Page 14 of Let the Light Shine Through

“Girls talk. A lot.” Even over the music, I can hear T.J. swallow. Gia backs up with her arms spread wide, eyes still on her opponent. “I know about every guy’s sexual competence at this party.” She pauses to bite her lips together like she’s trying not to laugh before adding, “Or lack thereof—and not from personal experience.”

Her gaze darts to mine briefly before landing on my roommate to say, “Right, Fletch?”

I swear my feet try to move me again, this time in Fletcher’s direction, but I lock all my muscles up to keep from doing anything hasty. Fletcher did sing like a popstar on autotune after Gia left earlier, swearing on every member in his family tree that he and Gia were just friends. But he also left out the small fact that Gia doesn’t even like guys, so…

A girl that looks vaguely familiar, like she’s slept over before—and not with me—doubles over laughing, which triggers Fletcher in some way because he immediately shoots daggers at her as his face turns beet red.

Hmm.

T.J. speaks up again, saying, “Bruh, maybe we should put your shit on blast. You know, since you want things to be fair.” He sticks his hands up innocently, shrugging.

Oh yeah, he also calls everybody “bruh,” even females.

“Be my guest.” Gia props her ass against the cooler, finally letting that smile loose. Maintaining eye contact with an arch in her brow, she tells him, “But if we’re really making things fair, Titus Jennings, does that mean everyone gets to hear about your shit, too?”

Why’d she say it like that? Like in this instance, she actually does know from experience?

T.J.’s face darkens and I slip the neck of my beer bottle down between my pointer and middle fingers, ready if he makes a move for Gia, but luckily, he storms off in the opposite direction.

I’m lost like an Eskimo in the goddamn desert right now, but I wait until the commotion dies down before going for another beer—where Gia’s still posted.

My eyes meet hers as my hand lands on the lid. Without breaking the connection, she shifts to let me open it, and after picking one out, I slam it back into place, then match her stance, leaning against the cooler beside her.

“So, you and T.J?” I let that hang in the air, hoping she’ll fill in the blanks, but she doesn’t, forcing me to try to piece this shit together on my own. “Because he said—”

“That I’m a lesbian? He’s been spreading that lie for years.”

My gaze snaps to hers, but she looks away, blowing out a breath to tell me, “I’ve been with both.”

“Are you bisexual then?”

“Mmm, I don’t know.” She squints, considering it. “Maybe. I don’t really do the label thing, but I’m about the person more than their gender, so… I’d probably say pansexual.”

“What are your pronouns?”

Her eyes swing back to mine so hard I almost tip over, but I don’t blink as I meet her stare head-on.

Slowly the suspicion melts away and she grins, saying, “She/her,” then more seriously, “Thanks for asking. Most people make their own assumptions about me.”

I sit for a minute, waiting to see if she’ll say more, but she never does.

“Why does T.J. bother telling people that?” He went out of his way to make me think Gia wasn’t into guys at all. Why?

Gia blinks up at the blackening sky, explaining, “I let him go down on me once,” but some unidentified noise escapes my throat, making her stop to glance at me before continuing, “and he was so bad, I mean so bad, that I told him he could stop. Actually, I’m pretty sure I told him to leave.” She laughs. “Anyway, I don’t think his fragile male ego ever recovered because he’s been telling people I’m only attracted to women ever since.”

“Jesus Christ.” I scrub a hand across my chest. “Now I’m picturing his face between your legs.”

She’s the one to make a strange noise now, saying, “Don’t. He didn’t spend much time down there.”

“You don’t care?”

“Well, yeah, I kicked him out of my house.”

“No, that he lies about you.”

“Oh. Nah, not particularly. If anything, the fact that he tries to pass that off as damaging information speaks to his character. I just told you I’ve been with women and I don’t know you, so obviously, even if I was a lesbian, I’d have no problem admitting it openly. B.J. saying I am doesn’t hurt me in the slightest, but I mean, he can’t even eat pussy properly, so his credibility is shit as far as I’m concerned.”

I guess? To be honest, I never even considered it an option. If you like pussy, you should eat pussy, and you should try to eat it well. Personally, I fucking love pussy.