Everything I Never Told You ( Conan Gray )

XXXIX. The Usual Cafe

"That was..." he said, his voice trailing off, "...wrong. I would drink any kind of coffee any day. It doesn't really matter. What really matters is the art over it. My favourite is the fern."

"So the edible part doesn't matter?" he spoke in confusion. 

"It does," he said, going deeper into the explanation. "But if the design over it isn't perfect I go crazy."

"You're a weird person, Conan Gray."

"Hey, ya'll."

Heath saw Alina Pratt. Her hair was unusually bright today, like live fire. It was spilled all over her shoulders and strands of it splattered over her face. She was wearing a plain white shirt and dark blue jeans, a bag slung over her shoulder. She slid over to the other seat, as the waiter bought their drinks. Heath suddenly felt bad that they had ordered without Ali. 

"I will take an espresso," she told him and he nodded lifelessly. She looked at them with her bright green eyes, expectant and curious. 

"Hi," they said together and she gave them a weird look. 

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

"Let me just put away this napkin holder first." Heath laughed awkwardly. "Now, you can't hit us."

"Why would I hit you?" 

"Believe me," Conan said, "You might."

Ali gave them anther weird look, smiling a little as if they had made a joke she didn't get. "...Okay?"

"I wanted to talk about Samuel," Heath said. He knew he must look really inraged, Even the mere thought of that boy made him want to cry and hit something, at the same time. 

"What about him?" she asked, her brows furrowing. 

"I just wanted to tell you somethings he had done," he said with some difficulty. His breath caught in his throat and he felt constricted. 

"You don't have to tell her," Conan said, grabbing his hand. He shook it away. He had to tell her. It was the right thing to do. What if Ali and Sam's kid didn't turn out to be straight? Would he go through living hell too? Would she end up like his mother? A kid left to raise all alone while running multiple jobs. 

"H-he assaulted me when I came out to him," he said in one go. "We were in the restroom of some cafe and I told him. He pressed up against the wall and kissed me forcefully. Last week too, he and his friends tried to corner me near the lake."

The look she gave him was the biggest surprise. She didn't throw anything at them. Instead, her look remained neutral and blank as if she already knew what they were saying. 

"Samuel isn't homophobic, Heath," she said, fiddling with her ring. "He is difficult. I promise he has changed. I know all the terrible things."

"You're defending a person who sexually assaulted someone?" Conan said angrily. 

"I am trying to explain, okay?" she said with equal force. "He doesn't have a problem with Heath." She turned to face Heath with an apologetic look. "I am sorry about what he did to you. And I will ask him to apologize, Heath. It's Conan he doesn't like."

"Wow," Conan said sarcastically in exasperation. "Like, really? You are gonna blame me now, Alina?"

"Why don't you get it?" she said angrily. "He is angry because you are back in town. You talked to me after four years. He thought I might go back to you. He is jealous."

"You liked Heath too, didn't you?" he said, pointing an accusing finger at her in a hushed tone. "So he is gonna attack everyone you liked?"

"Oh my fucking god, Conan," she said, dragging her nails across her face. "He tried to corner Heath because he is your friend and he can't do anything to you since you're famous. He doesn't give a fuck about Heath. He knows he is gay."

"That doesn't negate the fact that he is a terrible person," Conan said. Heath fell silent. Again Conan was fighting for him while he did nothing. 

"Alina," he said softly and they both looked at him, pausing their own beef. "I am not here to tell you to break things off with him though it would nice if you did. I am here to give you a fucking choice. I don't want you to end up regretting it."

"Please don't pretend that you two care about me," she said, adjusting the strap of her bag. "I am happy with Samuel. I love him and he loves me. That's it. I know him better than you do, okay? So, just spare me all your expertise on 'relationships'. I know better than to ruin mine with my friends by telling how terrible of a person their fiance is."

It was a slow day and no one noticed them fighting. Their drinks remained untouched.