“Ryan!” Mom hissed atme.
I slowly stood and took the time to push my chair in before I rounded the table. I stood in front of my dad but wouldn’t look in his eyes. He stepped closer, and when his hands touched my upper arms, I felt ice cold. With both of his hands on my shoulders, he slowly pulled me against him. He guided my head to his shoulder while his other hand went up and down myback.
“Ryan, I’ve missedyou.”
I held the hem of my shirt because I didn’t want to have to hug him back. My hands were busy holding myshirt.
“You’ve filled out a lot since I last saw you,Ryan.”
His hands went to my biceps, and he squeezed as he felt them. My stomach clenched andtightened.
“Is your chest built uptoo?”
I faintly heard him ask something, but I struggled to concentrate. I wasn’t mentally entirely in the room. I physically stood there, but I wasn’tthere.
“Hmm?” he askedagain.
I nodded. I felt it was the smart thing todo.
“I’ve missed you more than you know, Ry. All ofyou.”
Fuck, I felt how hard he was and instinctively, I began to pull away. He patted my cheek, and I turned my face away. I turned my body away from him and looked around the room to see if anyone was looking at me. He recovered from the awkwardhug.
“Yes, let’s sit down and catch up,” hesuggested.
My mom giggled as I walked behind her to my seat. I’m pretty sure she found humor in the fact that he was hard. It was embarrassing because she couldn’t control her laughter. It was like she was a child, laughing at the most inappropriatetimes.
“Hereallymissed you, baby. Did you feel how much he missed you?” she laughed and rubbed myarm.
I stared at the table and folded my arms in front of me and prayed that she would juststop.
“I brought you pictures of his graduation from the summer. I just got the film developed.” My mom slid the pictures toward him. “Money has beentight.”
Maybe I could get another part-time job to help herout.
“You helping with the money,Ryan?”
Inodded.
“What are you doing tohelp?”
I thought about all of the times she’d brought “friends”over.
“Hmm?” he interrupted my thoughts. “How are youhelping?”
“I’m—I’m there for when she brings people over,” Imumbled.
“People?” Dad glared at my mom. “People,Elizabeth?”
“They’re just the same people that you’ve known have comeover.”
“Women, though,right?”
“Yes!”
I looked down and tugged my shirt out and away from my body as they talked about the ways my body made her money. He ran his fingers over my body in the pictures at mygraduation.
“Chad still getting him?” he asked my mom, but looked atme.
