Chapter Ten #3
Corey lifted a hand in a wave.
"Nice to meet you too."
For a few moments the conversation remained comfortably ordinary.
Corey asked how training was going, wanted to know whether Evergreen lived up to its reputation, and laughed when I admitted Coach Callahan had somehow managed to make practices feel even tougher than the sessions we'd endured during the mountain retreat.
It felt reassuringly familiar, and I wondered whether I'd worried for nothing.
Then I realized I couldn't keep circling the reason I'd called.
"I actually wanted you to meet Jack because..." I drew a slow breath. "Because he's my boyfriend."
The grin disappeared from Corey's face.
He stared at me as though he'd misheard.
"What?"
"Jack and I are together."
Silence filled the room.
I waited, giving him the chance to process what I'd said, but the confusion on his face slowly hardened into something that hurt far more than I'd expected.
"You're serious."
"I wouldn't joke about something like this."
His eyes moved toward Jack before returning to me.
"So...you've been into guys all this time?"
"I've been trying to work that out myself for a long time."
"You never told me."
He looked genuinely shaken.
"I didn't tell anyone."
"We've known each other since we were kids, Mason."
"I know."
His voice tightened.
"I thought there wasn't anything we didn't tell each other."
The disappointment behind those words landed like a punch.
"It wasn't about not trusting you."
"Really?" He gave a short shake of his head. "Because that's exactly what it feels like."
"I wasn't ready to tell anybody."
"You could've told me."
"I couldn't."
He frowned.
"Why not?"
"Because until recently I couldn't even admit it to myself.
" I held his gaze, refusing to look away.
"You remember every time people asked why I never had a girlfriend.
Every joke. Every question. Every time somebody assumed I'd eventually meet the right girl.
" I let out a slow breath. "I kept hoping they were right. "
Corey's expression remained unreadable.
"I thought if I ignored it long enough it'd disappear."
"And then?"
"Then I met Jack and everything made sense."
The words hung between us.
"I stopped pretending."
Corey looked down and dragged a hand through his hair.
"I don't know what to say."
"You don't have to say anything."
"No." His voice sounded distant now. "I think I do."
He looked directly at me again.
"I just...I honestly thought I knew everything about you."
"You still do."
He shook his head.
"No, Mase." The sadness in his voice cut deeper than anger ever could. "Apparently I don't."
Before I could answer, the screen went dark.
The call had ended.
I continued staring at my reflection for several seconds before lowering the phone onto the couch beside me.
The silence that followed felt completely different from every other silence Jack and I had shared. This one carried disappointment instead of comfort, leaving me wondering whether I'd just lost the person who'd been my closest friend for so much of my life.
Jack moved closer until our shoulders touched. He rested his hand over mine, giving me the chance to gather my thoughts before offering any reassurance at all.
"I really thought he'd understand."
He will. Right now he's grieving the fact that the picture he carried of your life wasn't the real one. That doesn't mean he's grieving you.
"I hope you're right."
He laced his fingers through mine.
I turned toward him, realizing how different the day could have been.
Coach could have rejected us. My family could have walked away.
Instead, every fear I'd carried for years had dissolved as soon as I'd trusted the people who loved me enough to let me find my own path.
Corey hadn't reached that place yet, but I couldn't force him there any more than anyone could have forced me to accept myself before I was ready.
I tightened my grip on Jack's hand. Whatever tomorrow brought, I knew one thing with absolute certainty. I wasn't facing it alone.
Jack drew me into his arms and for a long time neither of us moved.
I rested my forehead against his shoulder, listening to the steady beat of his heart as the disappointment gradually lost some of its sharp edges.
Corey had every right to be shocked. He'd believed he'd known every important part of my life, only to discover I'd hidden the biggest part of all.
"I hate that I hurt him."
You didn't hurt him by telling the truth. You hurt him by making him realize how much you've been carrying on your own. There's a difference.
"I hope he works that out."
If Corey called tomorrow, I'd answer. If he needed a week, I'd give him a week. If it took longer than that, I'd still be here when he was ready. Some friendships deserved patience.
I turned back to Jack, brushing my fingers lightly through his hair before leaning forward and kissing his forehead.
"Thank you."
He frowned slightly.
For what?
I smiled.
"For walking into my life when I least expected it."