Chapter 28
Kent
“Kent…” Stacey said the moment I stepped through the door of the coffee shop. Her smile faded instantly. “You… You look terrible. What happened?”
“I’m fine,” I replied, running my fingers through my hair in a vain attempt to tame it. I let out a long sigh. There was no reason to start lying now. “Well… I’m not fine. But I’m okay.”
“Are you wearing the same clothes from yesterday?”
I glanced down, realizing she was right. “Y-Yeah. I… I slept in my truck.”
“What happened—”
“Let’s get coffee first,” I interjected, holding up a hand to stop the deluge of questions I knew was coming. “I need something in my stomach for this conversation.”
Stacey’s expression was one of confusion and concern, but she nodded anyway, following me to the counter.
We both ordered and Stacey insisted on paying.
I wasn’t really sure why. She was the one going through a divorce.
But apparently I looked extra pitiable right now.
Hopefully that worked in my favor when I finally told her the truth.
I had this reoccurring image in my head of her flipping the cafe table and beating me to death with it. Not that I wouldn’t deserve it.
We grabbed our drinks from the counter and found a quiet table in the corner of the café. I watched Stacey stir her coffee, methodically adding exactly one packet of sugar and a splash of cream, just like she always had. The familiarity of the gesture made my chest ache with nostalgia and guilt.
“Alright,” she said, settling back in her chair. “What’s going on? Did something happen with Brittany?”
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. “Brittany and I... we’re done. For good this time.”
“Oh, Kent.” Her face softened with sympathy. “I’m so sorry. When I saw you two yesterday, I thought—”
“That’s not why I asked you to meet me,” I interrupted, my voice rougher than I intended. “I need to tell you something important. Something I should have told you a long time ago.”
Stacey’s brow furrowed, but she remained silent, waiting for me to continue. I wrapped my hands around my coffee cup, drawing comfort from its warmth as I searched for the right words.
“I’ve been... I’ve been living with James for a few weeks now,” I started, keeping my eyes fixed on the table. “And during that time, things changed between us. A lot.”
“Changed how?” she asked, her voice carefully neutral.
This was it. The point of no return. My heart hammered against my ribs so hard I was certain she could hear it.
“I’m in love with him,” I said, the words coming out in a rush. “With James. Your son.”
The silence that followed felt endless. I forced myself to look up, to face whatever reaction was coming. Stacey’s expression was completely unreadable, her coffee cup frozen halfway to her lips.
“Say something,” I whispered. “Please.”
She set her cup down slowly, deliberately, like she was afraid it might shatter. “You’re in love with James,” she repeated, each word measured and careful.
“Yes.”
“And... does he feel the same way?”
That question hit me like a punch to the gut. “He might have. I never asked or admitted it to him. But now I’ve ruined everything.”
Stacey leaned back in her chair, her eyes never leaving my face. I braced myself for the explosion, for the disgust and anger that I’d convinced myself was inevitable.
Instead, she asked, “What did you do?”
So, I told her everything. About how things had started between James and me, about our weeks together, about Trevor finding out, and finally, about my colossal mistake with Brittany and the aftermath. By the time I finished, my coffee had gone cold and my voice was hoarse.
“And now he won’t even talk to me,” I concluded, feeling the weight of my actions pressing down on me. “I don’t blame him either. What I suggested was... it was unforgivable.”
Stacey was quiet for a long moment, processing everything I’d just dumped on her. I couldn’t read her expression, which terrified me more than outright anger would have.
“Let me get this straight,” she finally said. “You’ve been in a relationship with my son for weeks, you panicked when I showed up with Brittany, you left with her, and then you went back to James and suggested being his... what? Secret lover while you pretended to date Brittany?”
Put that way, it sounded even worse than I’d thought. “Yes,” I admitted, shame burning through me. “It was stupid and selfish and—”
“Yes, it was,” she cut me off, her voice sharp. “That was a terrible thing to do to James.”
I nodded, unable to defend myself. “I know.”
“But,” she continued, her tone softening slightly, “I can understand why you panicked.”
My head snapped up. “You do?”
“Kent, I’ve known you since you were seventeen years old.
I’ve watched you try so hard to be what your father wanted.
To fit into this narrow little box of who you thought you should be.
” She reached across the table and, to my complete surprise, took my hand. “And I’ve seen how much it’s cost you.”
Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. “I don’t know what to do,” I confessed, my voice barely above a whisper. “I love him, Stacey. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. But I think I’ve ruined everything.”
“Maybe,” she agreed, and the blunt honesty was oddly comforting. “But maybe not. That’s why you texted me, isn’t it? You want my help.”
