Page 42 of Until He Confesses
“He’s bisexual.”
She seemed confused.
“It was a video of him having sex with a man.”
I saw the horror come to her face. “What? He’s gay?”
“He couldn’t possibly be and sleep with me the way he did so I came to the conclusion later on that he was simply bisexual, and it was aggravating as fuck. I truly don’t know if he considered cheating on me with a guy as inconsequential because it was with a different sex or not.”
“Anyway, he didn’t seem to want anyone to know about it. Actually, at first, I didn’t want to force him into coming out if he didn’t think he was ready. But then things progressed between us and for a little while I convinced myself to agree. Until it all became a mess in my head. I couldn’t trust him. I want absolutely nothing to do with him no matter how much he has or how much he’s worth. I won’t accept anyone into my life who refuses to disclose such a big part of themselves to me.”
A long silence followed, which made me send Anna a suspicious look. “What?”
“Ummm… did he look like he was enjoying the act or just sort of drugged or too drunk to know.”
I frowned. “He looked like he was loving it. I couldn’t watch it until the end. It was horrible.”
“So who sent the pictures and video to you then?”
“I don’t know. I guess it was someone who thought I should know my boyfriend was into men too.”
“You mean, an enemy of his.”
“Who cares who sent it? The point is he was lying to me.” I scowled at her. “Anyway, whose side are you on?”
She laughed and shook her head. “Whoa! Take it easy, Callie. I’m on your side, of course. No one should have to deal with a partner who’s dishonest and manipulative.”
“That sounds like a recitation demanded under duress,” I said, and she laughed again.
“No, I mean it, you know I do.”
“So why do you seem sad?”
“Because I’ve always thought that you two were wonderful together. There was just always something about you two that I don’t think I’ve ever seen since or experienced myself, sadly.”
“He cared about you, at least he seemed to. I mean do you remember that time we were standing in the hallway, and it was time to go to class? We were at your locker talking and he just stopped by. We weren’t even expecting him. He didn’t kiss you or even say hi, he just squatted and retied one of your shoelaces that was coming undone. My heart stopped.”
“Afterward he just left and went to class as though it meant nothing and to me, that was how your entire relationship with him was."
“Those little things you both did for each other that didn’t seem to mean much to yourselves. It seemed to be like this unconscious form of love yet to the rest of us we were mesmerized.”
“I don’t even think I ever saw you two kiss… but we all knew that you two were deeply in love with each other. In fact, I think I only even found out how far you two had gone in our final year.”
“Plus, this information you’re telling me now, you kept to yourself for so long because you wanted to protect him. Even though I’m your best friend. We’ve been adults for a while now and you know how it is in these streets. It’s all for show… it's shallow… nothing feels genuine anymore but you two, I guess, made me see how it was meant to be. And then you just broke up. And now you’re both trying to stir storms all over again. So yeah, I guess I am sad.”
I stared at her for a long time and then I blinked.
“What?”
Annoyed, she got up, grabbed her purse, and began to head to her room.
“What was all that?” I called after her, amused.
“Shut up.”
I laughed as she shut her bedroom door behind her, but my smile slowly disappeared because I knew with all my heart everything she had just said. I recalled that moment as though it had happened mere minutes earlier and it was enough to take my breath away all over again.
She was right in that he had done it as though it were an afterthought. He’d seen me, immediately pointed out what he was concerned about, and fixed it. And then he continued on his way to class.