Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer

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Where the Lines Overlap

Season 2 - Looking Up

Bouncing (heart)Beats

I had just a split second to decide what to do.

We were winning, but the game was tight. The other team was down by only three points, anything could happen, the game could still change.

We had less than a minute to go, and we were already in the second half, so I dribbled the shooting guard, spun, and turned to see to whom I was going to pass the ball. My awareness was enhanced by the thick tense silence that fell down the gym. I stood my ground and took a deep breath.

It all happened really fast, in the blink of an eye, but I could see it unfolding before my eyes as if in slow motion.

Mark was in the right corner, guarded by the huge center of the other team. His position was perfect to make a basket, but that guy, with those enormous hands and long arms, would easily contest the pass or block his shot if my friend got the ball.

In front of me was Kyle, loosely guarded by the small forward, and behind him, a little to the left, Brandon, with two players on him. I knew Aaron was on my left, I could detect him with my peripheral view, but neither three of them was in a good position to shoot.

We discussed the strategy for this situation hundreds of times… I knew what I had to do.

I looked at Mark, who winked at me knowing exactly what I was doing, and moved my arms as if I was going to throw the ball to Brandon.

As the shooting guard raised his right arm to contest what he thought was my pass, the space right in front of me was free, and I didn't hesitate. I loaded up and shot.

It would be a three-pointer.

Unfortunately, I couldn't see the ball rolling around the rim and then finally dropping beautifully as my teammates and Coach described two days later. Because as soon as my feet hit the ground, and the crowd went wild, I got violently knocked down.

The air left my lungs in a heavy gush, my body slid along the floor until I hit someone's legs, and then I acknowledged the sharp pain in my ribs.

I heard the whistle, and I knew I would have to get up soon and shoot the free throw our team would be rewarded with due to the foul. But I was hurting really bad and feeling a little out of breath, so I just let the pain hold me down. I remained exactly where I was, curled up on the floor, with my eyes closed.

Then I heard the fuss around me, my teammates' voices trying to make me answer. I felt cold hands raising my jersey and then touching the area just below my chest, on the right side of my body.

"Ouch!" A loud cry slipped through my lips as someone found the source of my pain.

"It seems he has a cracked rib. We need to take him to the hospital for an X-ray." I recognized the head of the medical staff, Arthur, speaking.

"I'm gonna kill that fucker." I heard Mark's voice right beside me.

"You're not going to kill anybody, Wallon. Stay where you are." I heard Coach say in a stern tone.

I risked opening my eyes and saw Mark, Arthur, and Coach gazing anxiously at me.

"Can you walk or do you want me to get a stretcher, Hale?" The physician asked me.

"I'm fine." I lied. "I just need help to stand up."

"You must have an X-ray to check if there are more injuries, and then you need to get them taken care of, young man."

"I need to finish." I practically pleaded looking at Coach. "Let me at least shoot the free throw."

There was a silent exchange between Arthur and Coach and then the former looked at me.

"Are you sure of it? You can pass out from the pain or lack of air. Not to consider that you can worsen the injury."

"If I don't move the right arm it won't get worse, right?"

"Not really. Besides, the effort alone can put you down. I felt a crack on one of your ribs but you can have a deeper injury, or this rib can be pressuring your lungs. How out of breath are you?"

"A little, but it's manageable. I want to risk it. Coach?"

He heaved a weighty breath and nodded.

"Fine. But you're not finishing the game, Hale. After the free throw, you're outta court and in that ambulance."

"Let me just check something first." Arthur asked, placing his hand on my rib cage. "Take a deep breath."

I did, and the pain made me frown but I knew I could handle it.

"Enough air?"

"Enough for me to do this."

Arthur nodded.

"You're brave, kiddo."

Then, putting his arm behind me and supporting my weight, Mark carefully raised me and kept me close to his body until he was sure I could stand by myself.

"You can let me go now." I said to him when I set my feet.

"You're fucking crazy, Hale." He gave back with a sneer.

I sneered back. "When it comes to this game, yes I am… You have no idea."

Mark nodded and let go of me.

And as soon as I straightened up I felt his stare on me. I turned my head precisely to where he was standing, although I hadn't seen him until that very moment. He was looking at me with tormented eyes.

