From My Enemy To My Love (boyxboy) ✔

Chapter 10

Vincent Kinsington

We stared at each other for a few, long moments. I wasn't sure how to go about this without alerting Chet of my true intentions. I hadn't planned on finding Chet. It was just luck that I saw him enter the cafeteria building with the young woman.

I had already missed my Intro to Entrepreneurship class thanks to my mom. Breakfast still sat heavy in my stomach. If I wasn't quick with Chet, I'd miss my Microeconomics class too.

"I didn't mean to take up your time with your girlfriend," I said. I knew it was too much to expect me to sound friendly, but I hoped I sounded at least neutral.

"She's not my girlfriend," he said evenly. He walked up to stand closer to me. He was on the edge of the sidewalk with the front of his shoes dangling over the side and I stood next to my car in the parking lot. The sun was bright today and surprisingly warm for Fall.

It wasn't luck that I got a spot close to the entrance. I had seen him enter while I drove by and I drove around the parking lot until a close spot had opened up.

"Potential girlfriend then," I said. It was clear the young woman liked him.

"Just friends," he said.

That explained the sad look in her eyes and the fake smile painted on her lips.

Chet shifted his weight to his left foot and the sun for one brief moment lit up his caramel skin so it almost seemed like he had a golden aura. Then he shifted again and the effect was gone. He might have been attractive if he wasn't my enemy. I had to play this cool. He was already suspicious of me.

"I wanted to apologize for my behavior at the party. I just want to protect my friend but I went about it the wrong way."

Chet smiled easily. "I accept your apology. And I'm sorry I shoved you. Alex really is a great guy. I can understand why you'd want to protect him, but Mateo isn't going to hurt him. I grew up with Mateo and he genuinely cares about Alex. Really. I've never seen him happier. And Alex seems happy. And they are adorable together."

"Yes," I said before Chet could ramble on further. It didn't matter what Chet said. I didn't know him. He could be as deceitful as Mateo for all I knew, but I wasn't here to argue with him.

"How long has Mateo been out as gay?" I asked.

Chet's smile disappeared. His dark brown eyes became slightly suspicious, but he answered. "Saturday night."

It was as I suspected then. His family probably didn't know other than his sister. This could be just the situation I needed. I would tell Mateo's family, they would force him to break up with Alex, Alex wouldn't blame me for the breakup and all would be right again.

"So he deceived his friends and family all these years and you expect me to believe he is good for Alex? Alex never hid he was gay. He was teased, mocked and ridiculed since elementary school but he never pretended to be something he wasn't."

Chet's jaw tightened. I had spoken my mind too soon. I needed to find out where Mateo's family lived.

Finally Chet's jaw loosened and his expression softened just a little. "Alex is a great guy. He is braver than I initially thought it seems. But people are different. They have different circumstances. Even if they are put through the exact same circumstances, people feel things differently. It is great that Alex was so open, but don't try to shame Mateo for choosing a different course. A course he thought was best for him at the time."

The way he looked at me made my insides a torrent as I realized my own hypocrisy - criticizing Mateo for not coming out as gay when I couldn't admit I was bi. I shifted my eyes away from his. His gaze felt similar to Alex's when Alex saw through my lies.