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more than interested in
sex last night.
    “Parker?” Ava whined. “Tell me.”
    “Tell you what?” He knew what she wanted, but he wasn’t sure
he was ready to share. He didn’t fully understand what was happening, and he
was afraid to admit his feelings out loud.
    “I want to know what happened between the two of you last
night.”
    “We had dinner, talked, and watched a movie.” He told her
the truth.
    “What else?”
    “Nothing? What else would we do?” Parker felt the heat
creeping up his neck.
    “Oh. My. God. Did you sleep with him?” She looked like a
giddy teenager who wanted all the dirt on her friend’s first time.
    As intrusive as the question was, Parker was happy to see
her smile and look so alive. She hadn’t been this excited about anything in
years. Who would’ve thought his love life would be so interesting?
    “No.” He shook his head. “Of course not.”
    “Why not?” Ava giggled. “He’s so hot.”
    “Stop it.” Parker could feel the heat rising in his cheeks.
    “Do you like him? He seems really nice.”
    “I like him,” he said. “Just not sure.” Parker did like
Jace. His feelings weren’t the issue. He just didn’t know if he was supposed to
feel that way.
    “About what?”
    “This isn’t something I expected to happen.” He sighed. “I
don’t know.”
    “What’s to know? If he makes you happy then go for it.”
    Parker squinted at her. “You think I should go after this?
After him?”
    “Umm, yeah. You want it. I can tell. I want you to be happy,
and I think Jace can do that for you.” She leaned in and kissed his cheek.
“You’ve been taking care of me for years, but you never worry about yourself.”
    He shrugged because taking care of Ava was easy. She’d
always needed him and he was always there for her, except when she needed him
the most. He’d never forgive himself for letting Mike hurt her.
    “Why are you confused?”
    “Because I’ve never been attracted to a guy before,” he
reminded her. “It isn’t something I ever thought would happen.”
    “Does it matter? If you like him, what’s the difference?
There’s nothing wrong with being gay.”
    “I—I know there isn’t,” he stuttered, feeling uncomfortable
with this conversation. “It’s just that…I’m not gay.”
    “Oh?” Ava looked down and traced the pattern in the
comforter with her finger.
    “What does that mean?” Parker questioned. “Do you think I’m
gay?” He wasn’t shocked she was supportive of him having a relationship with
Jace. That was the kind of person she was, but he was a little surprised that
she assumed he wanted to be with a guy. She’d never mentioned that before.
    “Parker,” she said. “I can’t answer that for you. But if you
are, it’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
    “I know, but I’ve always been attracted to women, so how
could I be?” That was just one more thing to add to Parker’s already confused
state. He knew he was attracted to Jace. He’d proved that last night, but did
that make him gay? The whole thing was just too complicated. He wasn't sure
what he was supposed to feel or think.
    “You’re almost thirty, and the only real relationship you’ve
ever had with a woman has been with me, and we haven’t had sex since you went
away to college that summer. When was the last time you had sex, anyway?”
    “None of your business, but I can assure you it was after
the summer I went to college.”
    There had been plenty of women through the years. Models, lawyers,
even a judge, but none of those relationships ever worked out. He enjoyed
having dinner with them or attending an art gallery or the opera, but he never
really craved the intimacy. At first, it was fun and it served its purpose, but
the more he thought about it, the more he realized he would lose interest in
the physical aspect of his relationships. Most women wanted to be with him
because of his looks, or his money, but it always ended when he was less than
attentive