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Dot’s eyes grew huge.
“I’m guessing that was a secret,” Auggie said.
Shrugging, Keelan flipped the tape back and forth. “It’s not like we were in a relationship. And yeah, I didn’t go around telling people. Neither did he. It wasn’t anybody’s business.”
“That’s a pretty big secret,” Emery said.
Keelan shot him a surprisingly dismissive look.
“What?” Theo asked.
“His own kid is gay. It’s twenty-twenty, man.”
“So, what?” Auggie asked. “I know times are different, but you’re saying it wouldn’t have mattered at all? Not to your coaches or the other players on your team? Not to the guys you hung out with at school? I’ve lived here a while, and I have a hard time believing that.”
“Like I said, we didn’t go around telling people.”
“Did Leon want to tell people? Did he say something to the wrong person? Is that why you fought?”
“You don’t get it. If Leon tells somebody, you know what I’m going to do?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “I’m going to say he’s a lying faggot, and that’s the end of it.”
“And people will believe you?” Theo asked.
“Why wouldn’t they?”
Auggie grimaced, and Emery’s face was a thundercloud, but neither man said anything.
“How long has this been going on?”
Keelan hesitated and then shrugged again. “Eighth grade. We were at the same sleepover. I could tell he wanted to.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“That’s a long time to be friends with benefits, or whatever you want to call it,” Theo said. “Did the relationship change over time?”
Keelan grinned. There was nothing mean in it; he looked honestly amused. “You mean, did we fall in love?”
“Did you?”
“Look, I’m not big on labels. I like sex. It’s easy with Leon; he likes giving head, and I like getting it. That’s all.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Emery said. “I saw that video, and that’s not the way two people fight if there isn’t some seriously fucked-up energy between them.”
Keelan clenched his jaw again and looked back at the tape.
“What changed?” Theo asked.
“He wanted to move in.”
Theo traded a quick look with Auggie and saw his own confusion mirrored there.
“What?” Auggie asked. “Like, live with you?”
Keelan nodded. “His parents got divorced, right? And they’re both worthless anyway, so Leon got himself emancipated. And then he asked if he could live with me until we graduated.” Keelan let out a disbelieving laugh. “He kept talking about it like it was this great idea. Kept telling me how I’d like it, you know, with him being in the other room. Like that’s what I cared about.”
“What does that mean?” Theo asked.
