Chapter Fifteen
Elliot and Damon tried to convince Grandmama that they could skip prom and stay with her, but she refused.
“I want you both to go,” she said, smiling. “I’m fine now. Go have fun. You only have one senior prom.”
They relented when Elliot’s parents came over and promised to watch over her for the rest of the day.
She got a scolding from Elliot’s dad for overworking herself at the clinic yesterday, but almost dying must have scared her as well because despite her dismissive attitude toward their fussing, she agreed to cut back her hours at the clinic now that Elliot was able to command his powers at will.
Which was how Elliot found himself standing in a park, trying not to sweat in his suit, as he watched Chelsea position Damon in front of one of the blooming flower trees.
Damon started making robot mouth sounds, acting like he was just a prop for Chelsea to move around as she pleased.
Chelsea playfully smacked his arm, laughing along with him. She fixed his tie and smoothed his jacket, then snuggled her body against his to pose for the cameras.
A hollow feeling permeated through Elliot. He was having a hard time getting into the prom mood.
He wouldn’t have been here if he wasn’t sure that Grandmama was okay, and if he were being honest, it wasn’t worries about her health that was leaving him feeling unmoored.
“Hey.” Madison walked up.
“Hey,” he said. “Are we getting more photos?”
“I think we’ve taken enough, don’t you?”
Elliot snorted. “Yeah, but I don’t think Chelsea would agree.” Madison and Elliot watched as Chelsea and Damon repositioned for another round of photos on the bridge.
Damon’s smile was huge, all bright-white teeth, happiness radiating from him. He could even pull off the ridiculous orange tie. The color brought out the depths of his warm brown eyes. Chelsea looked beautiful too. They looked good together. Like a real couple.
The hollow feeling thickened and turned darker. Would prom be the beginning of their official relationship? He knew that they’d messed around a few times, but he wasn’t sure how serious they were.
He didn’t want to know…except he did want to know.
“I know I made you put on that whole scene in school, but I’m not actually all that interested in being looked at,” Madison said.
“Then why did we do that?”
She sighed. “I wanted Jason back. I miss him all the time. Chelsea came up with that plan and said it’d make him realize what he was missing, but he hasn’t even looked in my direction.”
“I’m sorry, Madison.”
She gave Elliot a sad smile. “It’s fine. I don’t mean to be a downer. It’s prom.”
He nudged her shoulder with his. “I’m not exactly bursting with joy today either.”
“I noticed. Something going on between you and Damon?”
“What?” he screeched a little too loud. “No, of course not. What makes you say that?”
She kept her eyes glued on the couple on the bridge. Damon was kissing Chelsea’s cheek.
Elliot had to look away.
“I don’t know. He’s just been watching you even more than usual, and it’s almost like you’re avoiding him or something.” She shrugged. “I could be wrong. Maybe I’m projecting my own tragic love story.”
He scoffed. “There’s no tragic love story. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He narrowed his eyes, thinking, and turned toward her. “What do you mean more than usual? What is usual?”
Madison shook her head, laughing. “You two are attached at the hip. Always have been. Damon is extremely protective over you. You really haven’t noticed?”
“No…”
But that was the second time someone had said that to him.
Chelsea yelled Damon’s name and snapped her fingers to get his attention, but his eyes were scanning the horizon until they landed on Elliot. Damon grinned.
Only a moment passed, and then he was putting his arm around Chelsea’s waist and pulling her close again.
“See?” Madison said.
They were best friends. And Damon knew Elliot was all off-kilter from healing Grandmama. He was checking up on him.
That’s all that was.
“Madison,” Elliot said. “Can I tell you something?”
“Sure.”
He straightened his spine, dipped his chin, and looked her in the eye. “I’m gay.”
A soft smile spread across her face. “Thank you for telling me.”
She opened her arms for a hug, and he accepted it, careful not to mess up her hair. They hugged for longer than normal. And it felt good. Really fucking good to have someone to tell. Someone he could tell without being afraid that it would change their relationship.
The hug ended, and she asked, “Is it a secret or are you officially coming out?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t think I want to send out a school-wide email or anything, but I don’t think I’m going to hide it anymore either.”
“Okay,” she said.
They were quiet for a moment, watching as Chelsea and Damon made their way toward them.
“You know, you could just tell Chelsea, then you wouldn’t have to send out a school-wide email,” Madison said.
Elliot laughed so hard that tears leaked from the corners of his eyes.
Damon was smiling as he came up to them. “What’s so funny?”
“Your face,” Elliot said. “We were discussing how much of a loser you are.”
Damon stuck out his tongue. “Then you’re a loser by association!”
“You’re right,” he said. “I need to stop hanging out with you. Your uncoolness is ruining my street cred.”
Damon made the growling noise he usually did before he pounced and started tickling him, but what he did next was almost worse.
He wrapped his arms around Elliot, enveloping him, and Damon rubbed his chest against Elliot’s body as if trying to wipe his essence on him.
“Ugh! Stop! You’re getting all of Chelsea’s perfume on me,” Elliot said, laughing and pushing him away.
“If I have to smell like I bathed in flower juice, then so do you!”
Damon grabbed Elliot’s face and licked his cheek. “There. You’re covered in my uncoolness. I’m the only one that you can hang out with now.” He stepped back, all smug.
“You’re disgusting!” Elliot said, wiping at his cheek, as if he hadn’t had Damon’s saliva in his mouth yesterday…or his come.
Madison met Elliot’s gaze over Damon’s shoulder, her arms crossed, and an eyebrow raised as if to say, See? Possessive.