Page 50 of Prince of the Palisades

I scan the room. “Are all of you…?”

“Queer?” Lo volunteers. “Fuck yeah. Is there any other way to be?”

A laugh tickles my throat.

“I’m demi, BTW,” Lo puts in.

Reiss’s gaze darts to where our hands were five minutes ago, tucked between our hips, fingers tangled. “Very, very gay,” he manages.

Karan leans sideways. “Wait, there aren’t any queer kids in Réverie?”

I fight off a frown. I’m not sure. There could’ve been some at my old school, but it wasn’t visible. We had very strict uniform policies. It’s not like anyone could walk around wearing a big SAPPHICS ONLY pin like Morgan did the other day.

Not like anyone offered that kind of information to me, despite how openly out I’ve been.

It always felt like Léon and I were the only ones. Kofi is painfully straight. I want to believe generations of elders were queer in secret, then publicly once the world changed.But Réverie doesn’t host parades or gatherings during Pride month. Not like the ones I see on the internet.

Every year, it’s a quiet celebration. Just me, alone, inside Centauri Palace.

“Not that I know of,” I sadly admit.

Karan pats my shoulder. Not condescendingly. With a wide grin, he says, “Welcome to California! Everyone’s either queer or not-so-secretly hating you for being queer.”

“Isn’t that all of America?” Lo proposes.

“The whole world, actually,” Reiss sighs.

“Wow. That got dark,” Karan says. “Anyway. Jadon, now that you’re initiated, I’ve got one question: when do we get a tour of this epic mansion?”

Convincing Samuel to take Karan and Lo around the grounds takes a tremendous amount of smiling and big, pleading eyes. While he escorts them through the house, I walk out to the main lawn with Reiss.

We stand on one of the cement squares surrounding the pool. The air is cooler tonight. Beyond swaying palm trees, Los Angeles is a field of neon. Between the glittery city and the underwater lights, we’re glowing in artificial blues. In the distance, Karan’s surprised gasp seeps into our silence.

Reiss shakes his head. “He probably wanted to take Lo on aprivatetour.”

I tip my head curiously.

“You can’t tell?” He laughs. “Those two are the definition of that ‘shut up and kiss already’ meme.” He dramatically puckers his lips, and Idon’tlean in. But the thought crosses my mind. “Lo’s been soft on him since freshman year. After Karancame out, I could tell he was into them too. He wears his heart on his sleeve.”

“And you…don’t?”

“I’m a man of mystery.”

We both snort. I wobble a little and Reiss is right there, hands on my hips, steadying me.

“Careful,” he says, eyes crinkled. “I’m not explaining to Ajani how you almost drowned. Again.”

My skin warms. “Then stop trying to push me in.”

“It was an accident!” He groans. “Is it my fault you’re clumsy?”

“I’m not clumsy.”

“Well, you sure fall easy.”

I don’t, I almost say, but my tongue’s too heavy. I’m hyperaware of his fingers still on my waist. The darkness in his eyes. Cool breeze kissing my feverish cheeks. The tiny glimpse of pink tongue as he wets his dry lips.

His hands drop away. He turns to face the water. I mirror him, forcing disappointment out of my expression.

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