Chapter 27 Xave #2
I wait for a few minutes, then swipe to answer as soon as her call comes in. “Hi, Mom.”
“Hi, sweetheart. How are you?”
“I’m good. Are you busy?”
“Not at all. I was just having coffee with your Aunt Rebecca.”
“Is Dad home?”
“He’s in his office with your uncles. Are you sure everything is okay? You sound distracted.”
“I kinda have something I need to tell you,” I say as I kick my feet up on the stool in front of my chair.
“Is something wrong?” she presses. “Do you need me to get your father?”
“Not yet. I need to tell you first, then I’ll talk to Dad and the others.”
“Okay,” she says, drawing the word out curiously. “What’s going on?”
My mother and I have always been close, and I’m not worried about how she’ll react to the news that I’m dating a guy. I’m not even worried about how my dad or the rest of the family will react, considering how easily they accepted my cousins and their male partners.
The problem isn’t that Damon is a guy, it’s that he’s a Keeper.
“There’s really no way to ease you into this,” I say with a soft laugh. “But I’m seeing someone.”
“Oh?” she asks, her tone careful. “You are?”
“Yeah.”
“And is this a new thing?” she asks after a beat of silence.
I’ve never been shy about telling my mom, and every other member of my family, that I have no interest in dating anyone, so it’s no wonder she’s surprised.
“Relatively new. It started over winter break, but it was about another month before things got serious.”
“Winter break?” she asks, and I can practically hear her cycling through her memories to try and place who I could be talking about. “Is she someone we know?”
“I’m not sure,” I tell her honestly. “But there’s a catch.”
“What is it?”
“That it’s not a she.”
A few beats of silence pass while she processes what I just said. “You’re dating a man?” she asks cautiously.
“Yes.”
She falls silent again.
“Mom?”
Is it possible I misjudged things and she’s not okay with it?
“How long have you known you like men?” she asks quietly.
“I didn’t. Not until we got together.”
“So this is new?” I can practically hear the hope in her voice. “You haven’t been keeping this secret for years or anything?”
“No. I had no clue until we hooked up. And he’s the only guy who does it for me, so to speak.”
“Oh, thank god,” she says, breathing out an enormous sigh of relief. “I was so worried that you’ve been keeping this to yourself and that I made you feel like you couldn’t tell me—”
“No, Mom,” I cut her off. “It’s nothing like that. And you’ve never made me feel like it would be a problem. I just didn’t tell you before now because things are complicated between us. It had nothing to do with not feeling like I could be honest with you.”
“I’m so glad,” she says, and the relief in her voice is palpable. “And you know I love you, right? There’s nothing that could ever make me love you any less.”
“I know, Mom. And I love you too.”
“So you have a boyfriend?” she asks, circling back to my big announcement.
“Yeah.”
“And it’s complicated?” she presses when I don’t continue.
“Very complicated.”
“Is he a Rebel?”
“Nope, not a Rebel. He’s a Keeper.”
Another silence stretches between us, and I actually pull my phone from my ear to make sure the call is still connected.
“A Keeper?” she asks, finally breaking her silence.
“Yeah. Like I said, it’s complicated.”
“Who is he?”
“His name is Damon Cosgrove. His father is Andrew Cosgrove.”
“I don’t know that name,” she says after another pause. “But Damon, you like him?”
“I don’t just like him, I love him.”
“Love him?” she sounds shocked. “It’s that serious?”
“It is. I just finished telling Jordan and the boys about us.”
“Oh my. How did that go?”
“Better than expected.”
“Do you have their support?”
“Barely, but yeah.”
“Has Damon told any of the Keepers yet?”
“Not yet. He’s a founding legacy, but he doesn’t have a lot of leverage with them, not like I have with the Rebels.”
“And he loves you too?”
“He does.”
“Can we trust him?” she asks bluntly.
“Yes. And Jace has a dossier on him that Dad and everyone can look through so they can see for themselves.”
“But do you trust him?” she presses.
“I do.”
“This isn’t going to be easy, you know that, right?”
“I know. But he’s worth it.”
“What do you want to do about telling your father?”
“I might as well do it now. Can I interrupt his meeting? Or is it better if I call back later?”
“Something tells me this is important enough to interrupt whatever they’re discussing,” she says dryly. “Do you want him to call you back when he’s ready? Or do you want to call him right away?”
“Call me back. Something tells me it would be better if you softened him up first.”
“I agree. Just give me a few minutes.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
She ends the call, and I go to my texts while I wait.
Xave: guess what I’m thinking about?
Damon reads my text almost immediately.
Damon: what?
I scroll through my photo gallery and send him a snapshot I took of my dick buried in his full ass.
Xave: and I know what you’re thinking about
Damon: and what am I thinking about?
I send him a dick pic.
