Page 103 of His Secret

On my way back to the house, I stop midway, and he walks through the grass, stopping about five feet away from me.

“Pizza night, huh?”

“Yep. Didn’t feel like cooking.” I nod toward his car. “Did you lose something?”

“Huh?” He glances behind him. “Oh. No, uhh?—”

His front door opens, and his wife’s head pops out. “Did you find it?” She notices me. “Oh. Hi!” she says cheerily.

I lift a hand and give her a tight grin. “Hi.”

She steps out, and I hear a low groan come from Adrian’s throat. He turns and looks at me, his face expressing his discomfort.

“How are you?” Charlotte says, coming to stand next to Adrian.

“Can’t complain,” I offer, giving a slight nod as my eyes bounce between the two of them.

I watch her eyes scan over the pizza box in my hand. Then she looks at me. “I’d still love to have you over for dinner sometime. Please tell me you have a wife or girlfriend, so I can have a friend, too.” She laughs but Adrian clears his throat, looking uncomfortable.

“Uh, no,” I say with a small smile. “I’m gay, so having a wife or girlfriend probably wouldn’t work out.”

Her eyes widen, and her cheeks turn pink. “Oh, gosh. I’m sorry.”

“It’s not a problem.”

My eyes find Adrian who clearly takes what I said as a direct message to him. It’s not what I intended, but.

“Well, either way. You could come or if you have a…significant other, he can come too. What do you think, babe?” she asks, putting her hand on Adrian’s arm.

He watches me for a couple seconds. “Uh. If he wants to, yeah, I guess we could put something together. Maybe just a barbeque. I could invite some other neighbors.”

Adrian’s trying to make sure this isn’t just us three, which would make for a very uncomfortable dinner.

“We’ll figure it out,” she says, waving his idea off. “We can’t do Friday. It’s date night. But Saturday might work.”

Adrian shifts, eyes flickering to me. He looks like he’s ready to burst out of his skin.

“Saturday. I’ll keep it open. Thanks.”

She nods, smiling at me.

“See you tomorrow,” I tell Adrian before I walk back into my house.

Definitely shouldn’t have come out to talk to him. If I had just gone inside, I wouldn’t be invited to dinner, and I wouldn’t know that he and his wife have a date night planned.

Three hours later, around ten o’clock, my phone vibrates with a text message. Without looking at it, I know it’s from Adrian.

Hey

Hello

I know he’s reaching out regarding the wholedate nightcomment, but there’s really nothing to be said. As much as it may hurt, they’re married, and will do married people things, even if he’s not fully invested.

Sorry about earlier.

Sorry for what exactly?

You know what.