“I should have stopped it.” He sighed heavily. “I never agreed with that shit. I guess a part of me was afraid they’d figure out I wasn’t exactly straight either if I defended you.”
“Do you think they would have done the same to you? Bullied you, I mean?”
“I know they would have. I wasn’t friends with them because I liked them, but because they were there.”
“That’s sad.”
“Was it any different for you? I mean, you don’t seem to still hang out with anyone from high school either.”
“You’re not wrong.” I traced a random pattern on his shirt with my finger. “Although I actually liked my friends. We just weren’t the kind to keep in touch when we didn’t see each other every day. There must be at least a few of them you liked. You still hang out with them when we go home.”
“That’s more of the same. We hang out because that’s what we’ve always done. I guess it’s different for me because I had to hide so much from people. It’s hard to make deep connections when you can’t be honest with someone.”
“Who was that girl you dated in high school? The one from Alcott? You two were super close.”
“Olivia?”
“Yeah.”
“We were never together. Not like that.”
“But you hung out all the time.”
“Because we’re friends.”
“I thought…”
“A lot of people did. We just never confirmed or denied the rumors. We let people think what they wanted.”
“Why?”
“It was easier. People couldn’t seem to accept that a guy and girl could be friends without sex being involved, and we got tired of setting people straight.”
“So you and she never…”
“No. Trust me when I say I’m not her type.”
“But you’re everyone’s type.”
“Aw, you think I’m hot.”
“Like that’s news to you.” I snorted and poked him in the side.
“Liv and I have always just been friends. I don’t have the right parts to be her type.”
“Olivia was gay?”
“Still is,” he said with a laugh.
“Did she know about you too?”
“She’s the only person who did. Before you. And the few guys I messed around with. But they’re not going to tell anyone. There’s a reason I picked them.”
“Closeted?”
“Yep.”
I had so many questions I wanted to ask, but I couldn’t bring myself to say the words.