Epilogue - Sutton
I stared at my phone, my thumb frozen mid-scroll. The sheer volume of notifications was overwhelming. Beside me on the couch, Ben leaned in closer, his warmth a comforting presence against my side.
"Damn," he said, looping an arm over my shoulders. "Is that the camp's page?"
"No, it's my personal one. Holy shit," I muttered, scrolling through the camp's social media. "I can't believe this. I didn't even mean to film the confrontation. Now people are tracking me down from the camp's page to make sure I'm okay?"
When I'd dropped my phone, the camera had captured my father's meltdown in full—and at a rather unflattering angle. Between that and his vile words, the citizens of the internet were having a heyday, and that and my subsequent coming out had gone viral overnight. I'd expected backlash, hatred, people siding with my bigoted asshole of a father. But this… this was something else entirely.
"Look at all these supportive messages," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I don't understand."
Ben's hand found mine, his fingers intertwining with my own. "Imagine that. Most people dislike bigots."
I chuckled, side-eying him. "You sure about that?"
"People recognize bravery when they see it, Sutton. He's not just your father. You called out a powerful man on the hate he spreads, on the ways he hurts people, including you. That takes guts."
I snorted, but couldn't help the small smile that tugged at my lips. "I spend so much time around my father and his friends that I never thought about how many people truly hate the things he says."
"I'm sure there are some asshole comments, but it feels good to know that there are enough good people out there to drown out the assholes when they get riled up," Ben said, grinning. He tilted my chin up, forcing me to meet his gaze. Those soulful brown eyes of his made my heart stutter. "You did the right thing. And now the entire world knows what an ass Lawrence Holm really is."
I nodded, swallowing hard against the lump in my throat. Part of me still couldn't believe I'd actually done it—come out to the entire fucking world in one impulsive moment of defiance.
"But what if—" I started, only to be cut off by Ben's finger on my lips.
"No what ifs," he said firmly. "Everything's going to be okay, Sutton. I promise."
I wanted to believe him, but years of repression and fear weren't so easily overcome. Even after Ben had convinced me to start therapy.
"How can you be so sure?" I asked, hating how small and uncertain my voice sounded.
Ben's lips quirked into that crooked smile that never failed to make my insides melt. "Because you've got me in your corner now. You've got good people willing to fight for you. Hell, Kaito Yamada stood up and made a statement. Do you know how wealthy and powerful Aiden's family is? They own all of Yamada Hotels, and they put your father's televangelist money to shame."
"Shit," I murmured.
As I scrolled through more messages, I felt a warmth spreading through my chest. For the first time in my life, I felt truly seen, accepted. Accepted. It was terrifying and exhilarating all at once.
"Look at this one," I said, showing Ben a particularly touching message from a young gay teen thanking me for giving him hope of overcoming his strictly conservative family.
Ben squeezed my hand. "You're making a difference, Sutton. You should be proud."
I nodded, blinking back the sudden sting of tears. Ben reached up and cupped my cheek, setting the phone aside and smiling at me, his thumb gently tracing over my skin. I leaned in, drawn by the intensity in Ben's dark eyes. Our lips met in a tender kiss, soft and reassuring. I sighed into his mouth, feeling the tension in my shoulders start to melt away. Nothing helped soothe my frazzled nerves the way his touch did.
Just as the kiss began to deepen, a sharp knock at the door startled us apart.
"Shit," Ben muttered, pulling back reluctantly. "That's probably Matt, with more news about registration. The website crashed earlier from all the traffic."
My stomach clenched with nerves. "God, I hope it's nothing bad."
Ben gave my hand a quick squeeze before standing. "Shut that anxious mind down. I'm sure there's nothing to worry about."
As he moved towards the door, I held my breath. What fresh hell was waiting for us on the other side? More media drama? Angry conservatives? My father's lawyers? Angry conservative lawyers?
Ben pulled open the door, and I braced myself for the worst.
Instead, a tidal wave of familiar faces came pouring into the cabin. Aiden and Jay burst in first, followed closely by Parker and Ravi. Behind them all was Kaito Yamada, Aiden's grandfather.
"Holy shit, dude!" Aiden shouted, practically vibrating with excitement. "You're fucking internet famous!"
