Chapter 6 #2
“That's the thing, I don’t think he’s homophobic. He’s friends with Roland and Liam, and both are openly bisexual.” I shrug. “I think what happened with us was just the shock of a best friend getting mixed signals and the other not knowing how to react.”
“Sure as fuck wouldn’t be punching them in the face if it was me,” Isaiah says. “I’d be like, nice kiss, but sorry, dude, I don’t like you that way.”
“Only, you do.” Raiden grins.
“Huh?” My brows furrow together.
“Shut. Up!” Isaiah growls.
“Wah, hold up. What is he talking about?” I ask Isaiah. “Do you like your best friend or something?”
“No,” he scoffs. “He’s cool and all, but no. No feelings there.”
“But he does like guys,” Raiden says.
“What the fuck, man?!” Isaiah growls.
“You do?”
“What's the big deal?” Raiden asks. “He’s gay.” He points to me. “And our dads are bisexual, our mother is bisexual, and we have a gay mom. We’re one big LGBTQ family. I don’t get why you’re making a big deal out of liking guys. So what? I like guys... sometimes.”
“Wait, you do too?” I shake my head.
“I mean, I like girls too.” He shrugs.
“I like girls, too,” Isaiah growls.
“But you like guys?”
“Yes,” he mutters.
“Not just any guy,” Raiden starts, but Isaiah lunges forward, slapping a hand over his mouth.
“Shut up now, or I’ll kill you,” he threatens. “Twin code, I’m calling it. Now.”
Raiden relaxes. “Sorry,” he mumbles around Isaiah’s palm.
To respect their privacy, I don’t push on whatever that was. “Do the ‘rents know?”
“No,” Isaiah mutters. “Not really something you casually bring up. Hey, dads, you know how you like guys and girls? Well, so do I!”
“Fair point,” I chuckle. “Just know that whenever they find out, it won’t be a big deal. Don’t feel stressed about it, okay?”
He nods.
“Huh.” I sit back, looking between the two of them. “So, it’s only Toby and Lilly who are the odd ones out.”
“What do you mean?”
“They’re straight as straight can be.”
“Well, so are Theo and Chase,” Raiden points out.
“Yeah, true.”
“I’m starting to understand why our family is still the talk of the town nearly thirty years later.” Isaiah sighs. “We’re like a freak show. Lilly and Toby might not like the same gender, but they’re still adding to the freak factor by being in a relationship with their stepsibling.”
“Hey!” I warn him, giving him a hard look.
“We’re not freaks. We are people who love who we love.
There’s nothing wrong with that, got it?
As for Lilly and Toby, they never had a sibling relationship, and you know that.
They love each other, and that's all that matters. Just like whoever you choose to love, you have the right to love.”
Isaiah’s jaw grinds. I’m not sure what is up with him, but I have a feeling if I push right now, I’m only going to get backlash.
He rolls his eyes and turns back around to play his game.
Raiden and I share a look. He shrugs and grabs his book to return to reading.
“Alright then. Good talk.”
I get up and start toward the stairs. “I still think you should tell Easton to find a new place,” Isaiah shouts.
“What was that about?” Mom asks as I make my way into the main part of the house. I guess she overheard Isaiah’s shouting.
“He’s not too happy about the Easton thing.”
“What Easton thing?” Brody asks.
“Ah, the fact that he’s my new roommate. Didn’t you know?”
Brody’s face darkens. He looks to Theo, who seems just as surprised. “No,” Dad says. “I didn’t.”
“Wait. Easton is your new roommate?” Lilly asks. “You can’t be serious?”
Mom starts talking to Theo, Brody chimes in, and then Jax and Rain. Everyone is ganging up on poor Theo, and I feel bad.
“It’s fine, okay? It’s really not that big of a deal.”
No one is listening to me. I look to Lilly for help.
“Hey!” she shouts. “I’m pregnant!”
Well, that shut everyone up.
“Thank you,” I mouth.
She smiles and shrugs. Everyone looks her way.
“You’re what?” Chase shouts.
“Oh my god!” Mom gasps.
Everyone rushes to Lilly, gushing and smothering her with love and happiness.
She’s laughing while tears streak her face.
“I can kick his ass.” Toby steps up next to me.
“No,” I chuckle. “Really. There’s no reason for everyone to be all bent out of shape about it. He hasn’t done anything to me in years. I’m sorry I even said anything. It was just a surprise, that's all.”
Toby nods. “Still. If he does anything, let me know.”
“I will.”
For the rest of the night, we talk about Lilly and her pregnancy, and I’m relieved once the attention is off me. The more I think about it, the more I know I’m making a way bigger deal over it than it needs to be.
