I was so angry I could hear my heat thumping in my ears. Clenching my jaw, I quickly made my way into the kitchen and poured myself a large glass of water, gulping it down in an attempt to quell the fire in my chest. I finished it with a gasp, realizing that I had momentarily forgotten to breathe, and as I began sucking down air, I realized that nothing had changed. Despite everything that has happened, I was still stuck on Stephanie. I wanted to slam my fists onto the counter-top. I wanted to go outside and scream at the night sky. Running my hands though my hair, I focused on my breathing and slowly got my heart-rate under control before pouring another glass of water and sitting on the couch.
My silence of the night was broken by the creaking of the door to the master bedroom. Talia slowly crept out, making her way to the kitchen. I could seen in the moonlight that she had scrubbed away her makeup and messed up her hair, yet she didn't look any less attractive. The shredded t-shirt and tight shorts certainly didn't hurt her case.
She saw me sitting on the couch, so after she poured herself a glass of water, she tip-toed over and sat down beside me.
"Can't sleep?" she whispered.
I nodded in reply as I sipped some of my water.
"Me neither. I've been dying for some water, but it's so nice having Rachel in bed with me that I didn't want to leave until she was asleep."
I felt a momentary pang of jealousy, but felt like a jerk and shook it off. Just because I wasn't happy didn't mean that she couldn't be happy, and being hones, I was glad that Talia and Rachel were together. They made each other happy, and that's what really mattered.
"So... Rachel asked me to go to prom with her."
"Not surprising."
"No, but... that means that we'd have to go as a couple... which means that... that I'd have to come out to my parents."
For moment her face was a blank slate, while her eyes were an infinite myriad of emotions.
"Are you ready for that?" I asked.
She didn't answer right away, taking a sip of water before breaking into a fit of giggling. It got to the point where she placed her hand over her mouth to keep herself quiet, until she finally got a hold of herself. I simply stared at her, waiting for an explanation until she finally spoke.
"Sorry, I... I'm just so happy right now. Everything... everything just feels right, you know? Like things in my life are finally coming together. Does that sound crazy?"
"No more crazy than you usually sound," I replied with a smile.
She chuckled, laying her had on my shoulder before continuing, "No, I really mean it. I feel like no matter what, no matter how things work out with my parents, I'm finally... comfortable being me and I have you to thank for that."
"Glad I could help," I replied, sounding more deflated than I intended.
She picked up on this, lifting her head and turning to face me on the couch. "Is everything alright, Ian?"
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