When he’d first confessed to Julien, it’d been just as messy. It was a sudden, impulsive affair in the art room after school. His bursting heart had been heavy with nervous tension knowing that after the words were said, they couldn’t be retracted. Time slowed. In that eternity between his stuttered declaration and Julien’s response, he saw his world shift and crumble. He’d made peace with that if it meant being honest with himself and with Julien. Maybe that was a selfish thing and he’d been wrong to take the risk. On more than one occasion, he’d questioned himself and doubted his motives. He’d wondered if he’d risked the most valuable friendships in his life. But, at the end of that eternity, Julien didn’t push him away.<br/><br/>The ground beneath his feet held steady. Together, they built something better than Everett had ever known. Over the last year, what they had held firm. It got stronger and Everett had never been more certain of anything in his life. He loved Julien Farren. If he could be brave enough, he'd have screamed it from mountain tops. He couldn't regret their decision to go public. Given Cases' and now Maddisons' reactions, however, he wished he'd been more tactful. He wished he'd been better with his words and less impulsive.<br/><br/>Maddison stiffened and Everett almost considered pulling away, engulfed by sudden concern that he had been overly optimistic in reading Maddison's earlier response. He and Julien hadn’t just kept the secret from Case – Maddison had every right to feel just as betrayed – and, for a moment, Everett’s breath hitched at the idea that he’d managed to cross everyone that night. Still, Maddison played along with his joke. Everett chuckled in response until Maddison pulled away, examining him as he asked about Julien.<br/><br/>“He’s packing up,” Everett assured, eyes wide with guilt as he brought his hand up to nervously rub the back of his neck. He loathed the idea of leaving Julien alone as much as anyone else. It felt so much worse to know that he’d been motivated by his own faltered trust. There was no reason he shouldn’t have trusted Case, he’d reminded himself again. He’d relied on Case time after time. Case more than earned the benefit of the doubt and Maddison was fine. Everett added, “We’re heading home.”<br/><br/>To his dismay, Case was readily forgiving. Julien regularly did the same thing; he would let Everett go easily. Somehow, that always stuck longer than a proper scolding. He’d wronged everyone that afternoon. He felt sick realizing that he was just getting away with it.<br/><br/>Case moved to crouch in front of Maddison again. He took hold of Maddison’s hand. As Case rose to his feet, he pulled Maddison along. Maddison fell against Case and again, the two were settled closely together. From his position on the floor, Everett watched the two with shameful interest. His concerns faded briefly in favor of curiosity. Their exchange was eerily familiar. Neither Case nor Maddison ever seemed particularly serious before but maybe they were just better actors.<br/><br/>Everett scolded himself for jumping to conclusions. Still, he offered a knowing smirk as he pushed himself onto his feet.<br/><br/>“My dad’s working late,” he said, shaking his head. He wasn’t about to let his friends stumble into the same mistake he as him. “We can order a pizza and talk over dinner.”