Chapter 29
Chapter twenty-nine
James
James was studying in the quad for finals, Camelia sitting close to his side with a notebook and Evan across the table scrolling on his phone, when he got the call.
His phone vibrated, and James almost didn't answer. The essay that he was working on was worth a full third of his grade, and he was fucking close to being done. Another hour or so, and he would be finished.
But then he glanced at the readout, and his stomach clenched at the sight of his father's name on the caller ID.
Camelia noticed too. Her hand landed on top of his thigh, and her voice was soft when she spoke. "Do you want to ignore that?"
More than anything. Evan's gaze was piercing when James glanced his was, and James swallowed.
It had been surprisingly easy for Chris to get things rectified for him with admissions and the Dean once the issue with his new trust was sorted.
They had even removed James' father as first contact for the school, instead putting Chris in his place so that James didn't have to worry about Drake being informed about his comings and goings from class.
Evidently, it wasn't normal for a parent to be so closely informed when their adult child missed a college course, especially when it had no affect on their grade, but James hadn't even been able to lie to himself and say that he was surprised that his father was so fucking paranoid.
"I do," James finally said quietly. He picked up his phone. "But I'm going to have to face him sooner or later." He took a deep breath, then swiped across the screen and put the phone to his ear. "Hi, Dad."
There was a brief silence, where James could practically hear his father grinding his teeth, but then Drake bit out, "Why haven't I heard from you?"
Camelia glanced at him, shutting her notebook with her free hand. She squeezed the top of his thigh, and James put his hand on top of hers, appreciating the support.
"Because I haven't wanted to speak to you, Dad, I should have thought that was obvious." Evan raised his eyebrows, a tiny smile playing on his lips, and James couldn't stop himself from smirking a little at the furious sound that his father made.
"Well, that's irrelevant, son. I was simply calling to inform you of your flight plans..."
James interrupted him, suddenly furious and so, so, so tired. Of the bullshit, of the way that his father felt that he was entitled to control every single aspect of James' life. "I don't have flight plans, Dad. I have finals, which you are interrupting my studying for."
Another furious sound, and then Drake bit out, "I pulled you out of school, James. You don't have finals."
Evan's smile widened, and the devious gleam in his eyes fueled the fire inside James.
"And I figured it out, since you gave me no other fucking option, Dad," he snapped back.
"I don't give a shit whatever you told your fucking supervisor or whatever private plane that you rerouted to come and get me.
I'm done. I'm not playing your games anymore.
You can take your money and your opinions and shove them up your own ass.
I'm going to live my life the way I fucking want to. "
Drake spluttered, and the thought of his face getting redder at James' defiance soothed something deep inside of him, something that had been broken a long time before.
"And don't bother trying to call the school.
I've informed them that you will be having no part in my education moving forward, and you are no longer authorized to any of my information. "
"I am your father..."
"You're an asshole and bully, and I'm done with you," James said. His shoulders practically slumped at the weight that was lifted with those words; he had been waiting to say them for so fucking long.
"You can't..."
James shook his head. "I can, I did, and I fucking will continue. Goodbye, Drake. Lose my number, I won't be speaking to you again."
James hung up the phone before his father could do more than make another spluttering sound of anger, and he set his phone down on top of the table, letting out a shaky breath.
"That was intense," Camelia said softly. She squeezed his leg, and James looked at her. "Are you okay?"
Was he okay? James felt lighter than he had in...in years. Since his mom died, if he was being honest. But there was something inside of him that still coiled tensely, as if his subconscious hadn't accepted his new reality. As if he were still waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"I don't know," he finally admitted. "That was...a long time coming."
"Drake will get over himself," Evan said casually. He had already returned to scrolling on his phone, but there was something new in the set of his shoulders, a satisfaction that hadn't been there before. He was proud, James could tell, and James' face flushed a little with the knowledge.
"You deserve to be happy, James," Camelia said quietly. She offered him a small smile that made his stomach twist, and James couldn't help smiling back, leaning down and pressing his lips against hers in a soft kiss.
"I think so too, sweetheart."
His phone buzzed again, and when James glanced down, he saw that his father was calling back. His stomach clenched with the familiar anxiety, and then he furrowed his brow as he declined the call.
"Yeah, no. Let's see." He scrolled to his contacts, finding his Dad's name.
His thumb hesitated over the screen for a split second, and then he blocked the number.
"Don't fucking call me." He spit the words out, as if his father's bad behavior was his phone's fault, and then he deleted the contact for good measure.
He had long since memorized the number so it wasn't like he couldn't call Drake if it was really necessary, but it still felt fucking good.
"About fucking time." Evan's words were low, and James barely saw him move out his chair out of the corner of his eye before Evan was cupping his face, lifting him for a hard kiss.
James froze for a moment. It was the first time that Evan had kissed him in public, and the alarm bells immediately sounded in his mind. What if someone was watching? What if someone reported him to Drake?
Then he relaxed, and kissed Evan back. Evan's fingers stroked his jawline as his tongue teased along James' lower lip, and James couldn't stop himself from whimpering a little as his cock twitched.
"I'm proud of you, pet," Evan murmured against his mouth, giving James just enough space to suck in a breath before sealing their mouths together again.
His lips were demanding and firm, and James knew that if he asked, he would bend over the table right then and there for Evan, witnesses and finals be damned.
Before he could do something as embarrassing as say that aloud, though, Evan relented, pulling away.
He pressed another tiny kiss to the corner of James' mouth then straightened up, giving James a small smirk. His eyes flicked over to Camelia, and when James looked at her, her eyes were hooded, her pupils blown. She shifted a little in her seat, pressing her thighs a little more tightly together, and when she met Evan’s gaze, she pouted.
Evan chuckled. "Patience, you two," he murmured, winking. He returned to his seat, picking up his phone and resuming scrolling. "You can wait until we get home."
"Easy for you to say," Camelia muttered. Her hand squeezed the top of James' thigh again, drifting upwards to brush against the hard length of his erection, and James sucked in a breath before he caught her fingers, chuckling.
He was fucking free.