"I'm okay." I mouthed.

Edward sighed visibly and sat, although frowning worriedly.

I took a deep breath, which definitely wasn't the best of ideas, and walked slowly to the free throw line, ignoring the throbbing pain in my right side. When I looked at Coach he signaled for me to take a clean direct shot, no tricks, probably because I obviously wouldn't be able to move my body properly due to the injury I'd just suffered.

With mirth, I realized I would have to put all my strength in my left hand to shoot the ball…

A very enticing and somewhat funny memory popped up in my mind and I snickered a little before shaking my head slowly. I hoped Edward was remembering it too. This would definitely take his mind off the worry I saw in his eyes.

I set my feet. My vision narrowed spotting only the hoop, and I clenched my teeth as I loaded up and shot the ball with controlled force.

The ball drew a perfect trajectory in the air and fell directly into the hoop.

The crowd was still cheering loudly when the other team took the ball. They were seven points down now, and we had only twenty-six seconds to go, so the strategy was trying to contest all our opponent's passes and block as many shots as we could.

But I couldn't go on. Coach's orders. So I turned and walked to the sideline and saw Jammal waiting to enter.

As I crossed the court line and Jammal went in, the medical staff came to me promptly. Arthur raised my jersey again, encouraging me to take it off, and then placed an ice bag over the bruise. I looked back at the court at the precise moment Kyle robbed the ball and passed it to Mark, who scored two more points soon after, effectively guaranteeing our victory.

"Do you need anything from your locker?" Arthur asked me, getting my attention back.

"My bag."

"Okay. Sam, go down there with him and then meet us at the ambulance."

"I'll see you on Monday for the feedback." Coach said as he approached me. I nodded. "Take it easy until then, okay kid? Great game, Hale. You played beautifully."

"Thanks, Coach."

I turned to the bleachers to warn Edward, but he wasn't there. I looked around but I couldn't find him, so I went on, intending to call him as soon as I got my cell phone.

"Hey, man!" Mark's voice reached me in the hall. I turned in time to see him running towards me. "Heading to the hospital?"

"Yeah."

"Wow..." He let out a puff, eyeing the increasingly purple area below my chest. "It's pretty dark, man. You must be in a lot of pain."

"It's nothing, I can handle it. I just bruise pretty easily."

"Do you want me to go with you?"

"No need, I'm fine. You should be celebrating with the team."

I felt his presence before I heard his voice coming from right behind me, and it automatically made me feel more at ease.

"Hey…" Edward said as he approached us.

I looked at him and smiled involuntarily, eliciting his same reaction.

"Is it broken?" He asked in a grave voice, staring worriedly at my ribs. "How bad is the pain?"

"The physician thinks it's just cracked. The pain right now is a seven."

"'Your body is still warm because you were playing, it lessens the hurt. But in five minutes it'll turn into a nine."

"And that's why we should hurry." Sam, the assistant physician, said.

"Go, man." Mark said and I remembered he was there.

I looked from Edward to him and back at Edward.

"This is Mark, the center of the team." I looked at Mark then. "This is my boyf… best friend, Edward."

My heart was immediately pounding like crazy, a result of the abrupt nervousness that took over me as I almost let the truth slip through my lips.

"Good to meet you, Edward." Mark said in a lighthearted tone, extending his hand to him.

I sighed discretely, relieved that he didn't seem to catch my Freudian slip.

"Back at you." They shook hands while smiling at one another.

"Wait for me here?" I asked him as he turned to me.

He nodded and I rushed into the locker room with Sam on my tail, grabbed my bag, and went back out.

"It's gonna be nice." Mark was saying to Edward. "If you think he's okay…"

"Believe me, if he wants to go nothing's gonna stop him." My boyfriend smiled at my friend. "Let's just see how he'll be feeling."

"So I'll wait for you two there." Mark replied and started to go back towards the gym. "Keep me updated, Hale." He said in a mock-demanding tone once he looked at me, his long forefinger pointing at me as in a warning.

I laughed slightly.

"Don't worry. I'll see you in a couple of hours."

"You better." He replied just before turning away from us.

I looked at E.

"Is it really okay if we go to the party?" I asked him in a low voice as we started to walk, following the assistant physician.

