Jude's not surprised when Callie shows up at his door late that night. She hangs back in the doorway a second too long, and Jude wonders who told - Stef or Lena, maybe Mariana, or Brandon.

"Can I come in?"

Jude nods and closes the book he was trying, but not really trying, to read. He sits up and pulls his legs to his chest, leaning back against the headboard so Callie has room to sit across from him on the bed.

"Do you want to talk about what happened today?" He hesitates, and she tries again. "Is there anything you want to talk about?"

Jude shrugs. "This kid from school was saying things, and he pushed me. He was going to hit me, but then Connor showed up."

It was over pretty quick after that. Jude barely had time to register the blur that flew past him, knocking Blake's hands away, before people were pulling the two boys apart.

"Why was this kid messing with you?"

"Because he's a bully."

"Jude ... please."

Callie watches him closely, silently willing him to talk to her. This is obviously important to her, and while he knows it's mostly because he's important to her - she loves him - he also knows it's partly because of Sophia. Now that Sophia is in her life, and will be - permanently, he knows how badly she wants to prove to him that she is still his sister, first and foremost.

Jude considers her carefully. Seconds pass and he says, finally, "Connor's dad thinks I'm gay."

If she wants a chance to prove herself, she can have it.

Callie's brow furrows. "What?"

"He doesn't want us hanging out anymore," Jude continues.

Callie sucks in a deep breath and sits back, thinking. "Is that what you meant before, when you said Connor's dad didn't like you?"

Jude nods.

"What about Connor?"

"He wanted to stay friends, and keep it a secret. But I didn't want to. Before today we hadn't talked -" Jude stops, corrects himself. "I hadn't talked to him since the party."

"Since the -" Callie hesitates. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Callie's terrible at hiding her feelings. She thinks she's good at it, all the practice she's had putting on masks and building walls, but Jude has spent his whole life with her and he knows better. He knows she's afraid of the answer, he can see it in her eyes. And they were reasons - the Quinns, and Sophia. And the baby. But they weren't really why.

"I didn't want to," he answers honestly. Callie flinches like his words physically hurt her, but Jude keeps going, wanting now to get everything out. "I didn't want to tell you … before, when we were supposed to get adopted, there was this girl, Maddie, and …" Jude pauses, and starts again. "I think I like Connor … as more than a friend."

Callie's mouth opens, a silent "oh" falling from her lips. "Does he know?"

Jude shakes his head.

"Okay," Callie says, nodding. She blinks once, twice, and frowns. "Why didn't you want me to know?"

His eyes fall involuntarily to his hands. His nails are clean, and bare, and when he looks back up at her, she's shaking her head so desperately he knows she already understands.

"I'm different," Jude says, looking Callie in the eye. "And I know you don't like that."

"Jude, no, I love you," she says, taking one of his hands between her own. "No matter what. That's never gonna change. I'm sorry if I made you feel -" She squeezes his hand. "Life's just been so hard, you know. I didn't want it to be any harder for you."

"I know." Jude squeezes her hand. "I know you want to protect me because some people don't like what's different," Jude says, remembering Lena's words. "But it's okay."

"No, it's not," Callie says quietly.

Jude pauses, thinking. "No, it's not," he concedes. "But I'll be okay."

Callie searches his face and, after a few seconds, she nods. "So what now?" she asks. "What about Connor?"

"I don't know. His dad was so angry, just because he was being my friend."

"Yeah," Callie says, a funny look crossing her face. "Connor's been a really good friend."

It's not intentional, the weird emphasis Callie puts on the word friend - Jude can tell by the way she winces - but he tenses just the same.

"No, I mean, it's just." Callie starts and stops. "I'm really happy Connor was there today when you needed him, but maybe it's a good thing. Spending some time apart. Sometimes its good to have space to figure things out, right?"

Callie smiles and Jude tries to smile back, but he's pretty sure he fails.

"Yeah, right."