(Adrian's POV)
Oh my god, what is happening to me? I ask myself as I sit in my car outside my house. What the hell am I thinking touching Jesse's face like that? Oh my god, now he thinks I'm such a freak, but he didn't push me away. He really is a nice guy then, and now it really is going to be impossible to hate him. I close my eyes; I don't need this right now. Things with Hector are complicated enough; I don't need to add to it by falling for the straight guy. Why did he have to stand up for me? It would have been easier if he had just ignored them bullying me.
My phone rings, that could only be one person calling me and for the first time I am dreading answering.
"Hey Hector," I sigh.
His calls are always to apologize for not sticking up for me and how it kills him he can't. For me not to worry, soon he will be able to and we won't have to hide our relationship. They are just empty apologizes and promises, that he has been telling me for the past three years. Three years, I have kept my relationship with Hector a secret. Three years, I had to lie to my best friend until she found out a few months ago. Three years, I have wasted falling deeper in love with a guy that might never come out and all I am ever going to be to him is his dirty little secret.
"Hey jelly bean," Hector whispers.
He only calls me that when he is feeling extra guilty about what happens. I guess him having to see another guy stand up for me wasn't helping.
"You want to meet up after my game and I can treat you to dinner." He asks.
Dinner out in public, but in a place we will never run into anyone we know. But it is still us out together in public; it is better than having to be behind closed doors. He rarely ever takes me out and only does when he knows he needs to make it up to me. Part of me is excited to finally go out on a real date in so long, but another part of me just wants to stay home. My mind is just too occupied about Jesse. There is something about him, I want to hate him, but at the same time I want him to be closer to me. Maybe Jane is right, I just need to get to know him. I really don't know what straight guy would stand up for the gay kid, and then get hit in the process.
"Yeah sure, meet you at our usual spot?" I ask.
"Yes, I will see you later then jelly bean." I sigh as the line goes dead.
I should have said no, he is going to know something is bothering me. That is one thing I don't want him to find out, he doesn't need to know about me crushing on the straight guy that stood up for me. Nothing good will come out of this if Hector finds out.
I am sitting in my car in the parking lot of the mall, waiting for Hector to show up. Once he shows up, I will move over to the passenger side, so Hector can drive us to the restaurant of his choice. I look down at my phone; Jane has been texting to ask about what happened in gym class. It was like this every time and every time she would jump on me about not telling Hector anything. She just doesn't understand he will lose a lot if he comes out.
Knocking on the window snaps me out of my thoughts. I look at the window and see Hector smiling at me. I unlock the door and move over to the passenger's side. Hector gets in and leans over to kiss me.
"Hey jellybean, how is your head?" Hector asks as he pushes my hair back.
"It's fine my head doesn't even hurt anymore." I give him a small smile and he nods his head. "So where are we going?" I ask as Hector puts the car in gear.
"If I told you it would just ruin the surprise, but you're going to love it. By the way do you mind if we stay out late?" He asks, it could only mean one of two things. The restaurant in far away or he has plans of hooking up after dinner.
"No, why?" Hector reaches over and grabs my hand, he smiles at me.
"You will see." He kisses my hand and turns his focus back to the road.
I sit back as we ride in silence, which isn't good. My mind keeps going back to Jesse. I just don't understand why he would stick up for me. What does he get out of it? He says he wants to be my friend, but I just don't see why he wants to be friends with me. I have done nothing, but be rude to him and yet he stood up for me.
"We are here," Hector says as he snaps me out of my thoughts once again. "Hey are you okay?"
"Yeah I'm fine. I was just thinking of a project I need to work on." I smile at him and look out the window; he brought me to Sinju.
Yup, he is really feeling guilty, he hates sushi, but yet he brought me here because I love it.
"Sinju, what's the special occasion?" I ask him.
Hector smiles at me. "No special occasion, I just know how much you love sushi." He replies.
"I do, but you hate it, don't want you to starve now." I smirk at him; he laughs and then kisses me.
"If you're happy that is all that matters now come on, let's go inside before it starts to get packed." Hector gets out of the car and comes over to my side. He opens the door and helps me out.
"Well aren't we being a perfect gentleman tonight." I say as Hector grabs my hand and bows in front of me. I giggle at him as he stands up and pulls me into his arms. Even if he won't come out for me, he knows how to always make me feel special. "You're so corny sometimes."
"Only for you, jelly bean." Hector whispers in my ear as he holds onto me, it almost feels like he is afraid he is going to lose me if he lets go. It's like he feels one day I won't want him anymore, I thought I am the only one that feels that way. "Come on lets go inside." He grabs my hand and we walk inside and find a table to order.
I watch as Hector looks over the menu. I never understand why he even bothers looking. He always gets the same thing every time, chicken teriyaki with white rice and a soda. I can never get him to try sushi; he thinks eating raw fish is gross. Yet, he has no problem making out with me after I have eaten.
"I'll take the chicken teriyaki with white rice and a coke." Hector tells the waitress.
I smile and shake my head. "I'll take the rainbow and Philadelphia sushi rolls with a firestorm tea."
