When I wake up, my eyes are crusty with dried up tears from me falling asleep crying. Luckily though, my migraine has reduced to a minor headache. I check my phone. Based on the time, it's a half hour after school was let out. I have three missed calls from Grayson and seven unread text messages. Four from Grayson, one from Marisa, and one from Jess and one from Alex.

🥵

Today 7:16AM

🥵I would've ran

after you but a teacher

caught me. Are you ok?

🥵 I promise I will

find out who did this just

please don't do anything

stupid.

🥵I'll come over after

school.

Today 11:08AM

🥵: Please respond.

You're making me nervous.

Today 7:50AM

Are you okay?

I'm gonna beat the shit

out of whoever did this

to you guys!😤😤😤

Today 12:53PM

Are you alright?

Marisa and I took down

all of the pictures

before class.

Today 8:10AM

Are you okay?

Preston will come around

I sigh, not wanting to respond to anyone. Before I can shut off my phone, another text message pops up.

🥵

Today 3:04PM

🥵Unlock your

front door.

Confused, I look up from my tear stained pillow and glance out my window. Sure enough, Grayson's car is parked right outside. Sighing, I get up and make my way downstairs. When I open the front door, my boyfriend shuts it behind him then pulls me into his arms. My crying starts up again and I grip onto the side of Grayson's shirt, burying my face in his chest.

He rubs my back soothingly and after a while of him holding me, I calm down. Grayson kisses my forehead then pulls back, before guiding me to the couch in my tv room.

"I'm so sorry, Reid," Grayson says giving me a sympathetic look as he wipes my cheeks.

"Why? Did you print those pictures of us and scatter them around the school?"

"What? No! I would never do that to you!" He says, appalled.

I can't help but chuckle at his reaction. I grab his hands and intertwine our fingers. "I know. So why are you apologizing?"

"Because I've been through something like this before and know what it can do to you. And, I hate seeing that pained look in your beautiful eyes," he tells me with his hands cupping my face. "We'll figure out who did this and I'll beat their ass."

I move his hands gently off my face. "Thank you, but I don't need you getting expelled over me."

"I wouldn't care."

"Well, I would!" I snap at him. "I need you by my side! How can you expect me to go through school tomorrow without you?!" I shout angrily.

Grayson smiles even though I practically yelled at him. I roll my eyes.

"Fine. I won't lay a finger on whoever did that in school. I can't promise I won't do anything to them outside of school," he smirked thinking he was clever by getting around the school policy. Does he realize he's eighteen and can still get arrested for getting into a fight in or outside or school?

I sigh and was about to speak until there was a knock at the front door. Walking over to open the door, I can't help but feel nervous. When I do open the door, I feel sick. "Preston?" I question as I open the door wider, allowing him to come in.

Preston walks in hesitantly. "Hey," is all he says as he rubs the back of his neck.

"W- why are you here?"

Preston goes to respond before Grayson grabs my arm and pulls me behind him. "Make any derogatory remark towards Reid and I won't hesitate to knock your ass on the floor," he tells Preston firmly. If looks could kill, my best friend would be dead on the wooden floor right now based on the glare Grayson was sending him.

I normally love when Grayson gets all protective over me, but not when he's threatening my best friend. "Grayson," I warn him. Of course, they both ignore me.

Preston narrows his eyes at my boyfriend and gets in his face. "I'm not gonna say anything like that to him, but I can't say the same for you."

Grayson grits his teeth and balls his hands into fists. Before he can do anything, I grab his arm and pull him back a step. I slip my hand in his, making Grayson relax under my touch. "Let me talk to him," I say softly.

He looks over and gives Preston another deadly look, "I don't want-"

I turn his face back to focusing on me. "I'll see you later, okay?"

My boyfriend sighs, "fine," he says. A slight smirk appears on his face as he glances over at Preston one last time before his hand goes to the back of my neck and ropes me into a kiss. The kiss is cunning and I know he's kissing me an extra second longer in spite of Preston. Grayson brings one of his hands to my ass knowing very well that Preston is uncomfortably watching.

I am deeply blushing when Grayson pulls back, "see you tonight," he says with a wink then walks out, not missing a beat to nudge Preston's shoulder with his.

"Out of all the guys," Preston mutters— mainly to himself— with the shake of his head as he walks into the TV room. I follow him.

"You don't know him," I say defensively.

"Whatever," he mutters. I open my mouth to speak, but Preston beats me to it. "You didn't wake up half-naked next to a girl at that party; you woke up next to Grayson." Preston doesn't ask and he doesn't need to, he knows that's the truth. I don't say anything, instead, I look at the carpeted floor feeling ashamed that I lied to him. "How could you not tell me? I'm your best friend," Preston says in disbelief, his voice growing louder.

"I'm sorry," I say. "I- I thought you'd hate me."

"What kind of person do you take me as?! You think I'd just stop talking to someone I've been friends with my whole life because of something as simple as you liking a boy?!"

