Exclusive Excerpt from Something About You

by Riley Hart

“The three of you are close?” Saint found himself asking.

Lucky took a piece of chicken, dipped it in his mashed potatoes and gravy, then took a bite. “We are. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that Lewis and Andy are a little closer to each other than I am to them, but yes, we’re close. We’ve always had a good relationship.”

Saint nodded, thought, and then went with his gut. “You’ve always felt just a little bit different from them?”

Lucky’s eyes snapped up, these wide, shocked orbs. “Yeah… I… How did you know?”

He shrugged. “I didn’t. I wondered. I think most queer people feel a little different. When we’re younger, we don’t really know what that is. People tend to gravitate to those they have something in common with, and queer people tend to do it with each other. I think it’s normal to sense a difference, no matter how close you are to someone. At least for me.”

“I…I never thought about it that way, but I think you’re right. There’s never been a time in my life I didn’t feel different from Lewis and Andy. I just didn’t know why. I never had anyone to gravitate to that way.”

Saint took a bite himself, again thought about holding back but didn’t. “You do now.”

“Do now, what?”

“Have someone to gravitate to. I mean, look at us. We’re incredibly different. You hated me from the start, and I could be way off, but to me, it felt as if there was a strange closeness from the start too. Maybe that’s not the right word because it’s not as if every LGBTQ person is close or feels a draw to one another, but I intrigued you.”

“Because I thought you were hot.”

That made Saint smile. He’d been called attractive too many times in his life to count, but he liked hearing it on Lucky’s lips. “Well, that, yeah. Maybe I’m wrong.”

There was a short pause before Lucky said, “You’re not—wrong, I mean. I don’t know if it has anything to do with being bisexual or not; there was just something there.”

Aaaaand now it was time to change the conversation. It was getting in uncomfortable territory. “How do you feel? Wearing them.”

“Too close?” Lucky asked without replying to his question. “I didn’t mean that to sound like I—”

Saint held up his hand to stop Lucky. “It didn’t.” He and Lucky were different where these kinds of things were concerned, and he knew Lucky thought Saint believed him too emotional for this. “It’s all on me, not you.”

Lucky nodded, but Saint wasn’t sure he believed him.

Saint wasn’t sure he believed himself.

“Was it hard? Not growing up with siblings?” Lucky asked, changing the subject as they continued to eat.

“No. I had nothing to compare it to. It was just my life. Sure, when I was younger I wanted a little brother or sister, but in reality, I was likely too selfish for that. I recognized it the older I got.”
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