Chapter 4
Tuesday night found me holed up on the third floor of the library, trying to focus on my thermodynamics homework. But Poppy's words from yesterday kept echoing in my head like a broken record.
She was right—I was deliberately staying off social media. No Instagram posts, no Facebook updates, even my LinkedIn used a carefully chosen male photo.
Footsteps echoed through the quiet library. I looked up to see Diesel heading straight for my table, carrying a brown paper bag that made my stomach clench.
"Hey, Scott," he said, sliding into the chair across from me. His voice was low, almost intimate. "Studying hard?"
"Trying to," I replied without looking up.
He pushed the paper bag to the center of the table. "I brought you something. A little trip down memory lane."
My heart sank. "What is it?"
"High school yearbook. Thought you might want to see some old photos."
No. Hell no. The yearbook had pictures of me as a girl. If he flipped to those pages...
"I don't really do nostalgia," I said, pushing the bag away.
"Come on," Diesel's tone had an edge of insistence. "Don't you want to see how much we've all changed?"
He was already pulling the yearbook out, flipping to a specific page like he'd marked it beforehand. My blood drained from my face as I recognized the familiar layout—the Mechanics Club group photo.
There I was in the back row, long hair in a ponytail, wearing the school's work coveralls. The caption underneath was crystal clear: "Scout Murphy, only female member of Mechanics Club."
"Interesting caption," Diesel said, his finger pointing directly at those damning words. "'Only female member.' That's you, right Scott?"
The room started spinning. I felt like I was trapped in a nightmare I couldn't wake up from.
"I..."
"You know what I think?" Diesel continued, his voice dropping even lower. "I think you've been playing a very interesting game, Scout. And I think it's time we had an honest conversation."
He closed the yearbook with a snap, staring me down.
"Meet me at the Eastwood parking lot tomorrow night, 10 PM. We need to talk about your living situation. And what happens if certain people find out about it."
I stumbled out of the library like I'd been punched in the gut. Diesel's threat kept bouncing around in my skull. He knew. He had proof. And he was planning to use it to make me do... what exactly?
"Scout?"
Caspian's voice made me jerk my head up. He was standing by the library entrance, concern written all over his face.
"You look like you've seen a ghost."
If he only knew how accurate that comparison was.
"I'm fine," I lied.
"No, you're not." He stepped closer. "What happened? Was it that Diesel guy?"
I nodded, not trusting my voice.
His expression hardened. "Tell me."
So I did. Not everything, but enough for him to understand how deep the trouble went. I told him Diesel had information that could hurt me. I told him about the meeting demand for tomorrow night.
What I didn't tell him was that the information involved my real gender.
"Absolutely not," Caspian said, steel creeping into his voice. "You're not meeting him alone."
"But if I don't—"
"We'll figure something else out." He cut me off. "Give me tonight to think about it."
Wednesday morning, 8 AM. The common room was dead quiet except for the ancient coffee maker gurgling in the corner. Jake and Marcus were still dead to the world, leaving just me and Caspian in the early morning hush.
"I have an idea," Caspian said, handing me a steaming mug. "But you're not going to like it."
"Tell me."
"We fake it."
I blinked. "What?"
"We pretend to be together. Dating. If Diesel thinks you're under my protection, he might back off."
Fake dating Caspian? But... he doesn't know my real identity. If we pretend to be a couple, he'd expect... a relationship between two guys? This is way too complicated.
"Caspian, I don't think you understand. Diesel's information... it's not just embarrassing. It's..."
"About you being a girl?"
My coffee mug slipped from my hands and crashed to the floor with a loud clatter. Coffee splashed everywhere, but I couldn't care less.
"What?" My voice was barely a whisper.
Caspian's expression was gentle and calm, like he'd just commented on the weather. "Scout, I've known since that night. The shower."
He knows. He's always known. He's known I'm a girl this whole time but never said anything, never exposed me, never...
"You've known?" I could hear the shake in my voice. "This whole time?"
"The whole time." He nodded. "I saw your silhouette through the steam. There was no mistaking it."
I felt like the room was spinning. "But you never said anything. You never..."
"Because it wasn't my secret to tell." He leaned forward, his eyes serious. "You obviously had your reasons for hiding your identity. I figured if you wanted me to know, you'd tell me."
Tears started blurring my vision. This man, this person I thought only saw me as a roommate, had actually been protecting my secret, protecting my safety, protecting my choice.
"So when you said we should fake being together..." I started.
"I meant exactly that. We pretend to be a couple. To everyone else, including Diesel, it looks like two guys dating. But between us..." He paused. "We know the truth."
He's willing to let people think he's gay just to protect me. He's willing to deal with gossip and judgment just to keep me safe.
"Why?" I asked. "Why would you do that for me?"