Free You're Always in the Last Place You Look by T.N. Gates Page B

me. 
    I balled the blanket up, then brought it to my face rather than throwing it onto the bunk as I had intended. I found his scent through the mustiness. Tye came in and I turned, the cotton fabric still pressed against my nose. He stepped over, and shoved the couch back into position with his boot.
    “You had Mr. Hotstuff in here this morning, didn’t you?” he said quietly.
    I searched his face to see if he was disgusted, or possibly teasing, but I only found sincerity there. “Why does everyone call him that?” I chucked the blanket onto the bunk, then flopped down into the chair, rubbing my forehead tiredly.
    “Gary called him that a few times, and I think it started making the rounds as a joke.” Tye grabbed a soda from the fridge before sitting down on the couch, sprawling out as if he planned to stay awhile. “It’s not a joke though is it?”
    “You don’t seem surprised.” I peered at him through the fingers I had pressed to my eyes.
    He shook his head as he cracked open the can. “I knew—or rather assumed for awhile.”
    “Shit.” My head fell back. “How does everyone know, when I didn’t myself?”
    “Not everyone.” He gulped down part of the soda then belched. “Gary, me, a couple others—”
    “Lily.” I raised my head. “So, how many people know?”
    His shoulder lifted. “Maybe five or six total with Lily.”
    I let my head fall back again recalling that saying; the weight of the world, only in my case the weight of my world. “My dad doesn’t. I’m not sure—I don’t want to tell him until I’m positive myself.”
    “I could kiss you.”
    “Yeah, sure.” I chuckled.
    “I’m serious. I know you look at me.”
    I lifted my head again, and stared at him appalled. Whether over his flippant offer or the fact he knew I ogled him, I wasn’t sure. Probably both.
    “Listen,” he leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees, “I’m completely comfortably in my sexuality, and I don’t have any problem kissing a guy.”
    My jaw unhinged.
    “I let Gary kiss me,” he added challengingly.
    I snapped my mouth closed before it locked permanently open. Tye and I had known each other since grade school, and I was finding this all a bit hard to take. Not to mention he was staring at me all intense and shit, which was a little creepy.
    I shifted nervously in my seat. “Are you bi?” My question set him back.
    “No.” His brow wrinkled thoughtfully. “I don’t think so. I don’t know,” he shrugged, “maybe.”
    “Oh you definitely sound secure in your sexuality.” I chuckled, relaxing once again.
    He smirked. “I like girls. I just don’t mind kissing a guy. But the rest? Even thinking about it...”
    I laughed when he shifted, closing his legs. “I’ve been too busy trying to figure out whether I am or not to even think about se—the rest,” I admitted, sounding dejected—feeling dejected.
    Tye slapped his hand over his eyes and groaned. “You mean to tell me you had Mr. Hotness in your trailer the whole night—you’ve got to be kidding me.” He let his hand fall. “Did anything happen?”
    “No.” I realized how pathetic that sounded.
    He rolled his eyes. “God, you’re hopeless.” He stood, draining his soda before tossing the can in the wastebasket under the sink.
    “I know,” I whined behind my hands.
    “Well, I’m around if you need me.” He actually winked at me.
    “I’m not letting you kiss me—or kissing you. That would just be way too...weird.”
    He laughed as he opened the door. “Load your horse so we can get outta here.”
    “Hey, wait a minute. How come Jamie wasn’t here today?” I followed him out, locking the door to the living quarters behind me.
    “Um,” he rubbed the back of his neck, “we kinda got in a fight. It was stupid. I wanted to go to the bonfire and she didn’t. Anyway, it got kinda heated, and she loaded up, and left.”
    “Oh man, I’m sorry.” I untied AJ’s leadrope feeling like a heel for not