5. Only For The Time Being

[AVA]

“Don’t you think we’re moving too fast?” I deadpanned, giving a slight eye roll as Sean rushed to open the car door for me.

It was only yesterday when I saved his ass from his asshole friends, secretly hoping we wouldn’t run into each other anytime soon. We made a deal to keep each other’s secrets, a win-win situation. But now, the first thing I see from my tiny room’s window is his flashy car pulling up near my awful apartment.

I had no clue what he was up to or trying to prove, but I hurried downstairs as fast as I could before my parents or nosy neighbors caught sight of him. I needed to find out what the heck was going on. I was still in my pajamas, wearing a too-small t-shirt that barely contained my assets. But I couldn’t care less because Sean showing up at the wrong time in the wrong place put my entire future at risk.

If our family business hadn’t gone bankrupt and we were still living in our fancy fourteen-bedroom mansion, things would be so different. Nobody cared about my life or who I dated back then. But everything changed when my dad’s enterprise failed. Now, my dad was chasing some kind of miracle to save us, while my mom was eager to sell me off. She’d lose it if Sean’s last name got anywhere near her. It felt like they might as well force me to marry this guy, consequences be damned. There were two big reasons why we couldn’t be together, and his being gay was just the beginning.

“I couldn’t sleep all night,” he grumbled, swiftly closing the door as I climbed inside. He joined me in the car, taking the driver’s seat and starting the engine.

“Why, was I that good?” I quipped, intending it as a joke. But instead of taking it in the light-hearted manner it was meant, he looked puzzled.

Great, the one person from my past who can’t appreciate a good sense of humor. Just what my average life needed.

Once we hit the highway, I finally allowed myself to relax.

Sean seemed to notice and appeared somewhat embarrassed. “Hey, I’m sorry for startling you like that. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble.”

Well, the worst was already over, so there was no need to give him a hard time about the mini heart attack he put me through. “I’m just glad no one saw us together,” I sighed.

However, that didn’t mean I wasn’t annoyed by the urgency. I gave him a stern look.

“What was so urgent that you couldn’t even wait for me to reach the college?” It would have been much safer there. None of my classmates knew about my past, the person I used to be before our lives changed forever. To them, I was just a new transfer student, trying to figure out how to fit in and convincingly navigate my new life path.

Sean was taken aback by my tone. “Hey, didn’t I already apologize? And to answer your question, it’s related to…what happened the previous night.”

My eyebrows furrowed. “I thought we agreed never to bring it up again.”

“Right,” he said, nervously biting his lip. “About that.”

“Don’t tell me you’ve already spilled the beans. Who did you tell?” Please, not Coraline. Anyone but Coraline. If his sister found out my secret, she would make a spectacle of it on every social media platform. She would enjoy having a chance to humiliate me.

God, I was screwed.

“I kept it a secret.” He sounded defensive, as if I had jumped the gun and it was all in my head. “What do you even think of me? I’m gay. Not an asshole.”

Okay, maybe I overreacted. Was it my turn to apologize now?

“But I want to,” he continued sheepishly, and the apology on the tip of my tongue turned to dust.

“What?” I couldn’t have sounded more shocked.

“Listen, before you make any hasty judgments, let me explain. How about we grab some coffee?” He raised an eyebrow, trying to focus on the road while also pleading with me. “I’ll clarify everything. Just give me a chance.”

I sighed, my chest heavy with uncertainty. I didn’t know where this was all heading. Part of me was tempted to escape his car and never see his face again. Yet there was something about the way he looked so crestfallen and panicked outside my building that made me believe there was more to the story than he had revealed.

Perhaps there was a valid reason.

I decided to approach the situation with an open mind before reaching a final verdict on the impending mess he was about to reveal.

One thing was clear: I would be the one to determine if his explanation was sufficient.

When we arrived at the cafe, Sean ordered a mocha for me and a medium cappuccino for himself. Since my last meal was a poorly cooked batch of noodles prepared by my mom, who hadn’t set foot in the kitchen during our days of wealth and abundant servants, Sean didn’t hesitate to buy a substantial sandwich that I only half-intended to share.

I thanked him for it. He said it wasn’t a big deal.

“Alright, let’s hear it,” I said, genuinely curious about the trouble he had gotten himself into this time. Yesterday, his obnoxious friends were his main concern. I wondered who had managed to upset him now.

Letting out a noisy exhale through his soft lips, Sean leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. “Ava… we’ve known each other for a long time. You and Cora were inseparable, like two peas in a pod. Remember when we invited you over for a…”

“Sean,” I interrupted, feeling puzzled. “Can you give me the shorter version? I don’t have all day.” I still had classes to attend and grocery shopping to do, which my brother conveniently ignored since he was too wrapped up in his non-existent football practice.

“Shorter version, right. Saves time. I understand,” he replied, acknowledging my request.

“Sean!”

“I believe I have a solution to both our problems,” he blurted out, and it took me a moment to grasp which problem he was referring to.

Before I could even speak, Sean cut me off.