xlviii. 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫

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//chapter forty-eight• the collar

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//chapter forty-eight
• the collar


𓅰彡𝐓𝐖𝐎 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐀𝐆𝐎

"WHAT WAS THAT?" 

"What was what, Johnny?" 

Johnny scowled at his boyfriend as he followed Andrew out to the Druthers. Andrew had barely looked at Johnny since Kiara had caught them on the porch. Not that she'd seen more than two boys who looked to be very close, Andrew was still in a state of panic. 

"Kiara's your friend, what's with this reaction?" 

"What do you think is with this reaction?" 

"Someone saw us horsing around on the porch, so what? Big deal, Andrew-" 

"It is a dig deal, actually!" Andrew doesn't mean to shout but he turns around to glare at Johnny. "What if Rafe finds out?" 

All he got in response was a blank stare. Something resinated in Andrew's stomach as he watched his boyfriend's apathy to that statement, compared to Andrew's fear. 

"That doesn't bother you." 

"No, it doesn't." Johnny answered like it was a question, but Andrew already knew that was his answer. He knew Johnny wasn't scared of Rafe, but Rafe wasn't even the point here. 

Andrew's chest heaved before he shook his head. "Well it bothers me." 

"Why?" Johnny demands. "Would it really be so bad to be able to be together publicly?"

"What?"

Johnny doesn't react to Andrew's scathing look. He tried to be gentle, but he was clearly hurt by Andrew's reaction earlier. "I want to come out." Andrew's stomach bottoms out. "I want to date the person I love publicly, Andrew. I hate feeling like a dirty secret."

"You're not a dirty anything, I just-" 

"Really?" Johnny scoffed. "When you react like that? How else am I supposed to take that, Andrew? I'm sure dating a Pogue is so embarrassing for you but-"

Andrew's jaw ticks. "It's not like that-"

"-But I'm tired of this shit." 

The Cameron stared, blank faced, not sure what to say or do. He turned and walked into the cabin of the Druthers, but that only angered Johnny. 

"Andrew, hey!" He grabbed Andrew and turned him around, but doing so nearly sends Andrew into a panic. Johnny's got that air about him, like he's losing his grasp on his emotions. Andrew had only seen it when he gets into fights at parties, but right now...

Right now he's towered over him like Rafe does.

And it's scary. And Johnny knows that. 

"Andrew?"

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