21. Aiden
Chapter 21
After everyone left this morning, I sat in Jace’s office for the longest time staring at my phone. I know Jace well enough to know that he wouldn’t have let my dad pull that shit and get away with it. It’s one of the many things that I love about him.
But why can’t I tell anyone how I feel? It’s like I can’t say the words. I’ve been with Toby and Jace since college, but it was never classified as a relationship. We just stuck together and didn’t stray from each other. I’ve loved them since then but never told them. I fell in love with Oliver when we were younger, and I know he’s mine now, so why can’t I tell him? Jace and Toby both have told him exactly how they feel with words and actions. I’m afraid if I keep holding out, I’ll miss my chance. Oliver deserves to know how hard I’ve fallen for him.
My phone rings, interrupting my thoughts. I see Jace’s name flash across the screen and slide to answer. “Hello?”
“You remember the big client Oliver picked up? The one who had him designing for all his new businesses? It’s that limp dick motherfucker Trent McCall.”
“Did he touch Oliver?” My stomach rolls with disgust at the mention of that name, and I’m already half out of the chair, ready to kill him, when Jace answers.
“No. He made some advances and talked shit about us. Oli told Cass to stand outside the door because he had a bad feeling.”
“Why didn’t he tell us?”
“Because Toby would have gone super psycho and killed Trent. Oliver handled it himself. We just need to keep an eye on him for the next couple of weeks.”
“Does Oliver know what he did to me?”
“That’s your story to tell, Aiden. I promised I’d never bring it up again. But Oliver needs to know.”
“I’ll talk to him.”
“I just thought you would want to know that he’s resurfaced.”
“Thanks, man.”
Jace is quiet for a few seconds, and I give him a chance to say what he needs to. “What’s on your mind, Aiden?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Because I know you. Talk to me.”
“I think I’m going to call Dad. What did you say to him?”
“I told him that he missed out on watching you turn into one of the most badass real estate agents I’ve ever met. I also told him that he doesn’t deserve the right to call you his son.”
“I need to see if I can make this right. I know he doesn’t deserve it.”
“No, he doesn’t,” Jace agrees. “But you do.”
“I’m going to call him and get this over with.”
“Okay. You know where I am if you need me.” He’ll be waiting just in case I need something, just like he always is. I open my mouth to say the words, and the call disconnects.
I flip quickly through my contacts and dial Dad’s number. He answers on the third ring, and I can hear the surprise in his voice. “Aiden?”
“Yeah.”
Dad clears his throat. “I was wondering if we could have dinner or something.”
“I’d rather not.”
I wait for Dad to explode, and I’m surprised when he doesn’t. “Fair enough. Can we talk now?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m sorry, Aiden.” I’m stunned fucking speechless, and all I can do is stare at the phone. “For everything I put you through. I don’t know how I’ll ever make up for how I treated you growing up, but I want to try.” What the hell did Jace do to him? “You needed me more than anything when you realized you were gay, and I made you feel like you were worthless because of it. I’m not saying I fully understand yet, but I want to. I want to make things better between us.”
“Why now? Why after all these years, Dad?”
“Because Jace made me realize what I’ve missed, and if I’m honest, so did Oliver. Instead of pushing you away when I found out you were gay, I should have told you how much I love you, son.”
Those words hit me harder than I expected, and tears spring into my eyes. What I would have given to hear those words when I started realizing that I didn’t like girls. I wish that instead of calling me names when he found the magazines, he would have asked me to talk to him. All he did was make me lie to everyone for two years, saying that Payton was my girlfriend to cover up my true self. It took me way too long to walk around gay and proud. All it would have taken to change that was a little understanding from my dad.
I clear my throat, trying to get rid of the tears clogging it. “You have to give me some time.”
“Take all the time you need. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Goodbye, Dad.”
I disconnect the call before I can say anything, and then I do the one thing I haven’t done since that fateful day. I burst into tears. Big heaving sobs wrack my body, and there’s nothing I can do to stop them. I cry for the boy whose mom left him. I cry for the boy who always wanted his dad’s attention but never got it. I cry for the teenager who was scared to death about his sexuality and his dad calling him a faggot. I cry for the adult who still seeks his dad’s approval.
“Aiden!” Oliver’s voice breaks through the tears, and he’s dropping to his knees in front of the chair. He pulls my hands away from my face, frantically searching me over. “What’s wrong? Please talk to me.”
I reach for him and pull him into my lap. I bury my face in his chest and continue to let the tears fall. Oliver just rubs my back, whispering soothing words into my hair. When the sobs turn to hiccups, it’s almost like a cathartic release. I feel lighter than I have in a long fucking time. I pull back, and Oliver grabs some tissues from the box on Jace’s desk. He softly wipes my face off and grabs my cheeks after tossing the tissues in the trash bin. “Are you okay?”
I kiss his palm and swallow past the lump in my throat. “Yeah. I talked to my dad.”
“Oh, Aiden.”
“No. It wasn’t bad. I think he really wants to try.”
Oliver wipes a few stray tears from my cheeks. “Then why are you crying?”
“Because I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear my dad say that he loved me until he did.” I grab Oliver’s hands from my face and stare into his beautiful green eyes. Eyes that I wanted to get lost in when we were teens. “I love you so fucking much, Oli. I know it’s taken me longer to say it, but I’ve felt it since before I knew what love was. Seeing you was always the highlight of my day, and it hasn’t changed after all these years. I’ve never been so thankful you signed up to be fucked by three masked strangers.” Oliver laughs at that, but he has tears rolling down his cheeks. I wipe them away and reach into my pocket. I pull out the box that I’ve been carrying around for years. It’s always been meant for Oliver. I pop it open and pull the delicate silver chain from the box. I place it around his neck and rub the teardrop diamond that sits right below Jace’s collar. “I wanted to give you this before I left for college. I wanted to tell you then how I felt, but I didn’t think it was fair since I wasn’t sure myself then. But I know now, Darling. This was always supposed to be for you.”
“I love you so much, Aiden.”
Now that I’ve said it, I’ll tell him every day how much I love him.
Jace and Toby are next.