Our Way

“What are you planning? Give her five years and three kids, and then go back to your ex, while your best friend raises your kids alone?”

“What the fuck?” I growl as my temper breaks.

“Nathan,” Eliza whispers from behind me as she arrives back at the table.

I stand in a rush, and Eliza grabs my arm.

“Nathan, calm down. What… what did you say to him?” Eliza stammers to Jolie.

“How dare you even suggest such a thing!” I yell.

Brooke looks between us. “What did you say, Jo?”

“I asked him if he’s in love with Eliza or if he’s just looking for an incubator to make his babies.” She huffs.

Eliza’s face falls. “Jolie.” She gasps.

“You make me sick. You’re a fucking hypocrite, just like the rest of them.” I sneer at Jolie. “I thought we were friends?”

“How am I a hypocrite?” She gasps, as if offended.

“Oh, I’m your friend, Nathan. You have my full support. I love all people, Gay Pride, I go to Mardi Gras and celebrate. Let’s change our Facebook banner to prove we love gay people. Much like the rest of society, you play the game of acceptance, don’t you? Love is love, they all say… until it’s fucking not!” I cry. “A man who’s been with men in the past, who then falls in love with a woman must have an agenda, mustn’t he?” I yell. “There’s no way that I could just be in love with Eliza, is there?” I lose all control. “Love isn’t fucking love, is it?” I cry. “Love is judgement.”

“I didn’t mean—”

“Yes, you did. So, don’t you sit there with your pathetic hypocrisy and pretend to be accepting.” I slam my drink down on the table. “This. This, exactly right here, is why people like me don’t feel accepted in society. Because backstabbing assholes like you play the acceptance game until it’s on someone you know and care about. Then it’s wrong, and you suddenly can’t get your head around it.”

“Nathan.” Eliza pulls at me. “Let’s go.”

“You want to know an agenda, Jolie, you idiot?” I yell, I’ve completely lost control of my temper. “An agenda is a guy that sleeps with a woman to get porn footage.”

Her face falls.

“Oh, but that’s okay.” I shake my head in disgust. “Because he’s straight and normal, so he must be a good guy.”

Eliza pulls me toward the door. I get a lump in my throat, overwhelmed with emotion.

Love is love… What a joke.

I storm toward the door as adrenaline pumps through my system like never before.

I’m livid.

I burst out the doors of the bar in a rush, and Eliza is near running beside me to keep up.

“Nathan, don’t worry about what she said. It was out of line, I’m sorry.”

I stride along the sidewalk toward the car.

“Why would you let her worry you?” She cries. “We know it’s not true… is it?”

I keep walking as my temper hits crescendo.

Now I’ve fucking heard it all.

She’s questioning if I actually want her for a child. Here I am loving her with my everything, and she thinks I’m using her.

If she stabbed me in the heart it would be less painful.