I nodded, unable to trust my voice.
“What exactly do you want from me, Kent?” she asked. “My blessing? My advice?”
“Both,” I admitted. “And... I need to know if there’s any chance he might forgive me. You know him better than anyone.”
Stacey sighed, releasing my hand to take a sip of her now-lukewarm coffee. “James has always had a big heart. Too big, sometimes. He forgives people who don’t deserve it.” Her eyes met mine, sharp and assessing. “He forgave you for years of bullying, didn’t he?”
The reminder stung, but it was nothing less than the truth. “Yes,” I whispered.
“But this is different,” she continued. “You didn’t just hurt him. You betrayed his trust. That’s much harder to come back from.”
My heart sank. “So, you think it’s hopeless?”
“I didn’t say that.” She tapped her fingers against the table, thinking. “James loves deeply when he loves. And from what you’ve told me, he was in pretty in love with you too.”
Hope flickered in my chest, fragile but persistent. “So, what should I do?”
“First, you have my blessing,” she said. “You and him are no longer stepbrothers. And to be honest, I never really considered you two as brothers to begin with. You were too old and too set in your ways to even be friends, much less family to each other.”
The relief hit me so hard I almost collapsed in my chair. “Really? You’re okay with this?”
“Kent, you’re both consenting adults. And like I said, I never saw you as brothers. You were my husband’s son who tormented my boy. That was it.” She gave me a pointed look. “Though I would’ve appreciated if you’d told me right away instead of that awkward morning with Brittany.”
I winced. “I know. I’m sorry. I just... I was scared.”
“Of what people would think? Or of what you were feeling?”
“Both,” I admitted. “I spent so long being someone else. Someone my father would approve of. The thought of disappointing him, of being different...” I trailed off, shaking my head. “But now I realize the only person I’ve been disappointing is myself. And James.”
Stacey’s expression softened. “Your father’s opinions aren’t worth sacrificing your happiness for, Kent. Trust me on that.”
“I know that now.” I ran a hand through my hair. “So, what do I do? How do I fix this?”
She considered me for a long moment. “You need to show James that you’re serious. That this isn’t just another panic moment where you’ll run at the first sign of trouble.”
“How do I do that?”
“You need to be willing to be honest. With everyone.” She leaned forward. “Starting with your father.”
My stomach dropped. “My dad? He’ll disown me.”
“Maybe,” she nodded. “Probably, even. But James needs to know that you’re choosing him over everything else. That you’re not ashamed of loving him.”
I absorbed her words, the truth of them sinking in. “You’re right. I have to show him I’m all in this time.”
“And Kent?” Stacey’s voice was gentler now. “You need to be patient. James might not forgive you right away. He might not forgive you at all. You have to be prepared for that possibility.”
“I know,” I said quietly. “But I have to try.”
She reached across the table and squeezed my hand again. “For what it’s worth, I think you’ve changed. The Kent I knew a few years ago wouldn’t have been sitting here having this conversation with me.”
I smiled weakly. “Thanks, Stacey.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” she warned. “I’m still processing all this myself. And if you hurt my son again, I will personally make your life a living hell.”
Despite everything, I laughed. “I believe you.”
“Good.” She stood up, gathering her purse. “Now go get a hotel room, take a shower, and figure out how you’re going to win my son back. You look terrible, and showing up like this isn’t going to help your case.”
I nodded, getting to my feet. “Thank you. For listening. For understanding.”
“I’m not promising anything,” she reminded me. “James makes his own decisions. But I’ll talk to him, let him know you’re serious this time.”
Hope bloomed in my chest. It wasn’t much, but it was something. A chance. And that was more than I deserved.
As Stacey walked away, I pulled out my phone and took a deep breath before dialing a number I rarely called voluntarily.
“Kent?” My father’s gruff voice answered. “What do you want?”
“We need to talk,” I said, my voice steadier than I expected. “In person. It’s important.”
There was a pause. “Is this about your mother? Because I’m not taking her back—”
“No,” I cut him off. “It’s about me. And who I am.”
Another pause, longer this time. “Fine. My office, one hour.”
He hung up before I could respond, but it didn’t matter. The first step was done. No turning back now.
I headed to my truck, determination replacing the fear that had consumed me for so long. I was going to tell my father the truth, consequences be damned. And then I was going to find James and beg for his forgiveness, even if I had to do it every day for the rest of my life.
Because Stacey was right. James deserved someone who wasn’t ashamed to love him. And I was finally ready to be that person.