Page 63 of Hard Tail

I stroked his hair. “Guess he did care about you, in his way.”

We were silent a moment, just enjoying the closeness, and I was starting to drift off when Matt spoke again. “You know—what I said before, about why I left Steve?” Matt said, then hesitated.

“Go on,” I encouraged him.

“Well, it was true—but it wasn’t the only reason.” I waited. “It was partly, well, seeing you with Adam. It just made me realise—well, if you could come out for him, then if I hadn’t been with someone else, maybe I’d have been the one you’d have come out for. I mean, I didn’t really think I would have been—but there’d have been a chance.”

My mouth was dry, and my heart ached for him—for us both. “You were the one I came out for,” I said hoarsely. He looked at me, startled. “If it hadn’t been for you—seeing you in the shop every day—realising what I was missing out on by hiding—”

“That’s just how I felt,” Matt burst in. “Like, it was my fault I didn’t have anything better, because I didn’t have the guts to end it with Steve.”

“We’re a right bloody pair, aren’t we?” I wrapped my arms around him so tightly anyone trying to separate us would have needed a crowbar and possibly high explosives. “We should get some sleep,” I whispered. “It’s been a long day.”

And tomorrow, I’d find out just how far-reaching its effects would be.