I trusted you . . . how could you do this to me?
“What?” Her eyes flutter open, like she needs a second to get back to reality and register what I said.
“About being straight . . .” I know the kiss probably tipped her off, but I need to say it. “I’m not.”
“Yeah, I know.” I’m not even surprised she knows. After what happened with Bianca today, how could she not? “I lied to you too. . . . I don’t have a girlfriend.”
“Yeah . . . I know,” I say, smiling.
“So you’re not mad?” we both ask at the same time.
“No.” I laugh. I’m just relieved to hear that Bo is officially single.
“Me either,” she says. She smiles and takes my hand. “Why aren’t you mad, though? I lied to you.”
“I lied to you, too.”
“Yeah, but that wasn’t about me. I know how hard it is to come out, especially when you go to Slayton. You were protecting yourself, like I was until last year.” She squeezes my hand. “I get it.”
“Thank you,” I squeeze her hand back and close my eyes. She gets it.
“I want to be clear, though, that day you told me you were straight . . .”
“I still feel terrible about that. Um . . . You looked really pretty, and I felt like you could tell I thought that, so I panicked.”
“I panicked!” Bo laughs. “That’s why I told you I had a girlfriend! It kind of snowballed from there and I was too embarrassed to admit it. I thought you were being bitchy, but we were both just gay panicking.”
“Definitely gay panicking.”
She drops her head on my shoulder and laughs into it. I lean my head on hers and laugh along. We’ve been doing a lot of laughing today. I always do, with her. I feel like I’ve died and gone to heaven, because this can’t be real. Before I can overthink the implications of today, and that kiss, my phone starts buzzing. Which I honestly didn’t think was possible.
“Ugh . . . That’s probably my mom.” The screen lights up, but I can’t see a name through the cracks, so I ignore it. I’m not sure it would work if I tried to answer anyway.
“Thanks for today. I had a really good time,” I say.
“Me too. Maybe next time you’ll let me come inside?”
“Next time, definitely,” I say. She grabs my hand and kisses the back of it. She’s so freaking cute, goddamn it.
My phone goes off again. “I better get that. . . .” I groan. Mom is going. To. Kill. Me.
“Mami, I can explain—” I start, but get interrupted.
“Where are you?” Jamal’s voice is on the other end, almost yelling.
“Jamal?” I ask, taken aback. I glance at Bo, who looks surprised, hurt almost. She doesn’t hold eye contact for long. Instead she looks out the driver’s window. I guess to her, it probably looks bad that I’m talking to my “ex” on the phone instead of kissing her good night.
“Yami, where are you?” Something about the shake in his voice makes my chest tighten. He’s loud enough that I’m sure Bo can hear him, too.
“I just got home, why?” I unbuckle my seat belt.
Jamal’s voice is quieter now. Broken almost.
“I’m here. I’m taking you to the hospital. It’s Cesar.”
My feet move on their own, and I’m running inside before I have a chance to think. I don’t explain myself to Bo. I just run.