“Fuck. Mum must have talked to her.”
“Ignore it,” Dylan said.
Callum shook his head. “I can’t.”
Dylan squeezed his thigh. “I’m here, baby. Whatever she says, I’m here.”
Callum answered his sister’s call. “Hi, Molly.”
“You little shit,” she hissed. “Did you do it to hurt Mum?”
Callum gripped his hair tight, but Dylan caught hold of his hand and pressed it to his lips, plying him with gently reassuring kisses.
“No,” he assured his sister. “I needed a job. There was one going at the club, so I took it.”
“How could you even step foot in a place like that?”
“It’s a really great place, Molly.”
“Youlikeit there?” The hate in her voice made the blood freeze in Callum’s veins.
“Yes.”
“Mum’s sobbing her heart out because of you. Thosepeopledestroyed our family.”
Callum pinched the bridge of his nose. “Daddestroyed our family.”
“Is this another one of your cries for attention?” she asked in a disgusted tone. “First getting arrested, now working with a bunch of queers?”
“No.”
“You’re a worthless shit, Cal. All you’ve done is cause Mum and Dad pain, but you’ve really gone and done it now. If you think you can come worming your way back, you’ve got another think coming. They willneverforgive you for this.”
She might as well have ripped his heart out of his chest. He hurt all over and tears ran uncontrollably down his cheeks. She hated him, and she didn’t even know everything. He grasped Dylan’s hand, squeezing hard for comfort and for bravery.
“I didn’t ring Mum to tell her where I worked,” he whispered.
“Then why did you call?” Molly snapped.
“Can you put Mum on? I know she’s there.”
“You must be fucking joking.”
“Please, Molly, I need to talk to her.”
“Well she doesn’t want to talk to you.”
Callum squeezed his eyes shut. “Please.”
“Whatever you’ve got to say, say it to me. I’ll pass it on.”
This wasn’t how he’d wanted the conversation to go. He’d hoped it would be better than this, which probably made him the biggest fool on earth.
“I’m bisexual.”
There was a pause, during which Callum’s mind and heart raced so fast he became dizzy. He sagged against Dylan.
“You’re gay?” The disgust in her voice was like a knife slicing his gut.
