My gut clenched from nerves. I knew my family would accept this change, but a small part of me worried they wouldn’t fully believe me since I’d only had women in my life. Also, it was easier to accept it from outsiders, not someone in their close family.
Sighing, I scrubbed a hand over my face and leaned back in the seat. “But one day, yeah, you’ll meet him.”
Silence.
All of them wore puzzled expressions.
“Huh? Him?” Rayne questioned.
Nary snorted, then laughed. “Good one, bro.”
Mum and Rayne laughed as well, thinking I was joking. Only Dad sat there and stared at me. He knew I was telling the truth, and to prove it to the others, I pulled out my phone and hit a number, putting it on speaker.
“Josh,” Taro answered softly.
“Hey, quick question, are we seein’ each other?”
He paused, probably confused by my question. “Yes, why?”
“My family didn’t believe me,” I told him.
“Hang on, wait, let me get this straight…. You rode home, went to your family, and told them about me?”
“Yep. And don’t worry, Mimi’s safe at the compound with Cowboy.”
“I wasn’t worried. I knew you would get her there, but… have you lost your damn mind?” he yelled, which brought a smile to my face.
“How?”
“You don’t go away for a month, go home, and just throw this in their faces. You’re crazy! They must think I’ve corrupted you somehow.”
I chuckled. “You did.”
“Shut up. Just shut up. You’re lucky I miss you, or I would reach through the phone and throttle you.” He missed me. My damn heart soared.
The women giggled around me.
“Josh,” Taro whispered, “do you have me on speaker in front of your family?”
Shit, I thought he would have realised.
“Ah, yeah.”
He made a noise in the back of his throat, mumbled a few curse words that sounded very threatening to me, and quickly said, “I have to go.”
“Taro,” I called. I didn’t care my family was there. I needed him to know. Needed him to understand that he was on my mind. Even when he pushed me away.
“What?” he snapped.
“Miss you too.”
“Josh,” he uttered. “Talk soon, you idiot.” He quickly ended the call. We would talk soon and face to face. I’d made the wrong choice by leaving. I mean, yeah, it’d been good to see my family and to talk with Talon, but I should have stayed by his side after everything. I’d tell him that and also the fact he wouldn’t be able to push me away again as soon as I got my arse back to his side.
He was it.
He was mine.
I knew it before I left, and my certainty cemented when I rode away, leaving a part of myself behind—that part having stayed with the person who was meant for me.
Smiling softly, I glanced up and looked around at my family. The girls were grinning. Mum even had tears in her eyes. Dad wore a smirk. “So, yeah, that was Taro. He’s Mimi’s brother and runs the Takahashi family.”
Dad straightened. “Mimi’s brother? The one who gave up his men?”
I nodded. “I’ve already spoken to Talon about it.”
Dad tipped his chin up.
“Hold up.” Nary waved a hand in front of her. “Even though I think that phone call is cute, Josh, as far as I know you’ve only ever been with women. How can you switch it up like that? You can’t play with this guy’s feelings just for some—”
“Don’t,” I clipped. “I am not playin’ with his feelin’s even when it’s only been women before him.”
More staring happened.
Sighing, I rubbed at the back of my neck. “People change. Like Knife did when he knew he wouldn’t want a life without Beast in it. I appreciate you lookin’ out for Taro, Nary, but you don’t need to.”
“Honey,” Mum started. “Are you saying you feel like Knife did with this boy?”
Boy. Taro would get a kick out of Mum saying that.
“Yeah.” My face heated. “It’s still early, but… fuck, he’s mine.”
“We’ll have to meet the guy,” Dad said.
“You will,” I stated. “Thinkin’ of headin’ back to Melbourne though.”
“Now?” Mum asked. I could see the disappointment in her eyes.
“This is awesome,” Rayne blurted. “Now you’re into guys, like Uncle Julian is, we can do each other’s nails and make-up, go shopping.”
“Whoa, hold your horses, kid,” I said quickly, chuckling. “It’s one guy I’m into, and there’s no way in hell we’re doin’ nails and make-up. I might go shoppin’ with you, but I’m still the same person I was before Taro came along.”
Rayne rolled her eyes. “Boring. You just shit on my BL dreams.”
“Rayne,” Dad snapped, but the grin didn’t go along with the tone.
“What’s BL?” Nary asked.
“Boys’ love. It’s like a genre in Manga.”
“Manga?” Mum asked.
Rayne groaned. “You guys are so old. Graphic novels I read about two guys getting together.”
“Are you the right age for these Manga?” Dad asked, and when Rayne looked away, we all knew she wasn’t.
“Right, until you reach sixteen, stay away from them,” Dad ordered.
“But there are ones for my age.”
“Clear it with your mother first so she can check it out before you look at any more. Where do you even find this stuff?”
“Online.”
Dad sighed. “Everythin’ is too easy to get online. I mean it, Rayne, check it with Mum. If I find out you haven’t, there’ll be hell to pay.”
“I know.”
“Now that’s cleared up. Josh, you should come back to the barbeque. I’d love to spend some time with you before you head off. Maybe go in the morning?”
“In other words, Mum’s missed you and wants you to stay for a bit longer,” Nary supplied what I’d already been thinking.
Nodding, I said, “I can leave in the mornin’.” It also gave me more time to talk to Dad and let him know what Talon had said and what had been happening in Melbourne.
One night.
I had to hold off for one night without seeing Taro. I could do it for my family since I’d been stupid enough to leave in the first place.
Chapter Nineteen
Ruin
A lot of members had crashed at the compound for the night. I took my old room. Nary, though, had taken off with Rayne and Vicious before the party had kicked into the next gear. It ended when a drunken Hell Mouth fell off a table she’d been dancing on for her man Griz; she broke her wrist when she landed on Ivy, another old lady.
It was a good night, though. Always was when it came to the Hawks because every member was family. Even though I enjoyed catching up with everyone, I still felt the urge to leave and get back to Taro. More so now that I was awake.
The conversation I’d had with Dad the night before ran through my mind. He’d pulled me away from everyone and sat me down at a table out back.