"No, I just—" I don't know what to say to that because, honestly, I did think my best friend would stop talking to me because of something as simple as me liking a boy. Truth is, it's not simple; not when you live in a small town filled with close-minded people and live under the roof of a very Catholic family. "You called me a faggot," I whisper and meet Preston's eyes.

His eyes soften along with his tone. "I know... I'm sorry. It just slipped out 'cause I was angry. I just wanted you to feel as hurt as I felt. But I didn't mean it, I swear. I don't think that about you." He says, looking guilty, which actually fills me with relief and hope that he'll forgive me. "If I'd known you were gay I would've-" he stops himself with the shake of his head. After a moment of silence, he speaks again, "Was it just between the two of you or did others know?" He doesn't seem indignant anymore, just upset.

I open my mouth to respond but then close it feeling as culpable.

He understands my silence. "Who did you tell?"

"Peter" I confess with my head hanging low. "And Jessica and Marisa."

"Jess and Marisa?" The angry tone in his voice from before returns. "You're not even friends with them!" Preston yells with animated hands. "You told them before me?!"

"Exactly!" I shout, looking up at him. "They weren't my friends; I didn't care rather or not they'd hate me for being gay 'cause I wasn't going to lose anything by telling them!" I exclaim in an equally harsh tone. "I'd lose eighteen years of friendship if I had told you and you felt disgusted by me! I couldn't risk that!"

"So you were planning on keeping it a secret?! For how long?! Until we graduate? Go off to college? Until ten years from now when you send me a wedding invitation for you and some guy?! I can't fucking believe this! Not the fact that you're gay. The fact that you have no faith in me." He shakes his head and takes a deep breath.

I step towards him and in a pleading voice, I say, "Please understand where I'm coming from. If you were me, you would've—"

"If I were you," Preston cuts me off. "The moment I realized I woke up half-naked next to a boy in bed, I would've called you. I would've told you, my best friend, that I wasn't into girls." He scoffs, "fuck, I asked you, point blank, if there was more going on with you and Grayson. 'Just homework', huh?"

I swallow the lump in my throat and I can't stop the tears from falling down my cheeks. "I'm sorry," I whisper, not knowing what else I could say to make this right.

"You're not losing me because you're gay. I don't care about that. You're losing me because you lied to my face. Over and over again. See you around, Reid."

And just like that, Preston walks out.

My best friend, who I have known all my life, is no longer my friend in the span of an hour.

Mine and Preston's conversation keeps playing on a loop over and over again. Even laying in Grayson's arms on his comfy bed watching Schitt's Creek isn't enough to get my mind off the terrible events that occurred today. How can I live without my best friend? Who even am I without Preston Anders in my life?

I love Grayson, I do, but he's my boyfriend. I need a best friend I can go to other than my boyfriend. A best friend I can rant to about the argument I had with my boyfriend, my brother, my parents, or anyone. A best friend I can do stupid things with. A best friend I can laugh with. I need Preston.

And I ruined that friendship. I didn't trust Preston enough to tell him about the things a best friend is supposed to know about.

"Hey," Grayson murmurs to me as he gently moves my chin so I'm facing up at him. "You okay?"

"Yeah, sorry I was just..." I trail off and end with a shrug, not sure if I want to get into my thoughts with Grayson right now.

"He'll come around," Grayson says, already knowing what I'm thinking about. I swear he can read my mind, even if he denies it.

I sigh and bury my head in his chest, "What if he doesn't?"

Grayson's strong arms wrap around me, pulling me closer, "He will, I promise. He's just hurt and confused. You're too important to him. He'll forgive you. It might take some time, but you guys will work it out."

Grayson sounds so sure of himself. I'll pray to God he's right, but Grayson didn't see the look on Preston's face. Utter betrayal. I betrayed Preston by taking the trust we've built along the years and tossed it in a blender, shredding it.

"How do I fix it?" I ask him in hope that my boyfriend has all the answers.

"I don't know, baby," he says causing me to frown. "But I think it's best to give him some space for right now."

I nod then I remember another problem; the pictures. How did I forget that? I sit up and look at Grayson, feeling panicked. "W- what am I going to do at school tomorrow? Oh God, I bet there are already rumors spreading about us! What happened after I left? Were there p-people talking about us?" My hands go to my hair, "Colton has to know by now! What if he-"

Grayson grabs my hands, "Hey, stop. It's okay, it's okay." I take a deep breath, nodding as I allow Grayson to take my hands away from my hair. "Colton's not gonna' hurt you. No one is. I'm gonna' be by your side, always. I'm not going to let anyone touch you," Grayson promises, cupping my face. His blue eyes looking at me so intensely, I know he's telling the truth. "And it doesn't matter what people say or what rumors may or may not disperse throughout school, 'cause you know the truth. So do I. You are not alone in this."

His words have my heart squeezing with love and adoration for this boy in front of me. So I blurt out the first thing that comes to mind, "I love you." I immediately realize what I said and quickly cover my mouth. Did I just...?

Grayson's eyes widen with his mouth agape. "Uh..."

😓