The waitress writes down the order and takes our menus.
"I still don't see how you can eat that stuff." Hector says as he points to my plate of sushi.
"Because it's good and if you would stop being stubborn and just try it, you would see why I like to eat it so much."
Hector scrunches up his nose and starts eating his boring chicken teriyaki.
"So how was your soccer game?" I ask as I pick up one of my sushi rolls with my fingers.
I have never been able to use the chopsticks, even if my life depended on it. I dip it into the soy sauce and wasabi mixture before I pop it into my mouth as Hector sighs.
"We lost on the count of Carter having to sit out because he was in agonizing pain."
I wait for him to bring up Jesse; I haven't told him about Jesse yet.
"But, then again Carter did bring it upon himself. By the way who is this new guy?" He asks.
"Oh, he is just the nephew of Dr. Marshall, he moved up here to finish school because his parents are going through a nasty divorce. So Jane and I met him at her office while he waited for his aunt. Jane took it upon herself to befriend him, she didn't want him to go to the dark side." I hear Hector chuckle.
"Well that's good and I'm glad you have a guy friend that can help you out when I can't. He seems like a nice guy." Hector says, it is clear by his tone he doesn't really believe Jesse is a good guy.
"Yeah he is, he doesn't know me that well, but yet he stood up for me. I told him it wasn't the wisest thing to do, especially against Carter."
"Well, I'm glad he did and yeah it wasn't the smartest thing to do, but I'm happy he did." Hector smiles at me. "You know you should come to my next game this Thursday."
He has been trying to get me to go to one of his games since we got together, but I just don't feel like going to them. As it was I wasn't the most liked person in school and don't really feel like putting up with people's bullshit.
"Hey maybe you can get Jane and that new kid to come with you, so you won't be by yourself."
Yeah, he isn't going to drop it so easily today.
"Okay, fine I will go, but on one condition." He raises his brow as I pick up one of my sushi rolls and dip it. "I will go to your game this Thursday if you eat this." I hold the sushi to his mouth, I am hoping he will back down and I won't have to go to his game.
He frowns at me; yes, it looks like I am not going to the game. I pull my hand back, but Hector reaches out and grabs my wrist. He leans in and opens his mouth and places the sushi roll in his mouth. I feel his tongue lick my fingers clean and leans back in his seat smiling at me while he chews.
"Well, it looks like I will be seeing you at my game Thursday. Oh by the way you are right this is pretty good." He reaches over and grabs my last sushi roll and dips it before he puts it in his mouth.
I sigh and shake my head; I was so sure he wasn't going to eat the sushi roll. "Well, I guess I will be there and hopefully I can get somebody to come with me."
Hector smiles at me as he pays for the ticket and we get up to leave. He wraps his arm around my shoulder as we walk back to the car. He opens my door and I get in as he walks over to the driver's side.
"So what do you have planned for us now?"
Hector just smirks at me as he pulls out of the parking lot.
"Well you are just going to have to wait and see."
I pout as Hector continues to drive. It is a while before Hector finally stops the car and we get out, he took us to Tom McCall Waterfront Park. He looped his arm around mine as we start to walk.
"So this is the big surprise you had in store for me?" I ask as I lean closer to him, it is getting a little chilly and all I have on is my hoodie, which isn't very thick.
"It's part of it," Hector pulls me towards the rails that overlook the water.
He stands behind me as we both look out at the water. I feel him reach for something in his pocket.
"Here I got this for you, I know how much you love them."
He holds out a bag of Dr. Pepper flavor jelly beans in front of me. I smile as I take some and turn around to face Hector.
"Thank you," I place one in my mouth, Hector leans down and kisses me.
I feel his tongue invade my mouth as he sucks out the jelly bean. He licks his lips when he pulls away from me.
"Mmm yup, they're tastier this way." He smirks at me as I playfully punch him in the chest.
"You are terrible, if you wanted one, you could have just asked." I pop another one in my mouth.
Hector walks up closer to me, pushing me closer to the rails.
"But like I said they don't taste as good as they do when I steal them from you." He leans in again, but I turn my head and he kisses me on the cheek.
I giggle as he groans.
"You're killing me here."
"No, you need to learn some self-control." I say as I put a jelly bean in his mouth. "But maybe if you are a good boy, this Saturday we can do something special." Hector rests his chin on my shoulder as he wraps his arms around my waist.
"You know this won't have to go on for much longer." He lifts his head and looks at me. He cups my face as he stares into my eyes. "Once I turn eighteen at the end of this month and I can finally get my trust fund I will tell my family that I'm gay and that I am in love with the most amazing boy ever. So if they disown me, I can at least use my trust fund to get my own place and I would love it if you would move in with me. I love you Adrian and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, because I know you feel the same way."
I stand there looking back at him; I don't know what to say. After three years of hearing all of these promises, he is finally going to actually do something.
"So what do you say?"
"Yes," now any doubts I had about us are gone.
Hector really does love me and he is going to come out soon to his family and we can finally be together. This is what I need; this is what is going to help me get Jesse out of my head, because I do have a guy that loves me.