"Sure it is." He spoke using the same quiet tone with a pretty smile gracing his lips. "You deserve to celebrate with your teammates. It was a great match. Let's just see how you'll feel once we get home from the hospital, okay? If you're feeling fine and still want to go, we'll go."

"I don't want to be there for long." I felt as if I was justifying.

"I don't mind if you want to stay for a while, Jay. It's okay to want to be among your friends and celebrate the victory."

I held his arm and stopped, waiting for Sam to be a little farther from us.

"I know. It's just that… I don't want you to feel uncomfortable with me acting like we're not..." I interrupted myself and shook my head slightly.

He cocked his head to the side.

"Hon, It's okay." He kinda whispered. "I know you're willing to take a step here, but I'm not rushing you. We'll do this as slowly as you need."

"I know. I just feel like I'm being unfair to you…"

"Hey, you're not being unfair. You need to do this slowly, so we'll do this slowly and I'm okay with it. I understand. We'll take a step at a time."

"I want people to know about you. About us. But it kinda freaks me out every time I wonder how they'll react."

"Love, I know. Don't worry. You really don't need to justify anything. Let's go, you need to be checked."

We started to walk again and soon we were in the ambulance, heading to the hospital.

.

.

.

After going to the hospital we went straight home to take a shower and change clothes. We tried to be as quick as we could.

I didn't really want to go to that party, even though I wanted to celebrate with my friends. It was my first victory after I became part of the team, and it had been my first game in college. And that was the only reason for me to be going. But I would just make an appearance and then Edward and I would head straight back home.

I realized I was a bit grumpy once we arrived. I guessed because I was nervous about having to introduce Edward to my friends.

"I hate this." I grumbled as we entered the huge house and walked through the crowd.

"We can go back home right now if you want." Edward assured me.

"Not this." I gestured to the surroundings. "Not being at a party. I hate this." Then I gestured between our separated hands."

"So hold it." He said softly as he showed his palm to me discreetly.

I just shook my head and moved along, aware I'd probably hurt him with my attitude.

I wished I had been prepared to do that right then, but the truth was… I wasn't. The bold and confident Hale was a total coward off-court. I wanted to do that, to show everybody who I really was, the boy who loved and dated his best friend, who happened to be a boy too, but I simply couldn't. At least not yet.

Edward was close behind me, I could feel him following me as I made my way to the pool area, where I suspected the guys were.

Soon enough I spotted them.

"There they are." I stopped and looked at Edward. His face was calm but his eyes were sad. I knew I had hurt him. "I'm sorry for this. I wish I felt comfortable already…"

"I'm okay with you introducing me as your best friend for now." He conceded before I could finish apologizing. It was as if he could read my mind. "After all, it's not a lie."

"It's not the truth either." I retorted grudgingly.

"It's not the complete truth. But…" He sighed and then forced a smile. I hated myself for putting him through this. "Let's just do this, alright?"

I gazed at him, seeing clearly how much he was putting himself out for me once again. I felt like shit, really, but not even the sadness I could perfectly identify in his irises, in his demeanor, in the fake soft smile he was sustaining, was enough to push me out of that stupid figurative closet I stubbornly was keeping myself in.

My hand itched to take his… I could do that. Why couldn't I do that?

"Jazz…?" His voice sounded confused.

It was then that I noticed I was standing there, staring blankly at him, absent-minded. Closing my eyes almost involuntarily, I sighed heavily and threaded my fingers through my hair. Then I looked at my friends, their carefree laughs, their joyful attitude while enjoying the party.

Why was I living a fucking lie? Why couldn't I just man up and assume my damn perfect boyfriend?

"Hey, Jay!" Her sweet voice reached me seconds before I saw her.

Fuck me. Perfect timing, Allegra. I thought sarcastically, feeling my idiotic heart skipping a beat.

Suddenly I felt the urge to sprint from that stupid party. But that wouldn't make matters better in any way, so…

Unexpectedly, her arms were around my neck in an almost death grip, forcing me to bend a little. I was surprised by her boldness, she'd never even touched me before, but I circled her petite body in a kind of automatic response anyway, feeling warmth spreading throughout me and my heart accelerating with the thrill it provoked. I immediately knew that would cost me some guilt later, but it wasn't something I could simply control.

