Chapter Twenty-Six
KAI
I wasn’t a violent person. But there wasn’t a shadow of a doubt in my mind that I could become one where Frank was concerned.
Silas was quiet the whole way home, clinging to my arm as I drove through the quiet city streets. The moment we slipped from the car, he nudged under my arm, letting me bundle him up.
We stayed like that throughout the night. He didn’t want to talk, and I didn’t push him.
Just held him tight.
When dawn finally broke, so did his silence.
“Thank you.”
I kissed his stubbled cheek. “You don’t have to thank me, baby. I’m sorry he was able to get that close to you.”
“You can’t protect me from everything.”
“No, but I can protect you from Frank.”
“You always have,” he mused, stroking his hands over my chest. “I don’t think I would’ve survived without you.”
It wasn’t the first time he’d said something like this, but like all those other times, my breath cut through me. The utter fear of what might’ve been if he hadn’t saved me that day. If we hadn’t found each other. “You’ve got me. As long as you want me.”
“I think that’s what hurt me the most when you left.” His voice was quiet, so quiet, like he daren’t speak this thought too loud. “I wasn’t just losing you, but losing my family.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to apologise again for leaving him, but Silas had made it clear that he didn’t want that. “You wouldn’t have lost your family, Si.”
He glanced up at me furtively. “You say that, but you’re my only family, Kai. You and your parents and your siblings…you’re all I’ve got. It was…it was a reminder, that’s all. That if I lost you, I’d lose my family too.”
“That would literally never happen.” I frowned at him. “Didn’t you speak to them while I was gone?”
He shrugged. “Yeah…I mean, I spoke to Ruby a lot. And your parents. Even went out for a drink with Louis.”
“See, they wouldn’t leave you.” I stroked his hair. “No matter what happens with us, baby, they’ll always be your family.”
“Yeah…maybe.”
He wasn’t buying it. After the shitshow with Frank the night before, I couldn’t blame him. It’d taken him a long time to understand that my family accepted him as much as they did me. It wasn’t surprising that the reminder of his sperm donor had his insecurities bubbling to the surface.
The chances of us breaking up were slim…but no one could predict the future. If we went into this with Silas worrying that losing me meant losing my family, how could I know he was staying with me for the right reasons?
There was only one way to fix this. One way to remind him that he had a seat at my parents’ table, regardless of everything else.
I’d sent an SOS to my family, asking them all to gather at my parents’ house the following day.
Mum always cooked a massive Sunday lunch and liked to have as many of us there as possible, so I knew it wouldn’t be an issue.
We tried to get together as often as we could.
No one commented in the main chat other than to say they’d be there, but within seconds, I had a private message from Ruby.
Ruby
Please tell me you have good news.
Silas and I had agreed to wait and tell them in person, so I’d replied with the slightly passive-aggressive thumbs-up emoji.
Ruby’s middle finger reply told me what she thought of that.
“You sure you want to do this?” Silas bit his lip as we walked up to my parents’ house. “We don’t have to do this if you’re not ready.”
I wheeled around, putting both my hands on his shoulders. “Si, I’ve been out to them since I was nineteen. This won’t come as a surprise to them. But if you’re not ready, that’s different. This is your journey. It’s up to you when you come out. We don’t need to rush.”
“It’s not that…” He blew out a breath. “It won’t be a surprise that you’re bringing a guy home. But it will be a surprise that it’s me.”
I stared at him for a moment before my lips twitched. Before I could stop myself, a full laugh broke free.
“Stop laughing at me!” Silas said with a pout. “They’re my family. What if they don’t want us to be together?”
The fact that Frank had made him this insecure made me wish I had punched him.
“Baby, you don’t need to worry. They’ve known about my feelings for you for a very long time.”
“They have? Since when?”
“Well, Dad and Ruby made it clear the other night that I haven’t been very good at hiding it from the family. And Louis…” Maybe I shouldn’t tell him this. But…honesty. This is what I was going for. “He found me crying after prom and put two and two together.”
“Prom?” Silas frowned at me quizzically before horror dawned. “Oh my god, the night I lost my virginity.”
“It’s fine,” I said quickly, trying not to remember the first tender sting on my young heart.
Silas’s cheeks were red with mortification. “I told you all about it. In graphic detail. Fuck, Kai. Why didn’t you just tell me to shut up?”
“You were so happy.” I shrugged. “I didn’t want to ruin that moment for you.”
He sighed, his head falling against my shoulder. “It’s a good thing I’ve decided you’re it for me because you say shit like that and I remember you can be a fucking idiot.”
“I’m your fucking idiot.” I kissed the tip of his nose. “And can I just say, I love that you’re still giving me shit. Nothing’s changed in that sense…and I love that.”
“Nothing has changed,” Silas emphasised. “We are the same as we always were, but now we are able to love each other the way we always should have.”
“There you are.” My dad’s booming voice had Silas trying to jump away from me. I tightened my hold, refusing to let his fear take over. “Your mum was starting to fret.”
With a few short strides, he was beside us. He didn’t miss a beat before throwing out his arms and wrapping us both in a big bear hug.
“Now, have you two sorted things out?”
“Umm…yes?” Silas’s voice was muffled by both mine and my dad’s chests.
