. Everyone here knows there’s something going on with them, and no one cares. Even outside our immediate group of friends, everyone here is close and trustworthy. She knows she’s safe here. I think if she had supportive parents, she’d be with Mackie without question. But until she finds the courage to stand up to them, this is how it’s always going to be.”
Amanda blinks a couple of times. “Wow. That’s gotta be hard.”
“Yeah. That’s why we let it go, and let them figure it out. I’m just praying Mackie doesn’t end up heartbroken.”
My eyes drift to Aaron, who is laughing and joking with Trevor and Miles. Then a finger digs into my ribs. I spin around to see Jesse grinning at me.
“J!” I shout, jumping into his arms. He squeezes me tightly.
“Rae Rae.” He kisses my cheek. “Missed ya.”
A throat clears, and Jesse smiles widely. “And this is the girl I’ve been dying for you to meet.” He gestures to the beautiful girl standing beside him. Her hair is light brown with blonde highlights that look so natural I’d think they were real if I hadn’t seen the before-and-after pictures of when she got them done.
She pulls me into her arms. “It’s so good to finally meet you in person.”
“You too, Carrie. Gosh. I feel like I know you already. I mean, I kinda do. We’ve talked plenty online.”
Jesse’s brow furrows. “You’ve talked online?”
Carrie and I giggle. After Jesse came to visit a few weeks back, I sent her a message, thanking her for thinking of me. We’ve been messaging regularly on Instagram ever since.
“Yep,” Carrie says, giving him a devilish smile. I know she’s just trying to get to him because we didn’t talk about him much.
“What, uh—what did you talk about?”
Carrie and I exchange a glance. I shrug. “Oh, you know, nipple orgasms and the like.”