I love my family, but they can be too involved, too protective. This is my thing to deal with.
I don’t think it’s really set in yet, though. This is Easton. Someone who was once my best friend, with whom I did everything with. He was my first love, and also my first heartbreak.
How do you go from years of avoiding one another to being in the same room?
How do I go about what I normally do, how I normally live, while sharing a space with someone who hates me?
Am I his biggest fan? No. I don’t like the guy, but I guess I don’t hate him. It takes a lot for me to hate someone.
Maybe I should just take it one day at a time. I might be just overthinking it. We both have crazy schedules with sports and classes, so we might not even cross paths beyond sharing a space to sleep.
Once supper is over, I hang out with my parents a bit before saying goodbye. I have an early class tomorrow, right after morning practice, so I need all the sleep I can get.
With leftovers in hand, I head home.
“Is that Mama Ellie’s food?” Danny asks, beelining for the bag in my hand.
“Not for you.” I hold it up out of reach.
“Oh come on! She always makes the best food.” He pouts.
“And you only know that because you’re always stealing my leftovers. That’s why I had to get a mini fridge in my room.”
“You know, if you’d invite us over more, I wouldn’t have to.” He pouts further.
“The last time I had you over at my parents’ house, you hit on Rain.” I give him a blank look.
“What?! She’s hot!”
“And she’s into women. Not to mention. Also married, to my mother.”
“Hey, I’ve been with married chicks before.” He grins. “Also, remember Tony Pike? Well, I got with his mom last year. Moms are hot.”
“And this is why you’re not allowed over.” I shake my head. “I swear to god, you need to go to some kind of sex therapy or something.”
“Oh, is it like massage therapy? I’d be down for that.”
“You’re hopeless.” I turn around and head for the stairs.
“Hey, before you go up there,” Danny says, stopping me. “Might wanna knock. I saw Easton heading up there with his girl.”
“Lovely.” I sigh.
For a second, I consider knocking, but this is my room. If they want to have sex or something, they can go do it somewhere else.
Thankfully, when I open the door, I find the two of them sitting on his bed, watching a movie on a laptop.
I cast them a glance before going over to the mini fridge to put my food away.
“Ah, I’m heading to bed,” I throw out there.
“No one asked,” Easton mutters.
“East!” Taylor hisses.
“What? Cool, he’s going to bed. Does he want me to tuck him in or something?”
Asshole.
“I just thought I’d let you know, because you’re watching a movie and I can hear it,” I mutter, taking my sneakers off.
“So, we’ll get headphones,” Easton argues.
I sigh heavily, turning to face them. “Look. I don’t mean to be an asshole.”
Easton snorts, interrupting me. “Because it comes so easily?”
“Pot, meet kettle.” I glare at him. “Like you’re so damn charming.”
“I’m plenty charming.” He grins, pulling Taylor closer in his arms. “Isn’t that right, baby?”
Taylor glares at her boyfriend before turning to me with a smile. “Don’t mind him. I was just leaving.”
“No, you weren't. I thought you said you would sleep over?” Easton scowls.
“I’d prefer if there were no sleepovers.”
“It’s a good thing no one asked you.” He glares at me.
“It’s my room.” I start to grow angry.
“And it’s also my room.”
My jaw grinds, and it takes everything in me not to go off. Why is he such an asshole? This is his first night here. Can’t he just have some kind of respect for the fact I’ve been living in this damn room, all on my own, for almost four years?
Maybe agreeing to have a roommate wasn’t a good idea. I mean, with him as my roommate, it sure as hell wasn’t.
“You know what? I’m not going to argue. Fine. If Taylor wants to sleep over, go for it. But know, I sleep in my boxers, and I snore. Also, no sex.”
“Trust me, Benny Boy, we know you’re not getting any.” Easton chuckles.
“I meant, the two of you,” I grind out. “And you're sure about that? I think the other night proved that statement wrong.”
Anger flashes on Easton’s face, his nostrils flaring as his jaw clenches.
Images of those familiar hazel-green eyes flash into my mind. The way he watched me as I came.
How I came so much harder knowing he was watching.
What is wrong with me? The man's girlfriend is right there. He’s taken, and straight, and well, I hate the guy, so I should not be having any sexual thoughts about the jackass.
Turning away from him, I shut the lights off, strip down to my boxers, and get under the covers.
With the movie they were playing on pause, all that's left is awkward silence.
Yeah, I have a feeling I’m not going to get much sleep tonight. Practice is going to be a bitch tomorrow.