I disentangled myself from her as fast as possible.

"Hey, Alle." I said a little embarrassed.

"I was there, great game!" She drawled, swaying a bit. She was obviously drunk.

Then I understood where that unusual greeting came from.

"Thanks. Uh…"

"Oh, you got hurt!" She screamed, and I chuckled involuntarily. "Are you okay? Shouldn't you be in a hospital or something?"

"I went to one earlier. I'm okay." I answered and looked briefly at Edward, who was looking at us with a weird blank face. "This is Edward." I said to her, feeling my stomach abruptly flooded with an icy uncomfortable sensation.

"Hello, Edward!" She greeted him enthusiastically. "Oh, I remember! Jay told me about you! You're the roommate!"

"Nice to finally meet you, Allegra." He said in a kind tone, but I could see the discomfort in his eyes. "He told me about you, too. You're the lab partner." He gave back in a slightly ironic way.

For sure, in her drunken state, Allegra never noticed his subtle provocation.

"Where's your girlfriend?" She asked me out of the blue, swaying a little from side to side, and I felt my eyes popping.

"My what?" My tone sounded utterly puzzled.

Edward frowned.

"Your girlfriend." She said slowly, prolonging the vowels. "The one you were talking to on the phone on Wednesday? I wasn't eavesdropping but I couldn't avoid hearing part of your conversation. You weren't speaking quietly." She shrugged. "She's not coming?"

I briefly considered the moment she was mentioning and quickly understood she meant Bella. Remembering our short phone exchange that day it was easy to see why Allegra had thought that my best friend was my girlfriend.

I shook my head.

"That was my best friend Bella. She's not my girlfriend."

"Really?" She frowned a little, but there was a faint smile on her lips. "So, who's your girlfriend?"

Uh-oh. This was definitely not good. But it would be worse if I didn't say anything.

"I don't have a girlfriend, Alle." I said hesitantly.

Even though I had emphasized the word, I still felt strangely guilty.

I looked at Edward, afraid of what I would see in his gaze. And certainly enough he was looking at me with a hint of expectation in his eyes.

"You don't?"

God! Did she really have to be surprised and ask again?

Okay, Jasper. This can turn into a real mess if you don't answer the way Edward is probably expecting you to. You have one shot at making this right. This is your chance, are you going to screw this up?

"I don't." I confirmed in a low tone before I could stop myself.

Complete the fucking sentence. Say that you have a boyfriend instead. Say it!

Allegra was staring at me, looking pretty content, openly smiling as if I had given her the best news. I wasn't sure but, I wasn't dumb, I obviously had an idea of what her reaction meant, and, I couldn't lie, it shook me internally, mainly because I knew that Edward would deduce everything I was deducing just as well, if not way better, but also because it stirred up something inside me.

C'mon your little chicken-shit! Your boyfriend is right next to you. For sure he's feeling hurt right now with your disregard for the relationship you two have. You're hurting him! Are you gonna keep on hurting him, Jasper?

I cast a glance at him, just to confirm what I suspected. Oddly enough, he was looking intently at Allegra and not at me, his forehead wrinkled in what I assumed was scrutiny.

Open your fucking mouth and say it! I have a boyfriend. This is him, Edward. How difficult can it be, huh?

"So you're here alone?" She asked almost too quietly, her big chocolate brown eyes boring into me like she was trying to convey something through her gaze.

I felt Edward's eyes on me immediately, and my heart started to pound like crazy, making my cheeks warm up and consequently redden.

This is it your dumb-ass. One wrong word and you can consider yourself the worst boyfriend of all times.

Okay. I couldn't go on with that. The anxiety was killing me and I knew I was hurting Edward.

I took a deep breath and let go of my defenses. I didn't ponder my words, I just let them flow.

"No, I'm not alone. I'm with Edward." The truth poured out of me so easily that I was absolutely stunned.

She looked at him and I did the same, and my heart calmed down just a bit when I saw the subtle crooked smile my boyfriend was sporting on his lips. I glanced at his eyes and smiled when I noticed his gaze was soft and contented.

"Sure you're here with your friend, you didn't understand." Allegra slurred. I looked at her. "What I mean is…"

Out of nowhere, another girl, clearly drunker than her, tripped in front of us and spilled all the contents of her huge plastic cup on Allegra's light yellow dress, effectively interrupting her.

