FOREST

17 - deals and coming clean

With Tamara.

The words rung in his head, making him dizzy.

"What- how?" he frowned, completely in shock.

"I'm lesbian," Zoie's voice cracked.

"No you're not," he looked in denial as she stood up and pulled a T-shirt over her head.

"Yes, she is," Melanie gestured toeards Zoie, barely able to stand in the tent with her heels on, "she's been dating Tamara for three years."

"Three years?" he looked at Zoie who couldn't look either of them in the face.

"Yes, they met in high school, have been dating ever since... How did you not know about this?"

"I- how could I?"

"They are always together?"

"No, they're not? She's in my tent, isn't she?" Kaden barked, hia voice deep.

"Only because of the mixup with the tents. Plus Tamara is sick and she doesn't like sharing her bed even when she isn't."

Kaden realized that she did get pretty protective over Zoie at times, but the rearranged pieces of the puzzle created a picture he didn't like. At all.

"Bullshit, you're the one fucking Tamara," he shouted.

"No I'm not," Melanie laughed, "ask her if you don't believe me."

"This is all just too much," he sat down onto the bed.

"Why are you so mad? It's not like you had anything going for her," Melanie shrugged.

He ignored her comment, turning to look at Zoie who kept her focus on Melanie.

"M, please," she was barely audible, "Don't tell her right now. She'll kill me."

"Zoie you know she's my best friend, I can't do this to her."

"I promise I'll tell her," Zoie sighed, "if she wants to, she'll dump me. Just not right now. Please, not right now. This is already too much."

"Fine," Melanie rolled her eyes, "but if you don't come clean soon, I will."

"Deal."

Melanie looked at both of them one last time and walked out. The thick air slowly clugged both of their lungs as they looked into the distance.

"I still don't get it," Kaden moved his hair away.

"There isn't really anything to get," Zoie got back under the covers.

"Fuck yes there is. You kissed me?" he looked at her.

"I never kissed you," she corrected him. Technically, he did always kiss her first.

"But you never backed away Zoie. And there were so many times you could've told me?"

"I just-" she groaned, "I have no idea what I was thinking."

"Well me either."

"Maybe you're bi," Kaden spoke up after a few more seconds of silence.

"Maybe you're an asshole," she turned her back towards him.

"Why are you so bitchy? I'm the one who should be mad at you for lying to me."

"You should be mad at me?" she slightly turned back to look at him, "are you kidding me? I'm just a random girl you wanted to fuck. The only thing you lost was time. I, on the other hand, will lose my girlfriend!!"

"Considering she's Tamara, it's not that big of a loss," he turned his back towards her too.

"Shut up."