Page 55 of Zero Confusion

After that was done, he had some tough decisions to make. Obviously, he wouldn’t be coming back to the farm after graduating, so he needed to do some serious research on environmental policy jobs in Portland. A spark of joy shot through him, leaving goosebumps in its wake. He might actually be able to do something he loved, something he could look forward to every day.

The joy faded when he imagined telling his parents about this new plan. Would they be mad? Upset? Disappointed? In the end, it didn’t really matter. It was a done deal.

Hopped up on adrenaline, he would have done it right then, but the timing was all wrong. His mom had been fretting over Max for days, and Miles didn’t want to drop his bombshell when she was already overwhelmed.

Maybe toward the end of the summer, right before heading back to school. That way, if they had a big argument, there’d be time to let the idea settle before the holidays. Unless his parents kicked him out and disowned him on the spot, which, sadly, was a possibility.

His phone vibrated, and Miles tore his attention away from the screen, where he’d been staring at a teenage Zach grinning at the camera.

ZACH: Busy? Wanna sneak away and…hang out?

Miles snorted at the euphemism.

MILES: Yep, we should definitely hang out tonight. Same place?

ZACH: I have a better idea. Meet me by the fence in an hour.

An hour was too long.

Miles killed some time by taking a long shower, scrubbing away the dirt and sweat from a full day’s work. The hot water relaxed his body, but his mind was still wound up, both from today’s revelations and the tingly anticipation of meeting Zach.

After throwing on a plain T-shirt and jeans, Miles carefully tiptoed down the stairs. The TV was on in the living room, his dad’s favorite news anchor cheerfully reporting on a multi-car pile-up. If Miles kept quiet, no one would notice him slip through the kitchen and out the back door.

“Going somewhere?”

Mara stepped out of the shadows, a glass of water glinting in her hand.

“What the hell? Why are you standing in the dark? You almost gave me a heart attack,” Miles hissed, pressing a palm over his racing heart.

“Thinking.” Mara shrugged, offering nothing else. “Where are you off to?”

It wouldn’t raise any eyebrows for him to say he was off to see Zach. They hung out all the time, day or night. There was nothing weird about it.

But it wasn’t the whole truth.

“Walk me out?” He opened the door and waited. After giving him a curious look, Mara set her glass down and followed him outside.

The dusk was upon them as the last rays of the setting sun faded away. The unbearable heat of the day dissipated, leaving behind a pleasant warmth that swirled on a light breeze. Miles led Mara away from the house until they were out of earshot.

Mara eyed him with interest. “What’s with all the secrecy?”

“There’s something I have to tell you.” Miles paused. He had no idea what to say next.

Shit, he hadn’t thought this through. With Ray, it’d been easy enough to blurt the confession out by accident and let him come to his own conclusion. It’d been even easier with Max, since Ray had filled him in without any involvement from Miles. He could do the same thing now—say something simple—but it didn’t seem appropriate. This was his first time officially coming out to someone. It had to be momentous.

“Go on,” Mara prodded. “My water’s getting warm.”

“Right. I wanted to tell you that I’m…” Dammit, he wasn’t even sure what he was. There were a lot of labels he’d come across, and he never decided which one fit him best. But he’d already started the sentence, and he had to finish it somehow. “Bisexual?”

Mara’s eyebrows shot up in amusement. “Are you asking me?”

“No,” Miles grumbled. “I didn’t exactly prepare a speech. Consider this a lesson learned. I definitely need to do some research before I do this again.”

“Thank you for telling me.” Mara surprised him with a quick hug. “Not that it’s a huge shock or anything.”

“What do you mean?”

Mara shook her head with a sigh. “Go have fun with your boyfriend.” She spun on her heels and walked back to the house, leaving him more confused than ever. Had she known he was in love with Zach before he did? Had he been that obvious?