(Book Two) My name is...well you know my name and I think I'm gay. No, I'm sure of it. I'm in love with my best friend. She is wild, reckless, and the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. I love her not just for her beauty but her soul. She pulled me...
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"Tell me about her."
"Huh?" I look up from my strawberry lemonade. Or Limonade de fraise. She'd had to order for me in French. It's delicious.
"Your 'not girlfriend'. What's going on there?" She asks.
I roll my eyes she is cheeky, it's a little annoying. "Don't call her that. She is my friend that's it."
"Don't friends hang out together. You didn't hang out last night?"
I groan.
"Oh, come on. I know something is going on there. Tell me?" She reaches over and briefly, places her hand on mine. "If you're not going to tell me. I'll guess. Let's see, you and your 'not girlfriend'..."
She's joking but every time she says "not girlfriend" there's a painful twinge in my chest.
"...decided to travel to the city of love for vacation. But a girl like her is hard to hold on to. And she ditched you on the first day for a guy. You broke up and you are now trying to coexist?"
Her assessment hits home.
"Ari isn't like that," I grumble. "You don't know her. You don't know anything."
I get up to leave but she grabs my hand.
"Wait, wait please don't go. I wasn't trying to offend you."
I glance down at her hand in mine. She lets go and places her hands in her lap.
"You seem like you're hurting. I can be blunt. I was trying to help. Trying to figure out what's hurting you."
She is pleading with me with big round eyes. They're brown like hot chocolate or ground coffee beans. There is a warmth to them I hadn't noticed before.
I sit back down in my seat. I'd let my anger get the best of me again.
"She didn't ditch me for Apollo," I sigh. "...not at first. I hurt her and she hasn't forgiven me. And you're mistaken she's not my girlfriend. Never was."
"Then I read the whole situation wrong." She frowns. "My gaydar is usually on point."
I shyly looking down at my drink and clear my throat.
"No, you didn't read the situation completely wrong. It's...complicated."
"Okay, then you are gay." She says matter of factually.
I'm taken back for a moment. No one has ever called me gay to my face. Even when James had implied it, he'd never actually said the words. It's strange hearing someone else say it. To call me out. To acknowledge it out loud. She'd said it very loudly too.
I glance around the shop to see if anyone is listening. No one appears to be. And even if they were, we are speaking English. Chances were even lower we'd have eavesdroppers.
