Chapter Twenty-One
Troy
“You didn’t tell me your parents were creepy garden gnome people,” Seth said as he pulled into my parents' driveway.
“Is that a dealbreaker?” I asked. “You’re going to end an eight-month relationship over my parents’ taste in lawn décor? I thought you were into creepy.”
Seth frowned and wrinkled his nose, pretending to give the matter a lot of thought in his typical overacting way.
“On one hand, you’re attractive, artistic, motivated, and intelligent,” Seth said, “and it’s rare to find all of those attributes in the same person.
Also, the sex is good, and I appreciate that.
On the other hand, your parents have an army of garden gnomes. ”
He parked behind my mom's green Saturn. “It’s not an army,” I said.
“It’s…” Seth trailed off and looked out the window. “Ten. Twelve. No, fourteen. That’s an army of garden gnomes. Even one would be too much, but forgivable. Fourteen, though? I hope they did not hire little people.”
“You’ll know what to buy them for Christmas next year,” I said, opening the passenger door.
Seth heaved an exaggerated sigh. “But at what cost?”
I laughed. “You’re right. I do not know how your pride could possibly recover from purchasing a garden gnome.”
“It would not,” he said gravely.
As we walked up the path together, a dull ache formed in my chest. This was my childhood home, where I had grown up with Skye and Jackson.
And I hadn’t seen my parents in so long, much less with a boyfriend beside me.
Hopefully, they’d take this well. If not, I’d just ruined Christmas dinner.
Maybe I should’ve prepared them or warned them about Seth.
Even though I knew that in a perfect world I should never have to warn anyone about my boyfriend, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that I needed to in this case.
Maybe I shouldn’t have just sprung this on my parents.
Maybe we should’ve come at another time, during a non-holiday dinner.
“Everything will be fine,” Seth said, as if he sensed where my thoughts had gone. “Try not to worry.”
But I knew that was impossible, and I suspected he knew it. We weren’t in a perfect world, and we never would be. At best, I could hope for the best and prepare for the worst, and if the worst should happen, at least I could count on Seth for his unwavering support.
With determined cheerfulness, Seth rang the doorbell and stepped back on the porch to wait.
We waited, seconds seeming like hours. I scarcely dared to breathe.
The door opened to my mother. Her brown-blond hair had turned mostly gray, and new wrinkles traced beneath her eyes and across her forehead.
But my mother’s eyes were the same vivid blue.
Her smile was just as kind and patient as I remembered.
Her gaze landed on Seth with obvious confusion. Then my mother looked at me and unleashed an earsplitting shriek. She pulled me into an embrace with force more than most people would probably expect from a tiny woman like her. I laughed. “Hey, Mom. Merry Christmas.”
“You made it!” she exclaimed, squeezing me tightly.
“Yeah. It’s good to see you.”
My mom released me abruptly and waved at Seth. “And who is this? Your friend? I thought you were bringing…” She trailed off.
I had said a date. I wondered if she was putting the pieces together and if she had already guessed what Seth’s presence meant.
“I’m his boyfriend,” Seth said, flashing his most charming smile. “And you must be Troy’s beautiful mother. I love your garden gnomes. They really bring some character to the place.”
“Boyfriend,” my mom repeated.
If she hadn’t gotten it before, she definitely did now. “Eight months and counting,” I said.
“Well, I was not expecting this,” she said, “but come in, come in!”
I entered first, smiling at the banisters wrapped in faux holly and pine.
The house smelled of vanilla and cinnamon, part cookies baking and part Bath and Body Works room spray.
As Seth came behind me, his hand brushed the back of my arm.
A shiver traced the length of my spine, and when I glanced back at him, he smiled encouragingly.
I wasn’t alone in this, and I never would be again.
We walked into the living room, where my father sat on the sofa.
It’s a Wonderful Life played on the TV. Watching that was an annual Christmas tradition, and at this point, I was fairly sure that my father could recite the whole film word for word.
“There’s my boy!” my dad exclaimed, clambering out of his chair.
My father was a huge man, built like a tree, and always had been. His brown hair was flecked with white; that was new. A dull throbbing spread through my chest. I’d missed so much in an attempt to outrun Jackson’s death and my parents’ concern.
“And this is Seth,” my mom said, “Troy’s boyfriend.”
My dad paused, looking dumbstruck. “Boyfriend?”
I nodded. “I—um—it’s a long story.”
“I’ll say!” Dad exclaimed. “I didn’t even know you were into guys. When did that happen?”
This would be harder. “Since high school,” I admitted.
“And you never told us?” my dad asked.
He pulled me into a hug before I could answer and released me quickly. He wasn’t like my mother, who lingered with her hugs so you could savor her warmth. “I wanted to,” I said, “But it’s complicated.”
My dad waved to the sofa. “Well, why don’t you tell us about it? We can get over the shock before Skye arrives, and then you can drop the news on her.”
Seth immediately plopped onto the sofa and smiled sunnily. I dropped into the seat beside him with considerably less enthusiasm. So far, this wasn’t going disastrously, but that didn’t mean it was going well.
“Skye already knows,” I said.
My father returned to his chair, and my mother opted for the remaining vacant chair across from him. I took a deep breath and began, explaining how I’d told Lance about my sexuality and how, instead of Lance dropping me off for just any old party, he’d taken me to meet a boy I was interested in.
My parents were quiet as I spoke, so I kept talking, the words coming faster as I went. It was as if I had to get the words out all at once and as quickly as possible, before they evaporated. When I finished, I reflexively rested my hand on Seth’s knee.
