Dare to Fall

Chapter L

I pulled my hand back from Ethan's. My heart raced, and I couldn't find my voice as I stared at him, the weight of his confession hanging heavily in the air between us. He was gay. The realization felt surreal, as if I'd stepped into someone else's life for a moment.

"I'm gay. I'm sorry if this makes you uncomfortable. I can just—leave," Ethan said, rising from his chair, a look of uncertainty crossing his face. My instinct kicked in, and I grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Don't. Just... sit down," I urged, my voice steadier than I felt. He hesitated but finally settled back into his seat, his eyes searching mine. "When did you start... knowing about it? Or feeling it?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of my shock.

"Knowing I was gay?" He echoed, and I nodded, trying to swallow the lump in my throat. "About three years ago," he admitted, his voice softening.

"So, Alissa knows that you're gay?" I asked, my thoughts racing. I could see the nod in his eyes before he confirmed it with a slight dip of his head.

"Alissa knew from the beginning. Back when I was in Chicago, I was bullied because people found out I was gay. Alissa helped me by pretending to be my girlfriend, and in the process, she ended up falling for me," he explained, his gaze drifting to the table.

I took a sip of my coffee, trying to quench the dryness in my mouth. "So, you decided to split up before things got any worse?" I said, piecing together the fragments of his story. It was a lot to absorb.

"Yeah. It was the right choice," he replied, looking up at me. "Hailey," he said softly, reaching out to hold my hand, the warmth of his touch bringing back memories of simpler times.

God, I missed when he called me "baby girl."

"Yeah?" I replied, raising an eyebrow at him, sensing the weight of the moment.

"It's just... I can't believe that you are..." he trailed off, sadness creeping into his expression.

"Gay," I finished for him. "I can't believe it either," I said, trying to inject some lightness into the tension.

"Look, if you think I'm going to hate you for being gay, you've got it all wrong. I love you for who you are, and I think it's incredibly brave of you to tell me," I said earnestly, and I meant every word.

His smile flickered to life, a spark of relief shining in his eyes. But I couldn't shake the mixed emotions swirling inside me—happiness that he felt safe enough to confide in me, sadness for the struggles he had faced, and a deep, hollow ache that I couldn't quite define.

Ethan stood and moved to sit beside me, close enough that I could feel his warmth. "Thank you so much, Hailey. I love you, and I'm grateful to have you as my best friend," he said, pulling me into a hug.

I wrapped my arms around him, feeling the familiar comfort of his embrace, but a pang of hurt shot through me. He had just put me firmly in the friend zone, and while I had worked hard to move on, the sting was still there. "I love you too," I said, forcing a smile.

He pulled back, and there was a hint of joy in his eyes, but it didn't quite reach his smile. "So, who were you with last time? I saw you at the mall a few months ago, flirting with someone," he asked, a teasing tone creeping into his voice.

Ethan chuckled, the tension between us lightening slightly. "That was Taylor. My boyfriend," he said, the words feeling strange but refreshing on his lips. The idea of him being in a relationship with a guy was still a hard concept for me to wrap my head around.

"Do you want to meet him? Taylor is really amazing, and I think you'll like—"

Before he could finish, a loud thud broke through our conversation. I turned just in time to see someone punch Ethan in the face. My heart sank, adrenaline rushing through me as I jumped to my feet. "Ethan!" I shouted, rushing to help him up.