He left the path and walked through the square with the statue of Benjamin Harrison. Too many people milled about to stop. Beyond the open area, there were benches where he could sit. If no one was around.
“Darren?” His father’s deep voice jolted him. “What’s going on? Why is your mother hysterical?”
“I’m not hysterical, Josh,” his mom said. “I’m concerned.”
Darren took a deep breath and forced himself to say his piece. “I know you don’t want me around anymore, but did you have to ruin my happiness to prove your point? Ignoring me wasn’t enough?”
“What? If you pulled me out of an important meeting for a game—”
“It’s not a game, Dad. I’m leaving Harrison, so you can call off your goon, Jenkins.”
His dad’s voice took on a quieter pitch. “What do you mean, you’re leaving school?”
“I’m sorry I’m such a disappointment. I wanted to prove I wasn’t. Wanted to win the Gage Scholar position because I know how much it means to our family—to you, Dad. But not like this. I won’t let you hurt Isaiah because you disapprove of me being gay.”
“Darren Josiah Gage, what are you talking about?” His dad’s yell forced Darren to pull the phone away.
“Josh, calm down,” his mom said in the background. “Yelling won’t help.”
“He’s talking nonsense.”
Nonsense? Darren scoffed. “You said you’d take away Isaiah’s scholarship unless he stopped seeing me.”
“What? Of course he has to see you. You’re both in the program.”
Darren halted in the middle of a quiet grassy area. His shoes sank into the soft ground, much like the dread sinking his gut. He and Dad might be on the outs, but he knew his father well enough to recognize his confusion wasn’t an act.
He had no idea what Darren was talking about.
“What do you mean seeing?” Dad added uncertainly.
“He means dating,” Mom said.
“What? Okay, one bombshell at a time.” He could hear his father exhaling. “Darren, I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Darren gripped his phone, slowly piecing the deception together. “Isaiah’s advisor told him that you called President Jenkins, expressing concerns. Isaiah was told that you would revoke his scholarship if he didn’t stop seeing me.”
The line crackled in the following silence. “I haven’t spoken to Theodore in weeks,” his father said, and Darren heard the frown in his voice. “I had no idea you and Isaiah were dating, and even if I had, I would never threaten him.”
Darren’s heart seized. “You didn’t call President Jenkins?”
“I would never take away someone’s scholarship because I didn’t want them dating my son. And you know I’d have told you myself, not through a third party.”
Darren huffed. “I don’t know that.”
“You . . . don’t?”
“You don’t call to see how I’m doing. You stopped answering my calls. You never come to see my games. The one text you sent emphasized acting professionally.” Darren’s voice wavered. “How am I supposed to trust you’d talk to me about this?”
Nobody spoke for a long beat.
His father cleared his throat. “I’ll get to us in a moment. I want to deal with Isaiah’s scholarship first. Tell me the details again.”
Darren did.
His father sounded grim. “I would never abuse my power like that. You know that.”
“You also told me I could tell you anything and you would always love me. News flash, Dad, I told you something important about me, and you couldn’t get away from me fast enough. I don’t know what you would or wouldn’t do anymore.” Darren craned his neck and glared at the dark sky. A gentle breeze ruffled his hair. The soft caress made the pain inside feel worse. “It hurts, but I accept you hate me. What I can’t accept is what they’re doing to Isaiah.”
His mother sobbed.
His father grew silent once more.
Darren pushed himself toward an empty bench and sank onto it.
“Son, I don’t hate you.” His father’s voice broke. “Please don’t ever think that. I love you.”
A hopeful tear trailed down Darren’s cheek.
“I’m sorry. I have been avoiding you. I’ve struggled with you being gay and didn’t want to talk about it. I thought some time apart would give me some perspective. Clearly all it did was hurt you. Your grandfather called me a damn fool, and like always, he’s right.”
Darren’s response stuck in his throat. “I didn’t want to disappoint you. But I didn’t want to pretend anymore, either.”
“You shouldn’t have to. I’m sorry my reaction has been so hurtful. You deserve better from me.”
“Dad?”
“Darren?”
Darren shuddered out a breath, in relief, in unresolved pain. “I need to help Isaiah. I want—”
“Say no more. I’ll take care of this.”
Darren blinked hard, eyes stinging. There was the Dad he knew.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Isaiah
Darren: Where are you?
Isaiah was so relieved to hear from Darren, he couldn’t unlock his phone.
Nico chuckled and tapped in his code for him. “Calm down, ’Saiah.”
“I know, but I feel guilty I didn’t pick him over my scholarship.”