Adrian Gonzalez knows the painful truth about liking someone you have no chance with-they never like you back and you're left heartbroken. Ever wonder why it's called a 'crush?'
But when the hopeless crush he has is on Parker Thompson-nonbinary scho...
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There was always that moment in a movie where the spotlights shone a little brighter, the characters acted more impulsively and intensely, tension stretching heavy until it reached the point where even a single breath felt too overwhelming to take. That was what I was confronted with once the front door slammed shut behind me.
The lights which hung up around the porch were dull, crickets chirped noisily in the background, the night air lucked any form of zing to bring the electrifying feeling you'd expect. It didn't physically live up to any of those serene atmospheres, but it far surpassed them in so many other ways.
Parker stood with both his hands crossed, a crooked smile adorning his face. "I like the outfit, Mystery," he said, eyes traveling from the bedhead mess of curls on my head, down to the Pikachu-themed slippers on my feet. "It's barely there, but it's a great look. Not complaining at all."
His comment made me glance down at myself, suddenly noticing how short the shorts were... and how I wasn't wearing a shirt. I knew I forgot something during the rush to come outside. I brushed all that aside and went straight for it, even though I could feel heat prick at my face. "How did you know---it was Laura, wasn't it?"
"Laura knew?" He sounded surprised, his hands dropping to his sides. I saw the distinct trail of one black line on his arm, before the rest melted into shadows.
"Wait, that wasn't what she told you in the library?"
"Not at all. She was asking about my breakup with Isa---oh." He burst out into laughter, leaning against the balustrade. "Now that I think about it, she asked because you told her it was a deal, didn't you?"
"Um, yes." I scratched at my arm, walking past him to sit on the highest step. "Then how did you know?
"I found out it was you during the presentation, Adrián." He perched next to me, looking at me as he said, "You sent me a photo of your project, remember? I recognised a couple of paragraphs when you were talking, and a lot of things clicked."
"All this while..."
"All this while," he echoed.
I picked up a blade of grass that laid on the step and wrapped it around my little finger. "Then why were you looking at me like I'd done something wrong?"
Parker sucked in a breath, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ah, yes, that. I can't tell you how sorry I still am about the whole thing. When I first realized it was you, I was overjoyed. But then I recalled what happened in the hallway and how much pressure I must have put on you with my stunt. Had a big 'ohshit'moment in my head, because I knew then you didn't stay away when I was looking for you, you just didn't step forward. I didn't intend to ever out you, I just hadn't consider the possibility that it might cause damage. And when Isabella claimed it was her, I---"
"You thought that was the truth," I finished for him.
"Yeah, at that moment. You know how the rest of that story turned out," he said with a laugh. "Although, I'm kinda glad you weren't Isabella. I've never really been into girls. I like guys."
