Tryst Six Venom by Penelope Douglas

“A booty call is better than a long time of nothing,” he fires back. “You
get tired of being alone.”
So he’s saying she chose sneaking around with me over a solid
relationship because…
Because she likes me. A lot.
That’s what he’s worried about. How much she’s going to tolerate from
me just to have a piece.
Liv… While guilt tugs at me that I’m not broadcasting her to the world,
I’m a little happy. She really likes me.
“You should take her on a date,” Trace adds. “You should hold her
hand.”
I’d love to go anywhere with her. Go everywhere.
But when Callum touches me in public, no one bats an eye. We could be
standing on the sidewalk in front of the movie theater, but I can’t stand on the
sidewalk in front of the movie theater with my hands on Liv’s waist or my
body pressed to hers. It would be a scene. A statement.
And every minute I was out with her, I’d be worrying about everyone
looking at us, judging us, talking about us, and I wouldn’t be thinking about
her or us. I would only be thinking about that.
“I hate the way things are,” I tell him, “but I’m afraid everything will
change. I can’t tell my parents I’m bi…bisexual. I can barely even say the
word. And what if I’m not? What if it’s just Liv? There would be no going
back. What if I’m confused? What if I’m wrong? I…”
I trail off, my panic evident, but it feels kind of good to let it out. To talk
to someone about it other than Liv.
Trace nods. “You shouldn’t tell them you’re bisexual, Clay,” he says.
“You’re not.”
Huh?
“I mean, some people are,” he assures. “But I’ve also learned that some
people will simply say they’re bisexual rather than gay, because they feel it’s
easier on their families.”
I stare at him, his words tumbling around in my head.
“It softens the blow,” he explains. “‘Look, Mom and Dad. Part of me is
still normal. I might still marry a guy, have babies, and not completely
fucking embarrass you someday.’” He turns to me. “You strike me as the
type of person who would give up as little as possible about themselves to
maintain the status quo,” he says. “The one who will sacrifice the bare