“Me neither. My grandma made me go to Sunday school, but when they made me change classes at six, I decided to fuck the status quo and stop going. I sure showed them.”
“Was this before or after you knew you were gay?”
Jess cocked her head. “I said I was six.”
“So? Oh.” Shannon’s cheeks flushed with heat. Too bad she continued to believe some of the oldest stereotypes she held dear to her heart, like the idea that all gay people knew they were gay from the time they were born.Because if I believe any differently, I have to acknowledge that I might be a late bloomer.At least she could be honest with herself.
Could she be honest with Jess?
“You must be checking out those books I recommended.”
Shannon snapped out of her fantasies. “I might be.”
“What’s the sudden curiosity? Don’t tell me it’s because of me.”
“Well, according to something I read, you Libras can be pretty vain. So I don’t dare suggest it’s because of you, because then…” Shannon had to stop and think for a moment. “Because then your ego will grow three sizes too big.”
“Probably,” Jess was quick to say. “I wouldn’t hold it against me, though. We’re the most romantic assholes in the zodiac.” She blew on her nails. “I’m also Scorpio ascendant, and you know what that means, right?”
Shannon had no idea what that meant.
“It means we’re also the best lovers.” Jess began to walk away. “And we’re manipulative little shits.”
Shannon watched after her.The best lovers, huh?She didn’t think she would argue. The fact she wouldn’t would’ve broken the old her.
Then again, wasn’t she still the old her in many ways?
“Manipulative? Are Scorpios manipulative?” she called after Jess. Half the Metaphysics aisle turned to look at them.
“They have a bit of a reputation,” Jess called back. “It’s the combination of Libra and Scorpio that makes me a real piece of work!”
Shannon took that as her invitation to follow Jess into the adjacent aisle. Jess ran her fingers beneath spines until she found the book she wanted.
“Here.” A soft paperback landed in Shannon’s grasp. “This is my favorite book about romance compatibility in the zodiac.” She left her side with a wink.
Shannon almost went after her again, but the bright purple of the book cover made her look down again.
“How to Love a Libra.”
If this was Jess’s way of playing hard to get, then Shannon might be gamer than ever. It helped that the more Jess toyed with walking away from her, instead of following her across Portland in the hopes of getting the chance to talk to her, the more Shannon was inclined to face her own feelings for the woman in short hair and plaid.
And the more inclined she was to think about that one cold night senior year when things finally heated up in Shannon’s room.
That was the kind of person who made Shannon grow and embrace new sides of herself – a person who forced her to make decisions. A person who madeherfollow and pursue for a change.
She only hoped that she wasn’t falling into the same heartbreaking trap she set for Jess eight years ago.
