Page 36 of The Broposal

I hadn’t told my parents about the wedding, and I wasn’t ready to hear how my mom would react to the news of me marrying a man. I would tell them soon… just not yet. Not while I was still freaking out about it.

When the phone stopped ringing, I stared at Leti’s contact again. Maybe they could talk me down. They were always good at that. But I couldn’t break my promise of secrecy to Kenny a day after I’d made it. As I tucked my phone back into my pocket, a stray cat wandered from under the bench. It sat in front of me and stared.

“Sorry, buddy. I don’t have any food on me.”

The cat kept staring, as if to coax me into talking.

“You know I’m not supposed to tell anyone. I’m not gonna putthat shit on Leti,” I thought out loud. I was fully aware of how ridiculous I looked talking to a cat, but there was no one around to witness it, so I kept going.

“Am I doing the right thing?” I asked hopelessly. The cat answered by rubbing up against my shin. I let out a soft laugh and scratched its head. I needed to tell someone so badly, but I couldn’t risk it. Not with Kenny’s freedom on the line, and my status. But the cat was all ears, and there was no one else in the park.

“I’m marrying my best friend for citizenship.” I said it so quickly that even I didn’t fully understand the words coming out of my mouth. I laughed again. “And I’m talking to a cat.”

The cat blinked slowly, a sign of trust that felt more like a sign from the universe.

Rain sprinkled down again, wetting my lashes. Or maybe that was something else. I sighed as my confidant ran to find shelter. I looked to the sky as the water hit my face, letting the tears fall with the drops so no one could tell the difference.

I closed my eyes, pushing out a few more tears. Then I heard someone approaching. I wiped my face and silently shook myself off, then turned to see Kenny walking up, shielded by an umbrella. He wore a jacket but had another tied around his waist. He untied it and handed it over, holding the umbrella out so it was hovering over me instead of him.

“Thanks,” I said as I took off my bomber jacket, tying it around my own waist so I could put on the jacket Kenny brought. He sat next to me, close enough to share the umbrella.

“Can’t have you getting sick on me.”

I thoughtlessly leaned my head on Kenny’s shoulder, and he responded by resting his head on mine.

“You okay?”

“Yeah.” I shrugged.

“You want to talk about it?”

“Nah.”

“Want me to leave you alone?”

“Nah, we can head back. Can’t be getting sick,” I said. If I got sick, I’d have to either call off work and risk getting fired or go to work and get customers sick. Which could also get me fired.

“Want to rewatchOur Flag Means Death?” Kenny asked, and while gay pirates were entertaining, I didn’t need anything making me question myself right now—or, more realistically, I didn’t need anything holding up a mirror in my face when the answer was just as easily left unsaid. So I shook my head no.

“I’m more in a kids’ movie mood, you know?” A smile betrayed my brooding. The only times I ever cried in front of Kenny were when we watched kids’ movies. For some reason I seemed to have a healthy range of emotions only when watching Disney orThe Land Before Time.

“What movie?” he asked.

“Coco.” I grinned.

Kenny chuckled. “So you’re in the mood to cry, huh?”

“Hey, I’ve only cried three times in my life,” I joked. “Twice when I was a baby, and the third time duringCoco.”

“Sure, Han.” Kenny laughed and shoved my shoulder.

We walked back to the apartment, shoulders pressed together under the umbrella, Kenny dutifully walking on the outside closer to the road. Even though we had no one to pretend for, I wanted to wrap my arms around Kenny and squeeze him in gratitude. I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to put into words how much he meant to me, and IknewI’d never be able to repay him. Luckily, Kenny wasn’t one to keep score.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

KENNY

Iclosed the umbrella as we got to our building. I always let Han go up the stairs first, since I was afraid it’d be too much on his ankle, and I wanted to be able to catch him if he fell. Maybe it was an irrational fear, but the way Han slowed, his face scrunched in pain by the time he got to our floor was more than enough cause for worry.

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