I had been dating Trevor for about five years, and during that time, his best friend Nate started seeing a girl named Shay. Over their two-year relationship, the four of us became inseparable, often going to bars and clubs as a group. My close friendship with Shay developed as we navigated the ups and downs of early-twenties relationships. In those days, we were the epitome of youthful immaturity - endlessly breaking up, getting back together, sleeping with other people during our separations, only to argue about it when we got back together.
During the times when Trevor and I were separated, as well as Shay and Nate, Shay and I would frequent clubs and bars together while the guys pursued their own interests. Shay confided in me that she was bisexual, even though I had known her to be heterosexual. I didn't dwell on it much, eventually letting it slip from my mind.
One fateful evening, our group - Shay, Nate, Trevor, and myself - went out for a night on the town. The atmosphere was familiar and fun as we danced and drank. However, the night took a turn when Shay witnessed Nate talking with an ex-girlfriend, and then sharing a hug. This sparked a heated argument between Shay and Nate, altering the course of our entire evening.
They took their disagreement to the parking lot. I was immediately behind her because I'm such a great friend and Trevor followed suit. Their heated exchange lasted a few minutes before Nate, the prick he was, stepped forward and pulled Shay's hair. Instinctively, I intervened by hitting him to protect Shay. This upset Trevor, who believed I should have stayed out of it so then we started arguing. Eventually, the guys took off in Nate's car, and Shay and I took off in mine.
Overwhelmed by tears, she cried uncontrollably, prompting me to pull over. I parked the car to comfort her. I empathized with my friend's humiliation and as I embraced her, I reassured her that she deserved far better than Nate and said he was a loser. I advised her to stop wasting time on people like him and even considered ending things with Trevor since they shared the same traits.
She clung to me, drenching my delicate spaghetti strap top with her tears. Once her sobs subsided, she sat back and expressed gratitude for my friendship, wondering how she would have gotten through it if I hadn't been there. I assured her that I would always be there for her and an unspoken understanding passed between us as our gazes lingered longer than expected.
Tenderly, she swept my hair back behind my ear, just as I usually styled it. Drawn to her touch, I leaned in closer, inhaling the delicate scent of her floral perfume. As I closed my eyes, I unexpectedly found myself caught up in the moment and swiftly opened them again, flushed with embarrassment. Having always identified as strictly heterosexual, I struggled to comprehend these newfound emotions stirring within me.