Page 104 of I'm Gonna Get You Back
I thump my head against the carpet, giving in.
When he accepts my defeat, he smacks me against the face,hard, then releases me. I scramble up.
“Better?” he asks.
Not exactly. It felt as though I could’ve kept punching faster and harder and it never would’ve been enough. But that’s not about Mitchell. My chest rises quickly as I rub a palm across my stinging cheek. “Sorta. I’ve been wanting to do that since you sent that photo and I thought you and Clara were hooking up.”
He rolls his eyes. Scrubs a hand down his face. “God, I really should’ve told you a long time ago that I like Kenji.”
There’s a significance to his tone that makes my eyes widen. “Wait—like, youlikehim?”
He nods. “I’m bi.”
“You are?”
“C’mon,” he says, goading. Like I should know.
I slowly stretch my leg out and lean back against the couch. Trying to catch up with something I’ve long wondered but figured was none of my business. Memories shudder through my mind, so many things clicking into place.
“Oh my god, yourSpider-Manthing?”
He lets out a low laugh. “Was more of a Tom Holland thing, yeah.”
“You made me watch that movie a hundred times.”
“Like you cared when you had your Zendaya thing.”
I shove him lightly, and we both laugh.
We sit in silence a few minutes, only the distant sound of my dad’s electric razor from his back bathroom cutting through it.
“Do our parents know?” I ask.
He nods. “And Clara… and Kenji… and Logan.”
My eyes widen. “Damn. Okay.” I shake my head slowly as that settles in.
“You’re not freaked out?” he asks, looking more unsure than I’ve ever seen him.
I get why he might be afraid I’d be weird about it since not everyone is accepting or understands. Especially in a town like ours. But I hope he doesn’t seriously think I’d ever feel that way.
I frown and elbow him. “Of course not. That would be like you freaking out that I’m straight.”
“That does freak me out.”
We both laugh.
After another moment I say, “Hold up, whyLogan?”
His sigh is heavy. “You weren’t the only one who got dumped last year.”
Wow. I hate that I had no idea any of this was going on for him. He’s been a rock of support for me while going through it all on his own.
“Shit. I’m sorry. Thanks for telling me,” I say seriously.
“I know I should have sooner.” He sighs and looks down at his hands plucking up fibers from the carpet. “I’ve wanted to for a while, but… I care what you think. Maybe the most. And I was worried it might change things or something.”
“I hope it does.”
