Tyler's eyes go wide. I probably shouldn't have said that last part. Sounds too personal. Too specific.
But I can't stop now.
"What people do privately is just that… It’s private, Dad. They're good people. You don't know them."
The silence stretches so long I check to make sure the call's still connected.
When Dad speaks again, his voice is ice. Cold and sharp and nothing like how a Dad should sound.
"Let me make something very clear to you, son." The word 'son' sounds like a threat. "You associate with those people, you're spitting on everything this family stands for. Everything I've built. Your grandfather would be rolling in his grave."
"Grandpa never?—"
"I am talking." His voice cracks like a whip. "You want to throw away your future for a bunch of cock-sucking degenerates? Fine. But don't come crying to me when it all fallsapart. When they corrupt you. When you catch whatever the hell they've got."
"That's not how?—"
"I don't want to hear it." A bitter laugh. "My own son. Defending fairies. Maybe I should've spent more time with you instead of letting your mother coddle you before she died."
Low blow. He knows it's a low blow. Uses her against me every goddamn time.
I can't breathe.
"Stay away from them, Gavin. Or stay away from this family. Your choice."
Click.
He hung up on me. Just... hung up.
I stare at my phone. The screen's gone dark. My reflection stares back, some pale, shaky version of me I don't recognize.
"Gav?" Tyler's voice, soft. Careful. "Hey. Talk to me."
"He..." I have to swallow twice before words come out. "He wants me to push you out. All of you. The gay guys. Says I'm betraying the family by living with—" I can't repeat the words. "—by being your friend."
"Jesus."
"I told him no." My laugh sounds wrong. Broken. "Told him you're my best friend and he's wrong about everything. And he just... he brought up my mom. Said she coddled me. Like that's why I'm not a raging bigot like him."
Tyler's on his feet now, hand on my shoulder. "Fuck him."
"Ty—"
"No, I mean it. Fuck him." His grip tightens. "You stood up to him. For me. For all of us. Do you know how huge that is?"
I'm shaking. When did I start shaking?
"He's my dad."
"He's an asshole who doesn't deserve you." Tyler pulls me into a hug. I'm bigger than him, but right now I feel about twoinches tall. "I'm so fucking proud of you, man. What you said to him, that took guts."
"Doesn't feel like guts. Feels like I’m gonna throw up."
"That's what guts feel like." He pulls back, hands on my shoulders. "You okay?"
"No." Honest answer. "But I've got practice in an hour, so I'm gonna have to be."
Tyler winces. "You sure you should go? Coach would understand?—"
