Page 108 of Sharing Shadow Secrets
“Brandon?” a woman’s voice asks.
I turn to see London—a childhood friend. The first person in my life to come out. All of us had crushes on her once, and she broke our hearts when she said she only wanted to kiss girls.
“Hey!” I stand to hug her. She looks beautiful in a patterned maxi dress.
“It’s been so long. You got buff,” she says, squeezing my biceps, then glances at Kyle.
“London, this is Kyle.”
“Hey,” he says easily.
She smiles. “Hey.”
Then she looks back up at me. Her voice softens. “I’m proud of you.”
I hug her again, tighter. London’s seen me drunk and flirtatious, disappearing into bedrooms with guys we never talked about later. She never outed me, never asked questions, just quietly knew.
I want to tell her everything. About Taylor. About Kyle. But I don’t want to complicate this random meeting with nuance I haven’t wrapped my head around yet.
Still, I think of a future where I can say it plainly: This is my girlfriend Taylor, and my boyfriend Kyle. We’re a thing. I laugh inwardly. We’re not there yet, but it doesn’t feel impossible.
“I’m in Chicago for a few more days,” she says, handing me her phone. “Let’s catch up.”
“Definitely,” I say, typing in my number.
A taller brunette walks up to her, grabbing for her hand. “Nice meeting you,” London says to Kyle with a smile, then steps away.
Kyle watches them go, but before he can say anything, our server returns.
“My friends are going to die that you were here,” he gushes to Kyle. “Can I take a photo with you?”
Kyle politely smiles. “Sure.”
“I’ll take it,” I offer. The server hands me his phone, and I snap a few pics.
I look down at the booth, then back at Kyle. “Ready to go?”
He nods, reaching for my hand. Outside, hand in hand, we walk down the sidewalk. The crisp fall air barely registers. All Ican think about is how much I want to kiss Kyle again. This night has been more than I hoped for.
I push him backward until he’s against the brick wall of the next building.
“I enjoyed this,” I say, nearly touching his lips. “Getting to know you more.”
He leans in, and our lips meet. The kiss is electric yet soft all at once. It escalates fast, our tongues swiping. His hand grips my ass, tugging me closer.
“How did you get here?” he asks, barely breaking our kiss.
“I drove.”
“Want to go back to my place?”
I hum, then pull back. Taylor and I haven’t discussed what’s cool in that way, and we should. Kyle cups the back of my neck and rests his thumb on my jaw.
“Let’s be classy …” I say, although my body wants more. “And not fuck on the first date.”
“Is this our first date?” he asks skeptically, tilting his head.
I shake my head, amused as a smile spreads across my lips. “Yeah. This is our first real one. And I want there to be more.”
