Page 78 of Sharing Shadow Secrets (High Five Novella #6)

“ I ’m sorry I never tried to get to know you before,” I say, meaning it.

Guilt creeps in. I’m enjoying talking to Kyle.

I didn’t really set expectations for this date, but it’s going better than anticipated.

It’s easy, fun, and flirty. I shouldn’t be surprised.

I’ve always enjoyed my time with him. “That was a dick move.”

“It’s cool. I was never complaining about your dick moves.” He chuckles, devilish, and sticks his tongue out. “I mean, you always had your girlfriend. She was wild. I just assumed you were only looking for sex, since that’s all it had ever been.” He shifts in his seat. “Can I ask why you broke up?”

Kate. I haven’t thought about her much since I had Taylor block her number. But her name still brings me pause.

“She’s a chaotic wild. The kind that gets you in trouble. And she struggles with staying sober.”

“Do you?” Kyle asks.

I shake my head. “No. I’m very happily sober.”

“I have good days and bad days, but mostly good ones,” Kyle says, and I hear the confidence. That he’s serious about his sobriety too.

“I feel that,” I say, giving his hand a squeeze. “We should decide what we’re getting before the server yells at us.”

“We can be naughty.” Kyle winks, grabbing for his menu.

We fall into a quiet rhythm, both skimming our options, though I can’t focus.

I keep glancing at him. I want him in my life.

In a capacity greater than he previously has been.

I love Taylor, and I’m enjoying getting to know him better.

It’s not one or the other. Both are true.

Both are a possibility. I really like the idea of both of them being in my life in every way.

This could actually work. The three of us.

“Just in the nick of time,” Kyle teases as the server approaches. “I’ll have the Peking duck dinner.”

“I’ll have the Bibimbap,” I order.

We spend the next hour opening up. Kyle tells me how he likes tennis but hardly ever plays.

How social media pressures him to hit the gym five days a week.

How he sometimes wonders if it’s all worth it.

But now he wants to bench three hundred pounds.

I tell him he could do it and my friend Patrick could help coach him.

We dive into my complicated relationship with my dad, and how I’m training for a triathlon in April.

When the bill drops, Kyle reaches for it, but I stop him with a hand over his.

“I asked you out. I’m paying,” I say, locking eyes with him.

He lifts both hands leaning back in the booth. “Okay, spoil me.”

“Brandon?” a woman’s voice asks.

I turn to see London—a childhood friend. The first person in my life to come out. All of us had crushes on her once, and she broke our hearts when she said she only wanted to kiss girls.

“Hey!” I stand to hug her. She looks beautiful in a patterned maxi dress.

“It’s been so long. You got buff,” she says, squeezing my biceps, then glances at Kyle.

“London, this is Kyle.”

“Hey,” he says easily.

She smiles. “Hey.”

Then she looks back up at me. Her voice softens. “I’m proud of you.”

I hug her again, tighter. London’s seen me drunk and flirtatious, disappearing into bedrooms with guys we never talked about later. She never outed me, never asked questions, just quietly knew.

I want to tell her everything. About Taylor. About Kyle. But I don’t want to complicate this random meeting with nuance I haven’t wrapped my head around yet.

Still, I think of a future where I can say it plainly: This is my girlfriend Taylor, and my boyfriend Kyle. We’re a thing. I laugh inwardly. We’re not there yet, but it doesn’t feel impossible.

“I’m in Chicago for a few more days,” she says, handing me her phone. “Let’s catch up.”

“Definitely,” I say, typing in my number.

A taller brunette walks up to her, grabbing for her hand. “Nice meeting you,” London says to Kyle with a smile, then steps away.

Kyle watches them go, but before he can say anything, our server returns.

“My friends are going to die that you were here,” he gushes to Kyle. “Can I take a photo with you?”

Kyle politely smiles. “Sure.”

“I’ll take it,” I offer. The server hands me his phone, and I snap a few pics.

I look down at the booth, then back at Kyle. “Ready to go?”

He nods, reaching for my hand. Outside, hand in hand, we walk down the sidewalk. The crisp fall air barely registers. All I can think about is how much I want to kiss Kyle again. This night has been more than I hoped for.

I push him backward until he’s against the brick wall of the next building.

“I enjoyed this,” I say, nearly touching his lips. “Getting to know you more.”

He leans in, and our lips meet. The kiss is electric yet soft all at once. It escalates fast, our tongues swiping. His hand grips my ass, tugging me closer.

“How did you get here?” he asks, barely breaking our kiss.

“I drove.”

“Want to go back to my place?”

I hum, then pull back. Taylor and I haven’t discussed what’s cool in that way, and we should. Kyle cups the back of my neck and rests his thumb on my jaw.

“Let’s be classy …” I say, although my body wants more. “And not fuck on the first date.”

“Is this our first date?” he asks skeptically, tilting his head.

I shake my head, amused as a smile spreads across my lips. “Yeah. This is our first real one. And I want there to be more.”

Kyle is so much more than a booty call.

“Maybe tennis, then dinner,” I suggest.

“I’d like that.” He kisses me again, slow and full.

I dig my fingers into his roots, keeping his face close to mine. When my cock starts to feel uncomfortable in my pants, I pull back, needing to calm down. “I’m pretty flexible next week …”

“I make my own schedule, so whenever works best for you.”

“Maybe I’ll take a half day on Friday,” I murmur, then kiss him again.

“I like that idea,” Kyle says between kisses until he rests his head on the brick wall. “As part of your debrief with Taylor,” he says, gently trailing his fingers up the sleeves of my jacket, “I’d like for you to also decide when all three of us can go out again too.”

My heart and my brain both love that idea. “Deal.”