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry!" The girl shrieked.

"Oh… Shit." Allegra mumbled looking down at herself.

"I'm so sorry, I was distracted, I didn't see you."

"It's okay… I guess." She looked at me. "I have to go to the bathroom to try to clean myself." Her voice sounded disappointed and she shrugged as if apologizing. I didn't understand.

"Okay." I replied simply. "I'll be around."

She nodded and turned to the corridor.

"Let me help you." The girl followed her.

I looked at Edward.

"She didn't understand what I meant." My tone implied the confusion I was feeling about that.

"No, she didn't." He confirmed in an impassive voice, then he averted his eyes from mine, looked at the corridor aimlessly, and sighed. "You know she likes you, right?"

My teeth went straight to my lower lip in an involuntary reaction to the nervousness that took over me. I actually didn't until then, but after seeing the way she'd just acted… yes, I knew. And the fucked up part was… It felt good to find that out.

Edward looked back at me, eyes expectant, obviously waiting for my answer.

I shrugged while shaking my head, 'cause I really didn't know what to say. All I knew was that confirming wasn't the best option at that moment. Not when on the inside, although unintentionally, I was almost thrilled with that.

He squinted for a second and then looked away from me while running his fingers through his hair.

"Not the time or place." He said under his breath. If I wasn't paying attention I would've missed it. "Let's go talk to your friends." He spoke louder.

And that said he started to walk towards my teammates. I followed him, breathing slowly and trying hard not to give in to my apprehension.

As we approached the guys I noticed Kyle first. He was looking directly at Edward, and once we were close enough I saw his face assuming an increasingly interested expression.

I'm not sure of what came over me, after all, I thought he was probably just curious about the "stranger" by my side, but I felt a sudden protective instinct taking me completely, so I hurried up slightly and stepped in front of my boyfriend.

"Hale!" Mark, who was by Kyle's side, shouted as he saw me.

"Hey, man, how you're doing?" Brandon asked, following Mark to come and stay before me and Edward.

Freddie and Troy were just behind the guys.

"Hale, how's it going, man?" Troy asked anxiously stopping by my side.

"What did the doctors say?" Freddie added.

"Did that fucker really break your rib?" Mark's voice was grave in a worried way. Then he looked at E and his angry expression melted into a friendly smile. "Hey, Edward."

My boyfriend chuckled by my side.

"Hello again, Mark."

That was my cue.

"Hey guys, this is Edward, my best friend." I said kinda hesitantly.

"Hey, man. Nice to meet you. I'm Brandon." His tone was kind.

"Nice to meet you too." Edward shook his hand.

"I'm Troy." He offered his hand too and E took it. "Do you play too?"

"Uh, no." He blushed a little and I sniggered. He looked adorable when he was embarrassed.

"You definitely have height, man." Freddie commented while offering his hand next. "How tall are you?"

"6'5". But I'm more of a swimmer." Edward said with a soft smile. "I certainly don't have the skills to be a basketball player."

And then it was Kyle's turn to introduce himself. Something in the way he was looking at my boyfriend didn't sit quite well with me. I was oddly disturbed when he approached us.

"You're friends with my cousin Laura." He said with a weird honeyed voice, getting a little too close to Edward. "I'm Kyle."

Something flickered in Edward's eyes, but it was too quick for me to identify. Oddly enough, he blushed a bit stronger than before when Kyle took his hand and shook it.

"I think she's mentioned you. Once." Edward said in a weird tone. Then he hastened to let go of my teammate's hand and averted his eyes from his face.

The whole thing was unsettling, but I didn't have time to dwell on that. At least not right then.

"What about the injury, man?" Mark asked again, requesting my attention back.

I raised the polo shirt I was using and showed my friends the compression wrap I had around my rib cage.

"It's just cracked. I'm gonna use this for three weeks whenever I'm out. At home, I have to just rest and take it easy. I won't be able to train or play for at least two weeks, though."

All of them grumbled a little.

"That sucks, Hale." Kyle said to me, but his eyes were still on my boyfriend.

What the fuck was that about? I was starting to get pissed.

