Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
DALLAS
Kylen’s family met Dallas’s expectations. He’d gotten a pretty good idea about what to expect from meeting Grace, and he was unsurprised to find that his mom was worse, and his dad was quiet but definitely the enabler in the marriage. He had a feeling the aunt and uncle who kept watching them were the same, but they hadn’t said anything during the dinner.
The conversation had been awkward and stilted for the main course. A few of them asked Dallas what he did, and none of them were shocked when he said he was Flora’s teacher, which meant he was definitely the hot gossip probably spread by Kylen’s sister.
So he braced himself and didn’t drop his guard, which was good because it all hit the fan when the kids went off to the biggest cabin to watch a movie and Grace decided that was her moment to descend.
“Hey, Ky?”
Dallas felt Kylen stiffen beside him. There were a handful of people left, and Grace had been passing around a giant box full of s’mores ingredients. Dallas’s fingers were sticky from melted marshmallow, and he was buzzing from sugar and the want to be anywhere but there.
“Did you know your boyfriend was married?”
Kylen snorted. “Yes, I knew he was married.”
“To a woman ,” Grace said.
Kylen rolled his eyes. “Is that supposed to be some kind of gotcha? Because yeah, I did know. It’s almost like bisexual people exist.”
“But you’re not bi,” she pointed out.
“Nope. I’m a gay man who got drunk and put my dick inside a woman without a condom because drunk me makes bad decisions.”
“Kylen,” his mother hissed.
“Unclutch your pearls, Mom. Everyone here knows how babies are made,” Kylen said dryly, and Dallas had to physically force his laugh to stay in his chest. “What’s your point, Grace?”
“Only that I know your secret.” Her eyes were fixed on Dallas.
Dallas stiffened. “Mine?”
Grace’s eyes locked on him. “Both of yours. My brother’s kind of careless with his stuff. I think he also forgets that he has his text message app synced with his laptop. So I know . And I have to say, you’re both amazing actors. You could win an Oscar for this performance.”
Dallas shifted closer to Kylen, who was shaking with rage. He thought about saying something—anything—that might have diffused his anger, but there was no point. Kylen needed to do this.
“You went through my texts?”
“You let me use your computer,” Grace said with a shrug. “And it might not be my best moment, but I took screenshots, Ky. I have proof that this is all bullshit.” She waved her hand between Dallas and Kylen. “You invented this little relationship to convince us?—”
“Enough. Yes, Dallas agreed to play boyfriend after I used his name in a lie,” Kylen said, his voice rising. “And the reason I had to lie is because none of you respect me. All of you would rather I live miserable and alone instead of be a homo .”
Dallas could feel the tension rising in the group.
“Don’t you think it’s better for your daughter to live in a home with a mother and a father?” Kylen’s aunt eventually asked.
Kylen started to rise, but Dallas grabbed his hand and held fast. He took a beat, then turned to Dallas. “I’m sorry you have to be here for this.”
“Don’t be. Say what you need to say,” Dallas told him. “I’m with you, and I’m not going anywhere. This garbage will not scare me off.”
“You can drop the act,” Grace said flatly. “We all know it’s bullshit. You’re straight.”
Dallas didn’t look away from Kylen’s gaze when he spoke. “I’m not straight. I’m not gay either. My sexuality is none of your business, but if it’ll put an end to the madness, I’ll confess the only thing that actually matters.”
Grace scoffed. “Which is?”
“That I’m in love with your brother.”
In that moment, it was as if the world went silent. Dallas could hear his own heartbeat, and he swore he could hear the thrumming of Kylen’s in his chest. They were matched in speed and strength. Kylen’s eyes widened a fraction, and his tongue darted out to lick his lips.
“I’m serious,” Dallas added. He knew Kylen was afraid this was for show. And Dallas had no plans to tell him like this, but enough was enough. “I’m in love with you. ”
Kylen swallowed heavily. “Yeah?”
Dallas laughed and nodded, reaching one hand up to cup his face. “Yeah. It’s…God, I don’t even have words for it. I want to be with you all the time. Every time you go home—or every time I do—it kills me. I know this is ridiculous. It’s too fast, but?—”
“No,” Kylen snapped, then slapped a hand over his face and shook his head. “Sorry. I mean, no. I mean, I feel the same way. I don’t care if it’s foolish or too fast or whatever. I’m in love with you too.”
