“Thanks,” I said, smiling at him when we broke the hug. I’d never expected it all those months ago when I’d first showed up here, but now I didn’t doubt it for a moment. These guys were my family now. I trusted them just as much as I’d trusted JP back when I lived in Compton.
I wasn’t sure how, but I knew things would work out in the end. As long as we all stuck together, we could handle pretty much anything.
Chapter 14
Arms wrapped around him, I held Sebastian as he cried. After Jaxson and Todd had left, I told him everything about Kathy. He’d sat in silence, staring at the ground, as he’d listened to it. And then, once I’d finished, he’d just started crying.
“I’m sorry,” he said through his tears. “If I... If I hadn’t... If I wasn’t....”
“Don’t even go there,” I cut him off. None of this was his fault. He was just trying to be himself. Kathy was the bitch who’d decided to sleep around and then blackmail a kid. “You and Todd aren’t to blame for any of this, okay? There’s nothing wrong with being gay. Nothing. And if everyone else can’t understand that, then they can go right to hell, okay?”
Sebastian nodded as he wiped away his tears. When he looked at me again, I could see the fear in his eyes. But that wasn’t all. There was determination, too. He was angry, angry that someone he’d trusted had betrayed not only him but his entire family. “I guess I have to tell them, don’t I?”
I shrugged. That was probably the best option, but I wasn’t going to force him into it if he wasn’t ready. “It’s up to you. I won’t say anything to anyone if you don’t want me to. But if Lucas somehow finds out about the affair anyway, she could still choose to out you.”
“Yeah, I know.” He was quiet for a moment, staring down at the floor again. His shoulders were tense, and I wasn’t sure if he was getting ready to cry again or bolt from the room. When he let out a breath, his whole body slumped. “Can... can you call Wes for me? See when he’ll be back?”
“Of course.” I put a hand on his back and gently rubbed it like Mom had always done for me when I’d been upset. That was what he really needed right then - a mom. But his mom lived hours away and the woman who should’ve been his stepmother obviously didn’t give two shits about him.
Wes must’ve heard something in my voice when I called him. He hadn’t asked for details but said he’d be home right away. When he showed up half an hour later, he was in workout clothes, still sweating. When I looked at him with a raised eyebrow, he just shrugged.
“Hunter and I wanted to get another practice in before our meet tomorrow. Since Jax had a thing with his family tonight, we met up at the school. Figure if I’m gonna kick some ass I might as well practice against the one guy who can still hold his own against me.”
I rolled my eyes. He’d puffed out his chest a little as he talked, obviously trying to impress me. But even if I hadn’t had more important things on my mind, I wouldn’t have gone for his macho man routine. One day he’d learn that it took more than just muscles to impress me.
“Sit down,” I told him, pointing to the chair in front of Sebastian’s computer. Part of me wanted to send him off to shower first, but I figured we shouldn’t put this off any more than we had to.
Wes looked at me curiously, and then did as I said. He looked between the two of us, waiting for an explanation. He may have been a meathead, but he wasn’t a complete idiot, usually. He knew something was up, something important.
I walked over to Sebastian and sat down next to him again, sitting between him and Wes. This wasn’t going to be easy for him, and I figured acting as a small buffer might help. “You want to tell him, or should I?” I asked my voice just above a whisper.
Sebastian took a deep breath. Still looking down at the ground, he let it out slowly. “I’m gay,” he said at last. “Todd and I are boyfriends.”
The silence in the room was deafening. All I heard was my heart pounding in my chest as I waited for Wes’s reaction. I wanted to believe the man I’d been falling in love with wouldn’t care. That he was mature enough to know Sebastian was still his brother, the same dorky kid, he’d always been.
“How long have you been together?” Wes asked after a few moments, his voice quiet.
“Since the beginning of eighth grade.”
“Then why tell me now? I mean, I love you, Seb. Always, okay? But I’m guessing you didn’t randomly decide to come out of the closet.”
Sebastian shook his head. It must’ve taken everything he had just to say that little bit to his brother. And even though Wes had taken it well, he was at his limit.
So I filled Wes in on everything else. I watched his body stiffen as I told him what I’d seen that day, about her blackmailing Sebastian if I said anything. Wes’s hands balled into fists, and I saw the fire building up behind his eyes.
When I finished talking, Wes stood. I froze in place, waiting to see what he would do. When he marched over in front of Sebastian, I stood, getting ready to stand right between the two of them if I had to. I didn’t care that Wes was twice my size. I wasn’t going to let him hurt Sebastian.
But he just reached down and pulled his brother up off the bed, hugging him. Tears streamed down Wes’s cheek as he held his little brother, looking very much like he might snap the skinny kid in half.
“I love you, Sebastian. No matter what. I wish you hadn’t had to tell me like this, but I’m glad you did tell me.” Wes kissed the top of his brother’s head. This was more affection than I’d ever seen him show toward anyone other than me. “And if anyone fucks with either you or Todd, you tell me right away, all right?”
Sebastian didn’t say anything. He just nodded, his body shaking. I knew he was crying again, probably overwhelmed with everything. I doubted this was how he’d expected his Saturday to go.
I reached out and put a hand on Sebastian’s back, offering him my silent support. Then I looked up at Wes. “What now?”
“I’m guessing murdering Kathy and dumping her body in the ocean is off the table?” When I glared at him, Wes just smirked. “I’m gonna call Chuck. I want him here when we tell Dad. He always thought something was fishy with her just as much as I did. You okay with that, Seb?”
Sebastian nodded. It wasn’t like he’d be able to keep this away from his older brother anyway. Not if we were about to spill everything to his father anyway. I figured it was probably a good idea to get it all over with tonight, like ripping off a Band-Aid.
Wes hugged Sebastian a bit longer, and then stepped out into the hallway to call Chuck. Sebastian and I sat back on the bed together, and I put my arm around his shoulders.
“You doing okay?” I asked. When he shrugged, I smiled. “I know it’s not easy, but you’ll get through this, okay? Chuck’s gonna love you still too, just like Wes. I’ve only been here a couple of months, but I know those two would do anything to protect their family.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of...” Sebastian said in a quiet voice.
“You’re worried about Kathy, aren’t you?”