Jay was grinning from ear to ear. "We saw the video. That was some badass shit, Sutton. I guess now we know why you were at our wedding."
Parker shouldered his way forward, his eyes shining. "I can't believe you stood up to your dad like that. In front of everyone! And that apology at the end." He clutched his heart dramatically, and I blushed, thinking of the words that had poured out of me after I'd introduced Ben to the world as my boyfriend—it had truly been word vomit, mostly comprising apologies to the people I'd hurt while trying to be an obedient son, including Parker.
Ravi was quiet, as always, speaking in thoughtful tones and giving me a soft smile. "It was quite courageous." I didn't think he had ever smiled at me, and that warmed my heart.
Their enthusiasm was almost overwhelming. "I… thanks, guys. I still can't believe I actually did it."
Parker stepped forward, his eyes warmer than they'd ever been. Before I could react, he wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug.
"I'm so sorry, man," he murmured into my ear. "For all the shit between us. I wish I'd known what was going on with you."
I stiffened at first, surprised by the sudden physical contact. But as Parker's words sank in, I felt myself relax, returning the hug. "I mean, I was an asshole."
Parker laughed, hugging me tighter so I could feel the rumble of his deep chuckle against my chest. Then he backed off and pumped a fist in the air. "You all heard him. He was an asshole!"
"Fuck off." Smiling, I stepped away, giving him a playful punch on the shoulder. Despite our past, there was a certain comfort and warmth about Parker that I'd always appreciated, though I realized now that it was nothing compared to the way Ben made me feel.
"It's okay," I mumbled, not sure how to handle this sudden reconciliation. "I wish I'd told you. Explained things."
"Nah. Things worked out for the best. I connected with Ravi because you were being a dick. And Ravi is the best thing that ever happened to me."
I glanced towards Ravi, who seemed to take that at face value, as if he was well aware that he was the best thing that had ever happened to Parker.
I thought about how Parker's rejection had led me to Ben, and ducked my chin, blushing. "Well, I'm sorry for everything I did. I shouldn't have lashed out at you to mask my pain."
"Apology accepted," Parker said, beaming. He walked over to stand beside Ravi, bumping his shoulder against his boyfriend's. "Especially since you did it on the internet in front of everyone. I can't believe you actually threw in an apology at the end there! That was fucking priceless!"
I ducked my head, wishing I could disappear into the floor. "Yeah, well," I muttered, "I figured I might as well get all the apologies for my previous asinine behavior out of the way at once."
"Now I'm a little concerned about making a mistake," Ravi said. "Apparently, to win his forgiveness, you need to apologize in front of nine million people on the internet after being verbally abused by your father. My father is a good guy!"
Parker burst out laughing and kissed Ravi's cheek. "You'd never be a dick to me and mean it, babe. All you gotta do is potato out of it."
"What, now?" Ben asked, a curious smile playing around his lips.
"Long story," Parker said. "It means that Ravi loves me, and I'm not worried, even if he sometimes puts his whole-ass foot in his mouth."
"Usually most of my lower leg, too," Ravi added, and everyone laughed.
"Are you getting married, too?" I blurted out the question before I could stop myself, then wondered if it was awkward.
Parker grinned. "Probably. But not for a while. Jay and Aiden are crazy, at least according to Ravi's ten-year plan spreadsheet."
"Fuck off," Aiden said. "When you know, you know. Why bother to wait?"
"It's all outlined in the spreadsheet," Ravi said, reaching for his phone, but Parker stilled his hand, laughing.
"What about you two?" Parker asked. "Hey, no judgment here, dude. We knew something was going on between you two. Is Ben madly in love with your insanely beautiful face?"
My insanely beautiful face must have been redder than a tomato as Ben stepped up beside me, grabbing my hand.
"I'm madly in love with his big heart," Ben said. "And his cute blushes."
I moved a little closer to him.
Aiden crossed his arms over his chest and studied us. "But why didn't you tell us? Not even at our wedding."
"We were laying low, biding our time until we figured out how to confront Sutton's dad."
"He has people everywhere," I said.
Aiden eyed me. "Why would your dad's people be at our super gay wedding?"
Jay shoved his husband. "Don't listen to him. We're so happy for you, Ben," he said, his voice soft but filled with genuine warmth. "It's about time you found someone special. And I can tell what you have is the real thing. I saw you dancing at the wedding. It was so romantic!"
