Everyone freezes, and I realize my mistake. “Oh!” my mom exclaims, clapping her hands. “I finally have a gay!”
I sigh and rub my temples, hating that I’ve slipped up. Shit, I shouldn’t have said anything. I should have kept my mouth shut. Entirely.
“I’m not gay,” I manage to murmur.
“Of course you’re not, honey,” my mom coos, like she doesn’t believe me. Like I’m in major denial. “When you’re ready to accept yourself, you can tell me. I’ll love you no matter what.”
I sigh and see Paulie peering over at me. This is the first he’s heard of it, and I know it’s bugging him. He wants to know who, what, when, where, and why.
Possibly how.
Fuck if I know most of those answers.
“I’ll tell you later,” I tell him, and he nods, just happy Hailey is still sitting cuddled up next to him.
I see my mom clacking away on her phone. “What are you doing?” I ask, and she grins at me.
“Just buying Pride stuff.”
“Good fuck.”
“Oh, honey, make sure you’re using protection. Do you need condoms? Lube?”
Maya snorts so loudly she chokes, and I flip her off.
“I’m not discussing this with you anymore.”
“There is PrEP, too. Want me to get you in for an appointment?”
“Mom, no. Stop. Jesus.”
She huffs and then continues on. “Anyone else want a Pride flag? It’s buy two, get one free.”
“Oh, me! I have to support my twin,” Hailey adds, and I run a hand down my face.
“I’m leaving.”
“I’ll get you one too,” my mom adds, and I know that before next week, I’ll have Pride stuff in my mailbox at school.
Kill me now.
By the time Paulie and I leave that evening, I have a headache.
“So, who is it?” he asks me as we drive home.
“I don’t want to tell you. Not yet.”
He’s quiet for a moment and then adds, “I won’t judge you. You tell me whenever you’re ready.”
I nod, thankful he’s such a good friend.
I really don’t deserve him.
Or any of my family, really.
But fuck, I just wish they weren’t so nosy.
I end up face down in bed when my phone buzzes. I pull it out and see a message from the same unknown number.
