Free On Edge by Gin Price

it?”
    Shaking my head, I stopped and leaned against the privacy fence lining the sidewalk. I tilted my head, waiting for him to look directly at me. “Are we doing serious, for real? Is this what you want? Me to confide some dark secret for you to run to my brother with?”
    Surge pursed his lips and scratched at his neck. “Look, I’m concerned. You’re my girl, yanno? Well, not my girl girl, but you know.”
    â€œAre you my friend? Or are you my brother’s friend?”
    Sighing, Surge mimicked my lean. He closed his eyes for a second and then stared up into the sky. I watched his inner battle through the interpretive dance of his Adam’s apple. “I’m your friend, LL,” he said, and met my gaze.
    â€œThen why don’t I know shit about you? All we talk about is parkour and what I’m up to, and when I ask about you, you always crack a joke and hide behind the laughter. Now, you catch something some guy says to me, and you’re grilling me like we’re girlfriends about to dish. I’m supposed to believe you’re asking because you care and want to put some more blocks on the building of our friendship?”
    â€œLook, I’ll be honest, I would’ve been outta our group last year if I hadn’t promised Ander I would look after you.”
    Great! Not Warp, but Ander. I’d wondered why Surge always looked out for me, stepping up to my brother when he became overbearing. Also…I wondered how Ander would dare go off to school with only Warp to look after me. My eldest bro had practically clubbed anyone who looked at me sideways. Part of the reason my friend-pond needed a pity feed, but I didn’t need it filled with my brothers’ friends.
    â€œWell, you can tell Ander that I can take care of my own self and he doesn’t need to indenture someone to spy on me.”
    Hands up in surrender, Surge stepped in my path as I moved to go around him. “Wait, wait, LL. Ander might have asked me to look out for you, and I might have originally done it because I felt I owed him one, but I don’t tell him your business.”
    â€œWhy did you feel you owed him one?”
    â€œBecause Ander made my life better, LL. The worst portion of my life to date, and Ander gave me something no one else could.”
    I bit my lip, wanting to know every tiny detail of this story that I was sure would be interesting, but I held back the questions. “What?” Okay…maybe just one question.
    â€œUnderstanding of who I am.”
    I studied Surge’s face for a long time. The way he spoke about my brother, and the soft smile that tilted the corner of his mouth…holy crap. “Surge, are you like…gay?”
    â€œWay to throw a label out there, LL.”
    â€œWhoa, whoa. I’m not throwing labels. I’m asking a question. Being gay isn’t a label if it is who you are.”
    â€œBut I don’t know who I am, girl. That’s the point. I like girls, and sometimes, I like guys.”
    He stared at me, waiting for me to have a comment, but I couldn’t come up with one. I didn’t care if Surge was gay or straight, I dug him either way, but I was afraid if I said something wrong, was either over- or under-supportive, whatever good Ander did for him, would be erased.
    â€œOkay.”
    The grin he gave me, let me know I didn’t screw anything up yet.
    â€œI thought I had to make some sort of life decision. When I first had a crush on Ander, I obsessed over how to tell my parents I was gay. I stopped talking to girls I was attracted to because I thought they were making me more confused and messed in the head. When I got overwhelmed…I ran away from home and hung out on the roofs, skipping school…feeling sorry for myself.”
    â€œAnder found you?”
    â€œYeah. He sat down and didn’t say anything to me except: ‘There’s nothing you can say that will make me think