“Seriously, drop the fucking act,” Grace said, her voice rising.
Dallas’s head whipped around to face her. “Stop being a bigot.”
Grace reared back like she’d been slapped. “I’m not a… that . You don’t even know me!”
“I know that you’ve spent years tormenting the one man who doesn’t deserve it. A man who has stepped up to take care of people who are vulnerable when the rest of you looked the other way,” Dallas said. “I know that he’s a better parent than a lot of people sitting around this fire. He’s sacrificed his own personal life, his time, his job, his peace of mind, sleep…God, the list goes on. And what have you all done besides make him feel like he’s not enough?”
“You’re not even part of this family,” Kylen’s aunt said. “How dare you.”
Dallas looked back at Kylen, then grinned. “You’re right. I’m not part of this family. But he’s part of mine. And I suppose I do have you to thank for that, Grace.”
She spluttered. “How?”
“Being such a massive asshole that he lied about having a boyfriend and used the name of a scared stranger he comforted on a plane.” Dallas picked up Kylen’s hand, and when he felt his boyfriend relax into his grip, he turned his palm and kissed the center. “You might not appreciate how amazing he is, but I do.”
“I love you,” Kylen whispered.
Before Dallas could say it back again, Grace was suddenly there, leaning into their space. “This lying is fucking disgusting. And I don’t know what is wrong with you both. If you actually knew my brother, you wouldn’t be in this mess right now. I’m half-convinced he preyed on some vulnerable man fresh off a divorce, and if you wake up one day and realize that he manipulated you into thinking you’re a?—”
“Enough.” Dallas almost shouted, interrupting her vitriol. He had never been so angry in his life. He turned to face her. “I can’t believe you. I know I’m lucky because I have people in my life who are kind and genuinely good people, but it’s hard for me to believe you’re this cruel. What is the matter with you?” She stayed silent, and he scoffed. “That is an honest question. What the actual fuck is wrong with you?”
“I won’t be spoken to that way. You’re not welcome here anymore,” Grace said and turned back to her family. “Right?”
There was a beat of silence, and then his uncle rose. He was a tall man—not bigger than Dallas, but his posture said he was used to using his size to get what he wanted. “She’s right. You need to leave.”
Grace’s smile was sharp as she turned back to Kylen and Dallas. “ You’re staying,” she told her brother. “And so is Flora.”
“No!”
The tiny voice was as loud as a gong, and everyone startled. Kylen jumped to his feet and turned to see Flora standing a few feet away. Her eyes were wide, and her hands were shaking.
“Oh, sweetheart,” Grace said, her tone changing. “Come here. Auntie can hold you.”
Flora took off running—not to Grace, but to Dallas. He swept her up in his arms, and Grace lunged at him, attempting to pull her away, but Flora let out a scream so piercing it had Dallas’s ears ringing.
“Stop!” Kylen’s voice boomed over everyone’s, and even Flora went quiet. “Do not touch my daughter.” He positioned himself between Dallas and Flora, then turned to face the small girl. She was clinging to Dallas, her face buried in his neck. “Baby. What do you need right now?”
“Blanket. Juice.” Her voice was muffled, but she raised her head. “Iy-ana go home.”
“Yeah, sweetpea. We can go home.” Kylen’s voice was soft as he spoke to his daughter, but he went hard as stone, his tone final as he turned to face his sister and his parents. “I didn’t know what it would take to convince you. I thought seeing me in love might make a difference?—”
“It was all a lie?—”
“Yes,” Kylen said, interrupting Grace’s attempt to hijack the conversation again. “It was a lie. Until it wasn’t. He was kind enough to play along because he thought it was sad and pathetic my family was so awful that I had to fake a boyfriend just to get them off my back. Somewhere in the midst of all that, I fell in love with him. And by some miracle, he loves me back. So accept it, don’t accept it, I don’t care anymore. None of you have done jack or shit for me in years. I don’t need you. So don’t call. Don’t show up. You won’t be welcome.”
There was a cacophony of protests as Kylen led the way in the dark toward the cabin, but Dallas tuned them out. Instead, he held Flora as tightly as she needed to be held and kept pace with his boyfriend. The whole thing felt like an ending, and he knew Kylen was going to be hurting for a good long while.
But it also felt like a beginning, and he could only hope that so long as Dallas remained patient and steadfast, their happily ever after was just on the horizon.