Fake Friends - Saxon James Page 0,71
to throw me out of her house has the knots in my stomach ease. “Did you know? That I’m gay?”
“Nope. I figured you weren’t as homophobic as the rest of them, but you hid it well.”
She says it like a compliment, but I’m struggling to take it that way. “And you’re okay with all this?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Well, we had the same upbringing. And it was hard for me to accept myself—I don’t know how it’s so easy for you.”
She reaches forward and takes my other hand. “I might like acting as some 1950s housewife. I might like being domestic and a mother and keeping my husband happy. But I’m also headstrong and capable of critical thinking. I’m smart, I educate myself, and I don’t buy into the bullshit about queer people. I know you, Rowan, and no matter how much Grandpa wants to rant and curse about me letting you near the boys, I don’t give a damn. You’re always welcome here.”
My whole body is hit with a burst of emotion so strong, I think I’m going to cry again. I hold it in though, because apparently Circus is the only one I’ll treat to that fun sight. Lucky him. I thought the idea of Grandpa spreading his hate and trying to turn people against me would affect me more than it does though. After a lifetime of hearing it all before, I guess I don’t expect anything else from him.
“I’d hate to get on your wrong side, Leita,” Circus says, picking up one of the cookies she’s set out and putting the whole thing in his mouth. “But now I’m dating your brother, we’re basically family, yeah? That means you’re always on my side, so I’m liking this decision of mine better and better.”
She laughs. “Deal. Unless it’s against my brother, then I’ll be coming for you, dude.”
“Sounds fair.”
We spend the rest of the afternoon there, me fulfilling my promise to Jase to kick Levi’s ass at Mario Kart. Laurie takes me outside to talk me through some renovation plans he and Leita are talking about, and Circus tries, and fails, to help Leita cook dinner.
I come back in to find him banished from the kitchen and playing with my nephews in the living room. He’s swinging Blake around and causing my nephew to cackle uncontrollably.
Circus’s smile is enormous when he catches sight of me. “Goddamn, I love kids.”
“Yeah, they’re pretty great.” I watch him for a moment. “You said you wanted your own, right?”
“I do. It doesn’t have to be soon or anything, but it’s one hundred percent on the cards for me. One day. Until then …” He blows a raspberry on Blake’s foot. “I have your nephews to entertain.”
I’ve never heard of anything more perfect.
After the day at Leita’s, Rowan somehow becomes even more affectionate. I didn’t know that was possible, but I do know I love it. He doesn’t shy away from me when we go into town, and his entire online presence is photos of the two of us.
The only dark spot hanging over our heads is the fact his parents still haven’t made contact. Assholes.
“Holy shit,” Rowan says, and he angles his phone so I can see the message.
And like I’ve summoned them from thought alone, I read Piper’s message.
Mom and Dad want to meet you at the diner. Can you come? Please?
“Shit is right,” I mutter. “What are you going to do?”
Rowan lets out a long exhale. “I don’t know. I mean, I think I want to go.”
“Really? After how they’ve treated you?”
I watch him chew on his lip for a moment. “If I don’t, I’ll keep wondering. They’re my parents, you know? I want things to be good with them, but I’m also annoyed they didn’t bother to message me themselves.”
“Yeah, that’s low.”
“I don’t know, Circus.” He rubs a hand over his face. “I know what I went through, and aren’t they just dealing with the same thing?”
“Nope.” Fuck that. I’m not letting Rowan compare his struggles with their closed-mindedness. “I think you should go. Not for them, for you. And if they’re assholes, we’ll tell them where to stick it.”
“You’d come with me?”
“Of course.” I’m sort of offended he even needs to ask.
“You have no idea how much that means to me.”
I do though. I know Rowan better than anyone.
“But I think I should do this on my own.”
“Okay.” I’m not going to fight him over spending time with his family. They’re not top of my list. “Why?”
“First, I