Luce is super cute and knows how to work a crowd to earn extra candy at nearly every house, I swear. When we finally drag our tired asses back to their house, it’s nine o’clock and way past her bedtime, but she’s still pretty hopped-up on candy.

I catch Camden’s eyes several times as we try to get her to sleep by reading stories and talking about all the houses we hit tonight, and finally—fucking finally—she’s out. I mean, I love the kid, but I need some best-friend time.

We make popcorn and flop down on the couch, finding an old horror movie. But I can’t stop staring at him instead of the screen. “You’re staring.”

I am. “I know.”

He smiles easily and turns to look at me. “Didn’t you get enough last night?”

Sex with him—or fooling around since we haven’t had actual sex yet—or have we? I don’t know. I’ll have to ask him at a different time. We both come, that I know, so it feels like sex. Anyway, it’s been amazing, but I keep finding I want more and more. His touch. His kisses. Just plain him. We’ve always been close, but now that his secret is out, and there’s no barrier between us, it feels even better. Like he’s the one and only person that I can trust, and vice versa. I’ll carry his burdens, and he carries mine. “I don’t think so,” I answer honestly. “I’m not sure I ever will.”

He looks surprised, his mouth dropping open as worry crosses his face. “Of course you will. This is just,” he waves his hand between us flippantly, “gay practice and confidence building.” He keeps his voice down to a low whisper, but he’s dead serious.

I wasn’t talking about the sex—or kind of sex. Although I don’t think I’ll ever tire of that either. It’s him I’ll never get enough of. “Yeah, I know.” I shrug it off, even though my stomach clenches uncomfortably. My chest does too. “But it’s still really fun while it lasts.” I don’t like the way the word “lasts” feels on my tongue, leaving a dirty taste in my mouth.

I know school will end soon. I know he’ll likely move away and go to college. That I won’t see him every day, and it’s killing me.

He turns his whole body to look at me. “You okay?”

“It’s almost over,” I say honestly, letting sorrow drip from my words. He knows I don’t want it to be.

He sighs deeply and then brings a hand up to cup my cheek carefully. “School is almost over. We aren’t. We’re friends forever.”