I felt my face heat again, but this time it was accompanied by a flutter in my stomach. Ben caught my eye and winked, sending another wave of butterflies through my gut as he slipped his arm around my waist. "What can I say?" he replied, wrapping an arm around my waist. "When you know, you know. He and I just fit."
"You must have a big dick, then," Parker said.
The room erupted into a cacophony of voices and laughter. Aiden and Parker were firing off rapid-fire questions at Ben about how he came to realize that I wasn't an asshole, while Jay and Ravi listened intently, occasionally interjecting with their own queries.
They shifted to banter, first about the wedding, then other things, each of them trying to outdo the other with increasingly outrageous stories and jokes. I found myself swept up in their easy camaraderie, the warmth of their friendship enveloping me like a comfortable blanket.
As I watched them trading quips and inside jokes, I felt a sudden, overwhelming sense of belonging. At camp, I'd been on the outside of their circle, more distant than Aiden and Jay, who hadn't even been there. But with one swift, publicly embarrassing apology, they welcomed me with open arms. For the first time in my life, I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.
Suddenly, a throat cleared, cutting through the jovial atmosphere. The room quieted as Kaito Yamada, Aiden's grandfather, stepped forward. His weathered hands reached for mine, enveloping them in a warm, firm grip.
"Sutton," he said, his voice gentle but authoritative. "I want you to know that I have my best lawyers working on your case. We're ensuring your safety and pursuing emancipation from your parents. We've also been in touch with Linda Torres. Ben's mother is helping with the case as well, of course. "
My heart raced. It was all happening so fast. "Mr. Yamada, I… I don't know what to say. That's incredibly generous, but…" I hesitated, thinking about the astronomical legal fees such actions would incur. "Isn't that too great an expense? I couldn't possibly…"
Before I could finish, Aiden chimed in, his tone light but eyes serious. "Dude. He's got spare lawyers coming out of the woodwork. It's not a big deal."
I blinked, taken aback. "Still, I-"
Kaito squeezed my hands, silencing my protests. "Young man, allow an old man the pleasure of helping where he can. Money is of no concern. Your well-being, however, is. Ben is one of Aiden's closest friends, and he's your boyfriend, isn't he?"
Nodding, I swallowed hard, feeling a lump form in my throat. Fuck, was I going to cry? In front of everyone? I blinked rapidly, trying to keep my emotions in check.
"Thank you," I croaked out, my voice thick with gratitude and barely contained emotion. "I don't know how I'll ever repay you."
Kaito's eyes crinkled as he smiled. "Live your life authentically and happily. And take care of this young man." He patted Ben's shoulder. "That will be repayment enough."
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. Ben's hand tightened on my hip, giving it a reassuring squeeze. I looked around at the faces surrounding me—Ben, Aiden, Jay, Parker, Ravi, and Kaito—all offering support and acceptance. It was overwhelming, in the best possible way.
Clearing my throat, I found my voice again. "Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving."
"Why don't we go up to the homestead? My dad texted that he's cooking up his famous pot pie," Ben said. "I'm sure there will be enough for everyone. You're all welcome to join us."
A chorus of enthusiastic agreement filled the room. As everyone started moving towards the door, I caught Ben's eye. He gave me a soft smile that made my heart skip a beat.
"You okay?" he asked quietly, his thumb tracing circles on the back of my hand.
I nodded, feeling a blush creep up my neck. "Yeah, I'm good. Just… a lot to process, you know? I've never had people who were there for me like this."
Ben leaned in, his lips brushing my ear. "We've got this. Together."
Fuck, how did he always know exactly what to say? I squeezed his hand, grateful for his unwavering support.
As we stepped outside, the cool evening air hit my face. I took a deep breath, feeling some of the tension leave my body. Ben and I fell into step behind the others, our hands still intertwined.
"So," I said, aiming for a lighter tone, "any bets on how many times Parker will try to sneak extra dessert?"
Ben snorted. "That man is obsessed with food."
I laughed, the sound feeling foreign, but good. As we walked, surrounded by the chatter and laughter of our friends, I realized something profound. These people—who just days ago were strangers—had become my family. They accepted me, supported me, and loved me for who I was.
For the first time in my life, I felt like I truly belonged.