I was willing to admit that I was being a little bit of a jerk, jumping to conclusions based on a mutual past I’d rather forget. And almost all of my jerky behavior had to do with how damn good that kiss had actually been and how quick Milo had been to regret it. “Educate me.”

“I probably deserve the dude-bro crack, but I’m not…experimenting. Or straight.” Milo’s voice was far softer now. “Trust me. I’ve spent years wishing…”

“Oh?” Planets shifted, realigned, fundamental truths of my universe rearranging themselves within that one syllable.

“I’m not brave like you, okay? I mean, that was probably clear in the whole terrible-at-kissing thing. But that doesn’t mean I’m confused.”

“It wasn’t that terrible of a kiss,” I allowed, some of my anger giving way to massive befuddlement. Hurt was there, too, but I was trying to ignore that ache behind my sternum for the moment. “But seriously? You’ve never kissed…anyone?”

“A couple of pecks with dates I got talked into. I have…something of a rep.” Milo quirked his lips as we hit another red light, his braking more controlled now. “Like as the nicest guy among my friend group—”

“Not a high bar,” I grumbled.

“Granted. But I ended up hanging out with several girls who didn’t want to go there for a variety of reasons. And then I got the rep for being a great just-friends date for formals and stuff. My buddies would tease me about spending life in the friend zone with these unattainable crushes. But that was easier than admitting the truth.”

“Which is?” I wasn’t trying to be mean and make him say the words. I was genuinely curious as to how he might put it.

“I…like…guys.” Each word seemed pried loose from Milo’s soul. I had a strong feeling he hadn’t said this aloud before. But he could have. He could have told me.

And that hurt I was trying not to feel bloomed fresh and raw in my chest, tinging my voice. “But…you knew about me. You were one of the first people I came out to. Did you know back then?”

“Sort of. I wasn’t, like, positive.” Milo was clearly hedging, and his gaze was firmly fixed on the on-ramp to the highway. “Everyone kept saying how some guys were late bloomers, and I kept thinking my attraction to girls simply hadn’t arrived yet.”

“Sexuality isn’t something you order up on demand like the latest movie.”

“I get that. Thanks.” Milo accelerated and completed merging before he continued, voice somewhere between exasperated and apologetic. “Not all of us have it together as much as you did back then. Or even now. And anyway, yeah. I kinda knew…something.”