“So, yeah,” I concluded. “That’s it. Everything. I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you sooner, but I was just so afraid of what might happen. I blamed myself. It was my fault that Lance died.”
“Oh, honey,” Mom said, leaning across to squeeze my hand. “Jackson’s death wasn’t your fault. It was just a terrible accident.”
“I know that now,” I said, “And I think I knew it back then. But I still felt like it was my fault, and it was hard to come out after that. I kept telling myself that if I hadn’t tried to keep secrets, he’d still be alive and here with us.”
“And you thought that?” my dad asked. “Is that why you left?”
I nodded. “And I know that didn’t make it easier on you. I’m sorry.”
Mom shook her head. “Don’t be,” she said. “You were just a kid. I… I understand. It was difficult on all of us, but if you felt all that, I’m sure it was much harder for you. I’m only sorry that I couldn’t make everything alright for you much sooner.”
“It’s okay, Mom. I think I’m getting there.”
I looked at Seth, who rewarded me with a radiant, mischievous grin.
“That’s good,” Dad said, “And I’m glad you came this Christmas. Your boyfriend too.”
I nodded. “Thanks, Dad. You know, it’s really good to be home.”
“So, what are you doing these days?” Mom asked. “Skye said you’d reduced your hours at the garage.”
“I did,” I replied. “I’m splitting the rent with Seth and really pursuing my art. I'm not exactly successful yet, but I have my work in a couple of galleries. And I think that’s pretty great.”
Seth and I weren’t quite splitting the rent in half.
He hadn’t wanted me to pay anything at all, but I’d insisted on paying something.
Instead, we’d scaled it to each other’s income.
Sometimes, I still felt a little bit uneasy about that, but Seth did have a point.
A hundred dollars to him wasn’t the same as it was to me.
“He’s too modest,” Seth said. “Already, he’s won two competitions, and those are so filled with real serious competitors. What Troy has done is really impressive. Don’t let him tell you differently.”
“And Seth is starring in a movie,” I countered.
“Only because I know the director,” Seth said with a grin. “And the writer, the producer, and half the make-up crew. I get my accomplishments through my connections, while you manage to get yours through merit alone.”
“That’s my boy!” my dad exclaimed. “He was always like that, Seth. A very hard-working man.”
I raised an eyebrow at Dad addressing Seth. Everything seemed so normal. I leaned back against the cushions, a wide grin stretching across my face. It felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted from my shoulders, and now everything was fine. Just like it should be.
“You must be very proud,” Seth said.
“We are,” my dad replied immediately. “We always have been, although maybe I didn’t tell you that enough, Troy. But we are proud of you. No matter what.”
My face grew hot, as my father’s words rekindled that old desire to please my parents. “Even if I’m not exactly successful?” I asked.
Even if I didn’t have a scholarship and a college degree like they’d always wanted. Even if I wasn’t the molecular biologist I promised I would be.
“It sounds like you’re pretty successful to me,” my mom said.
The doorbell rang, and my father stood. “That’s probably Skye,” he said. “She’s bringing some new guy, too.”
“Luke,” I said immediately. “She told me all about him.”
In unnecessarily explicit detail, actually. If Skye hadn’t always been such a chronic over sharer, I might’ve assumed that the revelation that I was gay made her think I’d somehow miraculously known more about men than she did.
“What’s he really like?” Dad asked.
I shrugged. “I hadn’t pegged her as going for another lawyer, but more power to her.”
Dad grunted and made his way to the door. Mom smiled. “Troy, why don’t you show Seth where your bedroom is? I figured you’d stay in there.”
“Sure,” I said.
I wondered what the room would look like and if my parents had changed anything since I’d left. When I stood and headed down the hall, Seth came with me. His eyes moved over the framed photos on the wall and the distressing amount of seashell décor.
“I can’t believe you told my mother you liked her gnomes,” I whispered.
Seth laughed. “I didn’t think you’d mind a little white lie. Especially one that might get me into your parents’ good graces.”
As I opened the door to my old bedroom, warmth rose to my face.
They had changed the room so completely that I barely recognized it.
I knew my parents would never throw away my things, so they were probably packed in the attic.
It seemed fitting that my old room had become this pretty, floral place in shades of blue and white.
It was a new place, and I was at a new place in my life.
I entered. Seth came in behind me and closed the door, pressing his back against it. I raised an eyebrow. “I hope you don’t think that we’re about to have sex right here and now. My sister just got here. My parents will want to see us.”
Seth laughed. “No, I didn’t think that. I actually do know how to behave, you know.”
“It’s a matter of will you.”
Seth crossed the room and pressed his fingertips against my chest. My heart skipped a beat.
When Seth tilted his head and leaned forward, I met him and pressed my lips against his.
He smelled of expensive cologne, which mingled in the air with vanilla and allspice.
The heat of his mouth sent warmth rushing through my veins, so fierce and pleasant that I couldn’t believe I’d ever survived without it.
And best of all, I’d never have to.
The End.
What a great way to wrap it all up! I hope you loved this story and ready for more! Have you read one of my opposites attract, enemies to lovers M/M romance… Letting Him In? Read this one next.
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Part of me was glad he was dead. He robbed me of who I am, and when compared to each other, he was always the favored one.
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Letting Him In is an opposites attract, enemies to lovers, small town M/M adult romance story with some steamy moments. This standalone novel takes place in Autumn and has a HEA.
Start reading Letting Him In right now!