Blindsided (Fake Boyfriend 4)

I approach him and bring him close to me. “If there wasn’t a chance of serious repercussions, I’d so want to do that.” Leaning in, I kiss his mouth softly. I never told him about the shit Henderson was saying in the locker room, but now’s not the time to delve into it. “Let’s not think about that right now. Today should be a happy day.”

Miller smiles, but it falls just as fast. “Unless Mom flips.”

“Do you think she will?”

“Well, no. I didn’t think so, but now that I realize I’m definitely gonna tell her, I’m scared she will.”

“That’s probably normal, right? Otherwise no one would struggle with coming out.”

Miller looks like he’s going to vomit … or maybe faint.

I run my hands up and down his arms. “Whatever the reaction, we’ll deal with it together, okay?”

He kisses me this time, and it’s not chaste or soft. “Promise?”

“Of course.”

Chapter Twenty

MILLER

Talon’s right. It’s probably normal to sweat this much when you’re about to come out to your family. I bet he didn’t even flinch coming out to his brother, though.

When we arrive, my sister approaches and greets Talon with a hug. “Good to see you again, Marcus.”

“Eww, you real-named me. That’s gross.”

Vanessa laughs. “Still see you’re at about the same level of maturity as you were in college.”

“Damn straight. Only, you know, according to your daughter, I’m a ball hog.”

“Gotta let go of that ball faster, dude.”

Talon looks at me. “Your sister is brutal.”

“Always has been. That hasn’t changed,” I say.

“Uncle Shane!” Gabby comes running out from her room and immediately jumps into my arms. “Where’d you sleep?”

Great. Just great. Way to ease me into this, kid.

I carry her into the dining room and put her down in her seat, hoping that ignoring her question will make her curiosity go away. “Here, eat a bagel.” I spread the cream cheese for her and put it on her plate.

“Where did you sleep, big brother?” Vanessa asks, and I glare at her. She stares at me with a smug expression I can only guess came from our sperm donor of a father. Dude only stuck around long enough to get Mom pregnant twice before he took off. My sister and I inherited our olive skin and dark hair and eyes from him, but everything else we get from Mom. Right down to our stubbornness.

As we all take our seats, it occurs to me I don’t even know how to bring the whole thing up.

Talon digs in and piles his plate high with bacon, eggs, and all the good stuff, while he eyes me when I go for some bacon.

“The more you eat, the farther you have to walk,” he sings.

I slump and put the bacon back.

“Are you being hard on my boy?” Mom asks.

Talon practically chokes.

“He’s trying to get me ready for next season,” I say. “Although I think the choking serves him right for being such a hard-ass.”

Talon turns to my mom. “It’s all your fault, you know. If I was being fed like this daily, it’d be hard for me to say no too.”

My family keeps up small talk with Talon while I tune them out. There’s no real correct way to bring this up, is there? It’s one of those things you just have to say.

“I’m bi,” I blurt.

Talon coughs again, but I think he’s choking on his laughter this time instead of food. “Way to bury the lede, man.”

“Yeah, probably should’ve started with something softer,” I say.

Mom and Vanessa stare at me, and Gabby glances around the whole table with a cute little scrunch in her forehead.

“What’s a bi?” Gabby asks.

“Umm …” I look at Vanessa for permission to explain it, but Vanessa does it for me.

“It means Uncle Shane likes both girls and boys.”

“I like girls and boys!”

“Good for you. It should all be about equality,” Vanessa says. “But, uh, how about you go play in your room while Mommy and Grandma talk to Uncle Shane.”

Talon tenses beside me, ready to defend me I guess, because sending Gabby away can’t be a good thing.

“Okay.” Gabby runs off like an obedient little girl. Of course, the one time I don’t want her to listen, she does.

A sheen of sweat breaks out on my forehead. “So, uh, yeah. I’m bi, and Talon and I are … well, you know …”

“I knew it!” Vanessa says.

“Uh, say what now?” Talon asks. “Knew what? This is new. Like really new.”

“Please, all those rumors in college.”

“What rumors?” Mom asks.

“That Shane and Marcus liked to share. Like girlfriends and stuff. I always wondered how it worked and if there was more to it, but I didn’t want to think about it too hard because, eww, that’s my brother.”

“That was different,” I say. “That was just—”

Mom puts her hands over her ears and sings, “Lalalalalala. I don’t want to know.”