Rules Of The Game: Book 1

26; Sorry Hannah, You're Not My Type

𝙽𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝟷𝚜𝚝, 𝙼𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚊𝚢
Parkers POV

I never imagined a lake would be a mood killer, yet here we are.

Water presses around every inch of us and fills my nose. Instinct makes me let go of Miles, and I swim to the surface, gasping when the fresh air hits my face. A blight of panic blooms in my chest when I see that I'm alone.

Miles surfaces next to me, not even a moment later, gasping like a fish out of water.

Ironic since I'm the one that just came out.

"What the hell just happened?" Miles demands and laughs, paddling over to the dock. He reaches up and grabs one of the metal bars from the ladder.

"I'm so sorry!" I exclaim and laugh as well, more stunned than he is. "I didn't realize how close we were to the edge, and my peripheral vision was off. That's my bad. I'm so sorry that I dragged you down with me!"

"No, not that. I don't give a damn about a little bit of water!" Miles can't stop laughing as he tries to talk. "It's just... I can't believe you, you..."

"Uh huh?" I cheese. It's fun to watch the realization dawn on Miles face after all of this time.

"You bitch!" He smacks the lake's surface, spraying me with water and getting more giggles in response. "Don't you uh-huh me! You're fuckin' kidding me! Do you know how many hints I've dropped, how many little moves I've tried to make? How long have you known? Did my long, emotional rant about you make you crack? Or was it the kissing from this past week?"

"Hey, slow down!" I snicker and push the hair off my forehead before paddling closer to him. "You ask too many questions. Trust me. I think I've noticed about every single one of your hints. And the kissing definitely helped."

"Yet you kept holding out on me? Why?" Miles asks out of curiosity, not an interrogation.

I shrug and glide next to him, grabbing the other metal pole that attaches to the other corner of the dock. "Well, here's my issue. I'm not exactly... out yet."

Miles quirks an eyebrow. "Oh? So...?"

"Yeah, that means that this was kind of a new awakening." I laugh out of nervousness this time, and my cheeks go pink as I look Miles up and down. At least the parts that are exposed.

"No way!" Miles exclaims, grinning like an idiot as he leans over and ruffles my hair, making me fuss. "Was I seriously your sexual awakening?! This is huge, bro! I knew I was hot, but god damn!"

"Shut the hell up!" I scoff but can't pretend to be angry as I smile and grab Miles wrist, pulling it away from my hair. "I've been meaning to tell you sooner, except... I don't know. I didn't want to rush it or make things awkward. Besides, as I said, no one knows."

"Geez, I'm the awakener and the promise keeper?"

"Well..." I hesitate. "Okay, one other person knows. Griffin."

For the first time, I make Miles' jaw drop in sheer horror. "You told who? Your homophobic cousin that chased me down to specifically threaten me about pursuing you?"