Page 66 of Perfectly Us

My phone vibrates, and I check it.

Alex:On my way!

Nerves flutter in my stomach.

“Is that Alex?” Dad asks.

“Yeah. He’s on his way.” Over a week has passed since Dad found out how I feel about Alex, and he’s been nothing but supportive. It’s still kind of weird being so open about it though. “Is Jesse gonna come over?”

“I’m meeting him for dinner,” Dad says, a smile tugging at his lips. “Sorry I haven’t introduced you to him yet. I plan to soon. He’s just been busy with work.”

I get the feeling Dad’s still worried about how I’ll react to him being bisexual. Maybe it’s irrational to some people since I pretty much came out to him at the same time, but I understand where he’s coming from.

A worry doesn’t have to be rational to be valid. Being your true self is hard. Some people need more time than others, no matter how understanding the people are around them.

“Do you have everything?” Dad asks. “Toothbrush? Sunscreen? Food?”

“Alex is bringing the sunscreen.” I smile at the thought of his beach bag with all the candy. “And his friend Ruben bought the food.”

Alex pulls into the driveway minutes later and gets out of the car wearing flip-flops, a pink tank top, and big sunglasses that cover most of his face. He looks like a fashion model about to do a photoshoot on the beach.

“Hey, Mr. Walker,” Alex says after I let him into the house. He has a habit of flirting with my dad. It’s hilarious. I know it’s harmless too. He’s just being… well, Alex.

“Hey, Alex,” Dad responds. “You excited about camping?”

“Very. It’s gonna be a blast. Get it?” He bumps my shoulder. “Blast? Because there will be fireworks.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose, but I can’t stop myself from smiling. He’s such a dork.

I load Alex’s and my bags into the trunk of my car, then say goodbye to my dad. He stands on the porch and waves at us as I back out of the driveway, Alex buckled into the seat beside me.

“Can we stop at the store before we head to the lake?” Alex asks. “I told Ruben I’d grab a few things.”

“Sure.”

Grocery shopping with Alex is a whole new experience. He touches everything and wants to buy it all.

“I think three types of Little Debbies is enough,” I say after he adds another box to our basket.

“You can never have enough, Shi. Never.”

I laugh and push the basket as he ambles down the aisles, grabbing chips, hot dog buns, bottled water, and two cases of Pepsi. Ruben bought all the meat and is bringing the grill, so we’re in charge of snacks, drinks, and condiments.

Alex stops and tries to reach something on the top shelf. He’s too short though. He jumps up and down, arm flailing, and still can’t reach it. Smiling, I step over and grab it for him.

“Such a gentleman,” he says, poking my chest.

I lift his hand to my lips and lightly kiss his knuckles. It’s automatic. He steps closer to me and rests his head on my shoulder, arms coming around my waist. People walk past us in the aisle, going about their business.

“I’m so excited,” Alex says. “Tonight’s going to be so fun.”

My chest feels so full of a sudden, and I nuzzle the side of his soft hair. “We’ll never get there if you buy the whole store.”

Alex laughs and gently pushes away from me. “Fine. Just one more thing, and then we can check out. It’s not what it looks like though.”

“What do you mean?”

He leads me over to a different aisle that has a bunch of feminine products. And then I see rows of different types of condoms and lubricant.