"You're in pain?" Brandon questioned anxiously. I shook my head. Thanks to the heavy painkillers I'd taken at the hospital I was more than okay. "That bastard already had what he deserved." He sneered and Freddie chuckled.

"Shut up, Brandon." Mark whispered-yelled. "Do you want to get me in trouble?"

"What are you guys talking about?" I asked in confusion.

While my friends started to discuss something in hushed voices, Edward held my forearm gently and I gazed at him.

"I'm gonna get a beer." His facial expression was awkward, he was slightly frowning. "Do you want some water or soda?"

I squinted, trying to understand the uneasiness I immediately identified in his countenance. He was uncomfortable with something.

"I'm okay. Do you want me to go with you?"

"Stay with your friends." He said quietly. "I won't take long."

I didn't like the way he seemed bothered, but I didn't want to bring it up in front of the guys and make him feel more uncomfortable.

"I'll wait for you here."

He nodded and practically hurried away from us.

It was my turn to frown, puzzled by Edward's obvious distress, but I would have to wait for an opportune moment to approach the matter.

I turned back to my friends just to find Mark and Brandon seemingly arguing about something while Freddie and Troy were apparently trying to mediate whatever it was. I was going to check what was happening but Kyle's immobile figure called my attention. He was following my boyfriend with this intent gaze.

My control faltered. I just didn't have it in me to be passive.

"What the hell, Kyle?" I tried to keep my voice down and in an easy tone.

He looked at me somewhat distracted and I smiled cynically at him while shaking my head.

"What?" He smiled back, but his gesture was clearly amused, unlike mine.

"Why are you staring at my friend?" It sounded light enough, but anyone who knew me a little better would easily identify the annoyance subtly saturating my words.

"And what's there not to stare at?" His tone was suggestive, and I definitely didn't like it. "He's a stunning, extremely attractive guy."

I think my jaw dropped visibly because I didn't even need to ask the obvious question that popped into my head.

"Yes, Hale. I'm gay." He rolled his eyes. "It's so obvious, can't you tell?" He asked in a nonchalant voice like it was nothing.

"No, not at all." It was all I was able to say. I was truly shocked.

"I've heard he has a boyfriend. Does he really? I'm truly interested."

And that was enough to bring me back from my astonishment.

Jealousy boiled in my blood. My eyes narrowed at their own accord as my hands curled up into fists.

"Yes, he does." My voice sounded threatening all of a sudden, and I was totally okay with that. "And they are pretty serious."

He chuckled while turning his body completely to me.

"So you're the overprotective kind of friend." He assumed in a funny voice.

"You can say that." I confirmed in a strained tone.

"You can rest easy. My intentions are good, Hale." His smug grin was getting on my nerves.

"Are they?" I frowned. "It doesn't matter. As I just confirmed, he does have a boyfriend."

"He's not here now…" I clenched my teeth. "Besides, I've been told his boyfriend doesn't live in town. This distance thing usually leaves people very vulnerable. He'll probably be single soon."

Was he defying me?!

I took a deep breath because I didn't want to make a scene. My will was to punch that stupid smirk right off his face, but I was trying not to be impulsive or aggressive.

Doing nothing wasn't an option, though. I had to put him in his place.

I got closer to him, closer than courtesy would allow, and although he was taller than me and I had to look up to stare into his light-brown eyes, I wasn't intimidated, not even a bit.

"Listen, Kyle, and listen to it carefully because I'm gonna say it just once." My tone was grave and stern, and I almost didn't recognize it. "You stay away from him." He raised one eyebrow at me, I raised my chin a little more. "Edward is off limits, for you and anybody else. He's in a committed relationship with someone that loves him truly and he loves truly. And you don't mess with this kind of stuff. Do you understand?"

"I understand that you seem a little too jealous of my interest in your best friend." He made air quotes while emphasizing the word. "What's your problem, Hale? Do you have a secret crush on him?"

Yes, he was defying me, the smug ass. And at that moment I really didn't care if I exposed myself with my actions or words, because I was at a point in which my mind was starting to shut down and allowing my protective instinct to take over. I was about to lose it.

"If I do it's none of your business." And now our chests were almost touching and my voice sounded extremely earnest. "Just know that, if you try anything, and I mean anything, Kyle, you'll regret it." I threatened for real this time. "I'll make sure you do. You won't even see me coming." I was shooting daggers at him, making sure he understood I was being serious.