“Sure about that?” Dad didn’t let us go. “Because if you’re coming here to tell us anything other than you’re desperately in love and giving a relationship a go, I’m not going to be pleased.”
“It’s okay,” I said to Dad, slapping him on the back. “We got everything sorted.”
“Good.” He stepped back, Silas inhaling a massive gasp of air as he stumbled slightly. “If you carried on much longer, I would’ve locked you both in a room and refused to let you out.”
Silas and I exchanged a fond grin. “Funny you should say that…”
I didn’t get any further before my mum was there, shoving between us to face Silas with her hands on her hips. “There you are, young man. I’ve got a bone to pick with you.”
The blood drained from Silas’s face as his gaze locked with mine over her head. For a heart-stopping second, I thought Silas was going to deny us. That his fear of losing the only family he’d ever known would trump his feelings for me.
I needed to learn to have more faith in Silas.
“I’m in love with Kai,” he said firmly to Mum. “I’m sorry if you’re unhappy with that, Mrs Parker, but we’re together. And, if I get my way, that won’t change any time soon.”
Mum didn’t move for a second. Then she clipped him around one ear. Then the other.
“Ouch,” Silas hissed, slamming his hand over his ears. “What’d I do?”
I hid my grin behind my hand. I loved how Silas was worried Mum wouldn’t treat him like part of the family.
“First one was for calling me Mrs Parker like I’m the cat’s mother rather than someone who practically raised you.”
Silas rubbed his ear sheepishly.
She grabbed his cheeks, forcing him to meet her gaze. Her voice was gentle. “The other was for even thinking I’d have an issue with you and Kai together. What on earth could give you that idea?”
Silas didn’t answer, but his eyes shuttered. Fucking Frank.
“Si.” I gently moved my mum to the side so I could take her place. “I know your mum fucked off and your dad is a complete cunt, but my parents love you. We all do. Like I’ve been trying to tell you, nothing will ever change that.”
“Kai’s right,” my dad said, clapping Silas on the back of his neck. “Even if Kai fucks up and lets you slip through his fingers, you’ll still be our son. You’ll still be expected to show up at Easter and Christmas…plus every other week to mow the grass.”
A tear slid down Silas’s cheek as he gave a choked laugh. “Please. If anyone is going to be fucking this up, it’ll be me.”
I highly doubted that, but this wasn’t really about me or even us. It was about Silas. About his need to belong.
“The same will still apply, even if that is the case,” Mum said firmly, wrapping her arm around his waist. “You’re part of the family, Si. The only thing that might possibly change is your surname.”
Silas’s eyes flew to mine as my mouth dropped open. Did Mum seriously just drop the wedding bomb?
“Mum,” I hissed, feeling like an embarrassed seventeen-year-old all over again. “We’ve literally been together a week.”
“Pssh.” She waved that away like it was immaterial. “You two might not have been bumping uglies, but you’ve been together in every other way for years.”
Silas and I threw our hands over our ears. “Mum, don’t say things like that.”
“Kill me now,” Silas groaned.
“I give up.” Mum threw her hands up in frustration. “Honestly, do you kids think me and your dad don’t have a healthy sex life? Why, just last week—”
“I don’t think they need to hear that, Di,” Dad interjected smoothly, steering her towards the house. “Come on, let’s get you a drink.”
We were silent as we watched them leave. As the door closed behind them, we faced each other.
And burst into raucous laughter.
Eventually, the sound faded into the night, leaving us wiping tears from our eyes.
“See, you had nothing to worry about. You can’t let Frank’s cuntishness get in the way of you being happy. Neither of your biological parents deserves another second of your time.”
“Meh. I have much better ones anyway.” It was like a weight had been stripped for him, my usual cheerful Silas reappearing in a blink. Amusement danced in his eyes as he waggled his brows at me. “Besides, soon we will be married, and they’ll be mine on paper too.”
“Can’t believe Mum dropped me in it like that.”
Silas wrapped his arms around me, pressing his lips to the base of my throat. “I can. Remember when Louis brought his first girlfriend home? She asked the poor girl if she preferred carnations or roses as her friend Suzy is a florist and could do them a cracking deal on wedding flowers.”
I hugged him back, laughing as the memory popped into my head. “Poor Louis, you mean. I don’t think he’s brought anyone home since.”
Silas lifted his head, giving that all-too-familiar grin. “I know it’s been a week, but…your mum’s right. We’ve basically been a couple for years.”
My eyes widened. “Is this a marriage proposal?”
He rolled his eyes, digging his fingers into my ribs until I laughed. “Of course it’s fucking not. But…I’m just saying. I’m not putting limits on us. I say we move at whatever speed feels right. Not what society tells us we should be doing.”
I smirked. “Good, because I feel the same way. Fuck everyone else, let’s just do what makes us happy.”
Silas kissed me one more time before grabbing my hand. “Come on, before they send Ruby out to get us.”
He was pushing the door open before he paused, snapping his fingers like he’d just remembered something. “Oh, and, Kai?”
“Yeah?”
His dimple flashed as he grinned back at me. “When I propose, you won’t need to check if that’s what’s happening. You’ll know.”
Then he swept inside my parents’ house, leaving me dumbstruck on the doorstep.