“Wait… you’re not a virgin, are you?”Landon asks, his voice quieter now but still curious.
My face heats up instantly, and I bite my lip, avoiding his gaze.Landon lets out a loud, amused chuckle.
“Wow.Screw you, jerk,” I snap, grabbing my backpack and standing up.I storm out of the café, my cheeks burning.Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Fox still watching me, something flickering in his expression.Concern?Annoyance?I can’t tell.
“Cam, wait up!”Landon calls, chasing after me.
I keep walking, my shoes pounding the sidewalk as I try to clear my head.This was not the conversation I wanted to have today.
Landon finally catches up to me, grabbing my arm lightly.“I’m sorry, okay?I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.I didn’t realize it was a sensitive topic.”
I slow down, turning to face him.“I’m not mad.It’s just… complicated.”I sigh, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on me.It’s not a big deal.I know there are guys out there my age who are still virgins.
Landon smiles softly.“I swear I’m sorry.I can be an asshole sometimes.”
I roll my eyes but smile back.“It’s fine.I’m just… not used to talking about that stuff.”
We start walking again, side by side.
“For what it’s worth,” Landon says, glancing over at me, “my first time wasn’t great either.Prom night, with some guy I didn’t even like.And that was when?Two and a half years ago?”
“Seriously?That sounds… awful.”
“It was.Didn’t even enjoy it,” he says with a chuckle.
“And about Fox… I’ve never thought about him touching me.He’s straight, remember?”
“Right, but that doesn’t mean you can’t like him a little.”
“I don’t hate him,” I say, my voice flat.
“That’s still something,” Landon teases, throwing his hands up in surrender when I glare at him.
We laugh as we cross the street back toward campus.Exhaustion creeps in as I think about the nap I desperately need before meeting Leanne tonight for the literature club.
“So,” I say, glancing at Landon.“You dating anyone right now?”
“Nah.College is full of assholes.They just wanna fuck and bid goodbye.Not my ideal kind of relationship.”
“Wow.Ever been in love?”
Landon sighs.“I don’t think so.What about you?”
I shrug.“Just a stupid crush on a straight jock in high school.Wrote him a love letter, got beat up for it.”
“Shit, that’s rough.”
“Yeah.That’s also how my parents found out I was gay.They freaked out, warned me to stay away from guys.My dad even threatened to disown me if I got involved with a guy again.”
“That was harsh.What are you gonna do?Because as it seems you won’t be dating a girl anytime soon.”
“I don’t know.When I do end up with someone, I’ll figure out how to come out to them properly.It’s not like I chose to be gay.”
Landon chuckles.“Don't let these heterosexual homophobes hear you say that.They beg to differ.”
I chuckle, stopping by my next class.“See you later, man.”
“Yeah, later.And think about the club.You’re cute—you’ll have the guys eating out of your hand in no time.”He winks.