"I'm not afraid of you, shortie." He provoked.

I sneered.

"Believe me, the fact that you're taller than me won't give you any advantage."

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna get in a fight with you." He said smiling ironically at me. "You won't even see me coming." He gave back my statement poking my chest. "Once you blink I'll get him. I always get what I want."

And that was it. I'd had it.

I gave him a light push, just 'cause I still didn't want to make a scene by shoving him to the floor.

"Man, if you know what's best for you, you're gonna keep your distance. I mean it."

He stepped closer to me and I faced him sternly.

Mark and Brandon were abruptly between us.

"Hey, what's going on?" My red-haired friend asked me in a slightly demanding tone while holding my shoulders and pushing me away. "Brandon, take Kyle outta here." He instructed our other friend without diverting his eyes from mine.

"C'mon." I heard Brandon saying.

"I didn't start that." Kyle's voice sounded already far.

I knew Troy and Freddie were near but I couldn't really see them. I was still seeing red and breathing heavily because of the anger rushing through my veins. Only when I felt the stone bench on the back of my knees I realized that Mark had taken me away from where we were.

"What was all that?" His tone was worried, not curious.

I looked at him trying hard to erase the annoyance off my face.

"What was what?" I tried to play dumb.

"C'mon, Hale. We all saw that weird exchange between you and Kyle."

I diverted my gaze from his scrutinizing one.

"It was nothing." I dismissed.

"It was about Edward, wasn't it?"

I turned my eyes to him so fast that I almost had a whiplash. I frowned.

"I know Kyle better than you can imagine." He explained in a light tone. "So, am I right?"

"Yeah. But it was stupid." My voice was still strained. "I should've just… walked away, not let his provocation get to me."

We were silent for a moment. I bent my head trying to calm down before I went looking for Edward when Mark spoke again.

"Look, you shouldn't take whatever Kyle said seriously. He's not really a threat. He brags a lot and he's a smooth talker but, Edward seems to be an intelligent guy. I don't think he would let Kyle sweet-talk him. Your boyfriend is safe."

All my blood rushed to my feet and I felt like I was about to faint.

Slowly, I turned my head to him again and looked at his placid expression, absolutely astonished.

Of course, my first impulse was to deny it, but what was the point, really? The thing with Kyle obviously gave me away, and at some point, I would have to tell my friends the truth anyway. Besides, he seemed way far from disgusted with the fact that I dated a boy.

"Okay, don't freak out, I'm not gonna tell anyone. It's not my place." He said with a soft smile before I could say anything.

I briefly squeezed my eyes and opened them after shaking my head.

"How do you…?" I couldn't even finish the question, so perplexed I was.

"Well, that tense conversation with Kyle just now was elucidative enough, but… earlier, at the gym hall, when Edward approached and you two smiled at each other…" He shrugged. "That was very enlightening." He chuckled softly. "Then you corrected yourself before you could finish the word "boyfriend" when you were introducing him..." Shit, he caught that. "There's also the way you look at him… like he's the center of your world."

"You caught all that just by seeing me with him tonight?" He nodded and I huffed. "You're very observant. You remind me of a very close friend." I missed Bella…

He shrugged.

"I am observant, but the fact that I've been in your shoes some years ago also helped."

"What, you're gay too?!" I couldn't have been more surprised.

"Yep. Actually, Kyle is my ex." My jaw dropped for the second time that night. "That's how I know so much about him."

"Wow. I'm really inattentive like Edward says. I would've never guessed."

"You really seem to be a bit unobservant." He laughed a little, and I even chuckled, but I was still a little nervous. "At least off-court. When you're playing you're extremely perceptive and astute. We won today because of you, you know." I shook my head while smiling bashfully. "I'm serious, Hale. You were the addition we needed to make this team a champion. You should try to use this shrewdness of yours outside the court."

Although I was a little embarrassed with the serious compliment he'd just made, I had to consider he was truthful regarding my perceptiveness. My attention really was more accurate when I was playing basketball, and I had to learn how to use that skill in my life indeed.

But this was something I would consider later. At that moment my curiosity was taking the best of me.

