Page 58 of Out in the Open

“Saturday was hot, don’t get me wrong.”

Hot was not the word Ethan used to describe it to himself. Hot indicated fling, something that cooled off quickly.

“I just…” Greg shrugged, and he seemed to want Ethan to fill in the blank. But Ethan didn’t know the answer.

“Just what?”

“Let’s just keep this casual.”

“That kiss was anything but casual.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I got caught up in the moment.”

Ethan didn’t know why that was a bad thing. Some moments were worth getting caught up in.

“I don’t want you to get attached.”

“I wasn’t getting attached,” Ethan shot back defensively, his eyes widening at the accusation. “I just don’t know what’s going on.”

“And I don’t want to confuse you anymore. Things—I mean, if we—it can’t happen.”

“Because you’re still ‘straight’?” Ethan used air quotes correctly this time.

“I don’t want things to get complicated. We were having fun. Why can’t we just keep having fun?” Greg almost sounded pleading. He massaged Ethan’s shoulders, which didn’t help the confusion.

Ethan burst out of the dressing room, past Trina. Having fun had never sounded so painful.

CHAPTER twenty-one

Ethan laid on Lorna’s bed, the top bunk. The thought of having to climb a ladder to get to sleep sounded agonizing, but hanging out in the top corner of Lorna and Jessica’s room was a nice change for him.

Lorna looked up at him on his perch. “Having fun up there?”

“It’s like being in a treehouse or something.”

“I guess.” She took off her top and searched in her closet for a sexier piece. Ethan averted his eyes and turned to face the Ryan Gosling poster on her wall. It was Friday night, and Lorna was going to a party at her sorority sister’s apartment.

“Why are you covering your eyes?”

“I’m giving you your privacy.”

“Are you one of those gay guys terrified of boobs?”

“No! I’m being a gentleman.”

“The coast is clear,” she said.

Ethan turned back around. She wore a periwinkle and black, polka-dotted, envelope neck shirt. The blue made her eyes sparkle. “Nice!” he said.

“Thanks.” She checked herself in the small mirror taped inside her closet. Ethan had to get one of those. “You sure you don’t want to come to this party tonight? There will be boys there.” Lorna raised her eyebrows at him. “Boys who like boys.”

He already had plans to see Dave’s a capella show. At least there would be cute boys singing he could use to take his mind off Greg. Or try to take his mind off Greg.

Lorna sat down and zipped up her boots. “I still think he likes you, for the record.”

That didn’t make Ethan feel better. Greg hadn’t contacted him since he ran out of the store. He hadn’t showed up to class on Thursday. Ethan wondered why he even went to class at all if he could just obtain the PowerPoint slides online? Was it just to see him?You wish.Why like somebody who liked you back if you wouldn’t do anything about it? Or rather, if you did things about it and then took them back the next day? It just confused him.

Ethan let Lorna’s thick comforter envelop him. He could fall asleep right here.