I move too quickly for them, though, closing their bedroom door, and right there, on the wall behind it, there’s a huge One Direction poster. Niall, Liam, Harry, and Louis are staring at me because it’s from that one album after Zayn left.

“Why do you still have this?”

“I can explain.”

“Is this what I’m going to have to compete with?” I tease him.

“Please. As if you could ever compete with Harry Styles.”

“Wyatt Fowler!” I am full of mock outrage. “I’m offended.”

“Good.”

“What about that guy, on the drums?”

“Dowoon?” Wyatt peers at the wall. “Not a chance.”

“So there’s no one hanging from your wall I can compete with? Good to know.”

“Shut up.” We settle back into this silence, and it feels more comfortable than it does awkward.

“I like your room,” I finally say. I go back to their bed, sitting down on the firm mattress. “It looks like you.”

“Thanks, I guess.”

“It’s definitely a compliment.”

“I know.” They sit down next to me, and our knees touch. This time, neither of us pulls away.

“Have you talked to your moms at all?” I ask.

“About what?” they ask. “There are a lot of secrets.”

“The gender thing.”

“Nope. I probably won’t until I absolutely have to.”

“Fair enough. Gender is scary.”

“You’re telling me.”

Wyatt leans in, and their lips press against mine. The kiss is soft, short, but it’s enough. I put my hand to their cheek so I can feel their soft skin. How did I ever convince myself that I wasn’t in love with Wyatt Fowler?

“Are you kissing me because you don’t want to confront the complications of your gender identity?” I ask when we pull apart.

Wyatt smiles. “That obvious?”

I lean in to kiss them again, but before I can, the door to Wyatt’s bedroom swings open, Melanie standing there.

“Hey, I saw the door was closed. Everything okay?”

Wyatt and I shoot back to our places on the bed, and they nearly fall to the floor trying to get away from me. “Yes, ma’am, everything’s okay.”

“Good. We should probably leave the door open just in case something bad happens, right?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Good idea.” And with that, she leaves us there.

I turn to Wyatt, and they turn to me, and we both just start laughing. I cover my face to keep hiding my embarrassment.

“Oh my God.”

“She’s going to kill me,” they say.

“She’ll kill me first,” I tell them.

I look at them on the bed, smiling, looking like they belong here. I know that things aren’t going to be easy, that we’re taking these steps again, that we’re starting over. All I can hope is that we can follow the path correctly this time, that I can make this second chance worth it. Because I want to.