"Do the other guys know? About you and Kyle?" I asked cautiously.

"Of course. When I got in the team I was already out." He said simply.

"And they're okay with it?"

"Do you see anybody treating me badly? Bullying me or making jokes?" I just shook my head. "They would never do such thing, not even if they wanted to. There are very strict policies that protect us inside campus."

"Do they know about me?" My voice was apprehensive.

"I don't think so, but just because no one was really paying attention. It won't last, though. It took me what? One glance at you two together to figure it out?" He chuckled once more. "You're not very good at hiding. It's plainly clear, to anybody who really looks, that you're in love with that boy." He jerked his chin while looking to my right and I turned to see Edward coming our way. "And that that boy is in love with you."

Yeah, it was clear in the way he looked at me, even from the distance, even when his face was distorted in worry like right then.

I smiled at Edward, feeling the contentment for having him back. He grinned at me, but his eyes were concerned.

"I brought you some water." He said once he was before me and Mark, offering me the bottle. "Brandon told me you and Kyle had a misunderstanding and that you two were here talking. What happened?"

I took the bottle from his hand, deliberately brushing my fingers over the back of his, opened it and gulped half of the content. I was still a bit distressed and needed to tone down my anxiety.

I felt Mark standing up.

"You two talk." He tapped my shoulder. "I'll go get myself a beer."

I looked at him and nodded, smiling gratefully at him. He winked at me and went away after squeezing Edward's shoulder lightly.

My boyfriend sat by my side and looked at me intently.

"So…you and Kyle." He encouraged me to explain in his characteristic soft tone.

I shook my head.

"It was stupid."

"You're not gonna tell me?"

I averted his questioning gaze.

"He was staring at you and… I kinda lost it." I said a bit embarrassed.

"Lost it how?"

"He's…" I felt my throat constrict with anger once more. "He's interested in you and, he was being pretty direct about it, so…" I spoke through clenched teeth. "I had to have it out with him."

Edward chuckled and I turned to him with a skeptic stare.

"You're laughing? You think this is funny?"

"I'm sorry, love. I can't help feeling a bit pleased." He shrugged. "It feels nice to know that you were jealous."

"It didn't feel nice to me." I retorted and looked away. "It's definitely not pleasant to hear someone saying they want your boyfriend."

"He'll never have me, it doesn't matter how much he wants me." He said in a matter-of-fact tone and I looked at him again. "I'm with you, and I love you."

I sighed, allowing the relief his words kinda elicited to settle in me. Then a weak smile stretched my lips.

"Well, at least something good came out of it." I arched my brows.

"What?"

"Mark knows about us."

"He does?" Edward's tone was much more than surprised.

I liked seeing him suddenly excited.

"Yeah." I answered with a grin.

"You told him?" He was so enthusiastic about the possibility... I felt a little bad for not being the one responsible for that.

"Actually, he figured it out. Apparently I'm not very good at hiding my feelings."

Against the odds and my thinking that he would be disappointed, he smiled joyfully.

"You're really not." He affirmed with mirth, but then, his eyes got a bit darker and his face fell. He bent his head and frowned while looking at his hands on his lap.

I immediately knew what that was about. I knew what he had noticed earlier when we met Allegra.

I'd had enough of that party, it was time to go.

I sighed.

"Do you wanna go home?"

He sighed too, then nodded.

We went to my friends and said our goodbyes. I was glad not to see Kyle again, I didn't know what I would do if he ogled Edward in my face once more.

Mark told me, quietly enough so no one else would hear, that he was there for me if I ever needed to talk. I told him that I would take him up on that offer sooner than he thought. He just winked at me.

Less than half an hour later we were at home.

Edward was too quiet, his facial expression disheartened. I hel his wrist carefully before we got in my bedroom.

"Is there something wrong?" I asked in a barely-there voice, afraid of his answer.

He stared at me with this pained gaze for a while longer than I expected. Then looked down.

"You're hurt… and I'm tired." He said despondently.

I tried to decide if that was his answer to my question or a reason for him not to tell me what was really going on.

I opened my mouth to ask…

"I'll take a shower." He added in a sigh after turning away from me walk down the corridor.

I just stood there watching him go, feeling my heart getting smaller.