Page 10 of Caden & Theo

Just like that. No flinch. No tension. Just honesty.

“I mean,” he continues, brushing his fingers through my curls, “I liked girls. Still do, I think. My last girlfriend? I was into her. Physically, at least.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Right. You got to second base with Ava.”

His grin goes full smug. “You remember the base count?”

“You toldeveryone, Caden.”

“I did not.”

“You did. You told Cam, who told Shane, who told basically the entire basketball teamandmost of AP Chem.”

“Okay, fine,” he says, laughing. “I might’ve been proud.”

I glare at him. “So what, it was good?”

“I mean, yeah,” he says with a shrug, and for some reason, that sets something off in my chest.

It shouldn’t. Really, it shouldn’t. But itdoes.

He sees it instantly. “Wait—are you jealous?”

I try to cover it. “No.”

He gives me the most obnoxious, knowing look.

I roll my eyes. “Shut up.”

“You’rejealous of second base?”

“You’rebraggingabout second base!”

“I wasn’t bragging!” He’s laughing now, big and bright. “Oh my God, your face!”

“Caden,” I groan, hiding under a pillow.

He tugs the pillow away and kisses me. Just plants one right on my mouth and shuts me up in the most effective way possible.

He pulls away to speak, lips still brushing mine. “I’m not intoher, Theo. I’m here withyou.This—” He gestures between us. “—is better than any base I ever got to with anyone else.”

That stops the petty jealousy in its tracks. I blink. “Yeah?”

He nods. “I think… bi, maybe. That makes the most sense right now.”

My chest goes warm.

Then he says, voice quieter, “But I’ve never thought about another guy like this before. Not even close.”

I try not to let the ridiculous grin stretch across my face, but it’s a losing battle. “That’s…. I hella like that—a lot.”

He laughs softly and leans in again, kissing the corner of my mouth, then my jaw, then—just because he can—nuzzles his nose against my cheek until I’m laughing too.

We’re quiet again, but the air feels different now. Charged. Curious.

I glance at him. “So, is this just… kissing? Or have you thought about more?”

His cheeks go pink. And considering he’s got rich brown skin, it’s super noticeable. Adorable, really.