Damon: wow, you must be psychic because that’s exactly what I was thinking about
Xave: I talked to Jordan and the guys
Damon: what??? And you didn’t think to lead with that?
Xave: figured I’d start with the important stuff
He sends me the unimpressed emoji with the flat lines for the eyes and mouth.
Damon: how did it go?
Xave: fine
Damon: fine? That’s all I get?
Xave: we’ve come to an understanding
Damon: they’re okay with us being together?
Xave: yup
Xave: I even got permission for us to use the aux room to meet up so we don’t have to keep going to the cabin
Damon: I have no idea what that is
Damon: but they’re seriously okay with everything?
Xave: they are
Damon: holy shit
Xave: and I just told my mom about us
Damon: WHAT????
Xave: I’m just waiting for my dad to call so I can tell him and my uncles
Damon: jesus fucking christ
Damon: do I need to panic?
Xave: nope
Xave: my mom was fine with it, and I’m sure my dad and uncles will be too
Damon: you think?
Xave: yes
Damon: you’re way too confident about this
Xave: everything will be fine babe. Just relax and trust me
Damon: I do trust you
Damon: I’m just scared they won’t accept me
Xave: they will
Damon: how can you be so sure?
Xave: because if they don’t, then they lose me
Xave: it’s that simple
Damon: I still can’t believe you’d give up everything for me
Xave: in a heartbeat
Damon: I would too
Damon: in a heartbeat
Damon: I love you
Xave: I love you too
My phone rings, and I quickly type out a text.
Xave: brb my dad is calling
Without waiting for an answer, I swipe to answer the call.
“Hi, Dad.”
“Xavier,” he greets. “Your mother said you have something to tell me?”
“I do. Are Uncle Aiden and Uncle Tyler still with you?”
“They are.” He pauses. “You’re on speaker.”
“Did Mom tell you anything?” I ask.
“No. She just said you have something important to tell me, and I need to keep an open mind. So,” he prompts. “What’s going on?”
“I have a boyfriend.”
There are a few beats of silence on the line. “And that’s what you wanted to tell me? That you’re…not straight?”
“Is that a problem?”
“Of course not,” he says dismissively. “But this doesn’t seem like something you need to announce to everyone over the phone like this.”
“It’s not. Him being a guy is only part of it. The other part is that he’s a member of the Keepers.”
The silence over the line is heavy and oppressive, but I just wait it out while everyone processes what I said.
“Who is it?” one of my uncles asks, and based on his voice, I think it’s Killian’s dad.
“Damon Cosgrove. His father is Andrew Cosgrove.”
“You’re dating Andrew’s bastard?” one of my uncles, and I think it’s the twins’ dad, says.
“He prefers being called his father’s illegitimate child,” I say dryly.
“And it’s serious with him?” Dad asks.
“Yes.”
“Have you thought about this?” he presses. “Really thought about this?”
“Yes. I know it’s complicated and it’s going to cause trouble, but this isn’t just a fling or an experiment or anything like that. I love him.”
“And he feels the same way about you?”
“Yes.”
“Can we trust him?” the twins’ dad asks.
“Yes. I’ll send you the dossier Jace compiled on him so you can see for yourselves, but I trust him with my life.”
“And you’re sure this is what you want?” Dad asks.
“Yes. He’s what I want.”
There’s another silence.
“Okay. If this is what you want, then we’ll figure out what we’re going to do,” Dad says. “Have you talked to Jordan and the boys about this?”
“I did, and I’ve got their support.”
“Good. That will make things easier.” There’s a pause. “Send us the dossier, and I’ll call you back when we have a plan.”
“Thanks, Dad. I’ll send it as soon as I hang up.”
“Does he make you happy?” he asks, his voice strangely quiet.
“Happier than I’ve ever been.”
There’s another pause. “We’ll figure this out, just leave it with us.”
“Thanks,” I say again. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
He ends the call, and I open my texts with Damon again.
Xave: all good here
Damon: what the fuck does that mean?
Xave: my dad and uncles know and they’re going to figure out a plan to smooth things over with my alumni
Damon: really?
Xave: really
Xave: I told you they’d be okay with it
Damon: I’m going to tell my dad
Xave: you are?
Damon: yeah
Damon: he’ll find out the second we go public anyway
Damon: and I’ll talk to my leadership too
Damon: just go for broke or rip off the bandage or whatever saying fits here
Xave: you don’t have to do it right now
Xave: we can keep things quiet until you’re ready
Damon: I need to do this
Damon: no more hiding, right?
Xave: right
Xave: do you want me to be there when you talk to your leadership or your dad?
Damon: yes, but it’s better if I do it myself
Xave: are you sure? I don’t mind
Damon: I’m sure
Damon: can we meet later?
Xave: tell me when and where and I’ll be there
Damon: I’ll let you know
Damon: I love you
Xave: I love you too
Xave: and you’ve got this, babe
Damon: I hope so