Page 73 of Running With Lions

A man older than Sebastian’s dad emerges from a rusty Cadillac. He grins smugly with a hand firmly pressed to his wife’s ass. Sebastianhopesthat’s his wife.

“No,” says Emir between chuckles, “It’s definitely cool.”

“Cool,” Sebastian repeats.

“It’s pretty empty.”

“Yeah,” says Sebastian, noting the suggestion in Emir’s voice. Then it hits him. Emirlikesthat this place is deserted. As in, he’s all on board for a night, just the two of them, with no one watching. “Cool, right?”

Emir snorts, bobbing his head.

If Sebastian were bolder, he might kiss Emir in public. It’s new, uncharted territory, though. This whole “first time for everything” is a lot more pressure than people make it sound. It doesn’t stop his mind from doing pathetic loops around the idea of holding Emir’s hand all forty steps to the concessions stand.

They part ways when they reach the line. Emir stands off to the side, thumbing through apps on his phone. Sebastian gradually inches closer to the front of the counter. He ponders what to order. What would impress Emir? Sebastian is trying to prove he isn’t lame but failing to find examples to support this theory.

“We’ve gotta stop meeting like this.”

Sebastian is thankful, when he turns, to find Val behind him.

She’s mega-preppy tonight: cardigan over a white shirt, khaki shorts, hair tied in a loose ponytail. But she gives a middle finger salute to private school with a shiny Marilyn Manson button on her sweater.

Sebastian raises an eyebrow. “What’re you doing here?”

“I’m here with Maggie.” Val points to a few feet away. “You remember her, right?”

Though the concession stand is just a gutted shack painted in ugly pastels, it has supreme fluorescent lighting. Sebastian has a prime view of a short girl brushing manicured nails up Emir’s forearm. Her jeans are on the obscene side of tight. Her tilted head reveals a crooked but attractive smile. Sebastian recalls her flirting aggressively with Zach at the ice cream shop last summer. He zones in on her freckles and her scrunched nose when she giggles at Emir. Sebastian isn’t sweating it, doesn’t have clenched fists at his sides or a heart rattling like a snare drum in his chest—much.

“She’s nice,” he says tightly.

Val flicks up an eyebrow. “And she’s single.” Val’s having way too much fun teasing him.

“Yeah, well. Single guys are everywhere, right?”

Single guys who are not Emir. Plus, Emir’s gay. Gay and whispering something to Maggie with a wry smile.

Whatever is happening in Sebastian’s chest is new. He’s not calling it jealousy. Sebastian was used to guys checking out Sam. It happened a lot; it was something he was proud of. He had this beautiful girl on his arm, and she only had eyes for him.

Of course, that story doesn’t include a happy ending. But he’s not harboring ill feelings over it.Anymore, not anymore.

Val whispers, “Who is that?”

“Emir,” Sebastian says. “My teammate.” He almost saysfriend, but that’s presumptuous. He’s definitely not going to call Emir his boyfriend. The word sits weirdly in his mouth. He’s okay with dating a guy, but he hasn’t worked up to referring to him as his “boyfriend,” not that he has anything to worry about, since they’re not even close to using that term.

Yet, he tells himself.

“Cute,” says Val, hooking an arm through Sebastian’s. “Single?”

Maggie leans close as Emir backs off, laughing. “Yeah,” Sebastian says, biting backand gay!

“I don’t think he’s interested. Maybe someone else has his attention?”

Sebastian’s staring a hole through Maggie’s pretty, dimpled smile. She’s quirky-cute. He’d date her, if he wasn’t completely into—

His mouth drops open, and Val winks.She knows!

Sure, the team and coaches are aware of Sebastian’s sexuality, but that’s his second family. He has no reason to hide it from them. He never told Sam, though. And he trusts Mason with his secrets, so Val definitely didn’t know. At least, hethoughtshe didn’t.

“You look at him like… ” Val pauses, scratching her cheek. “Like I used to look at Mace, that’s all.” She smiles sadly.

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