“We know your salary, Kieran.” Meredith pinched the bridge of her nose. “You’re not making enough to live off of forever, no matter how much you save. And what about us? You’re not worried about us? About your father?”
“I’m making plenty of money in other ways. And ofcourse, I’m worried about you guys. But I need to make the right decision forme, and that decision is to keep playing for as long as I can.” Kieran’s voice was rising, control slipping from his grasp.
“Oh?” Meredith rolled her eyes. “And how exactly are you planning to make enough to support yourself later?”
The creature ripped out of him. Her dismissive tone pulled it forth, bringing his anger into the light.
“I have an OnlyFans!” Kieran spat the admission. His mother’s eyes flew wide. “I fuck people on the internet! And I’m making a shit ton of money doing it, so I think I’m going to be just fine.”
“Don’t talk to your mother that way.” Grant’s tone was dark, his frown cutting deep lines into his sun-tanned skin.
“But she can sit there and tell me how to run my own life?” A barking laugh tore out of Kieran. “I’m a grown ass man, andI’d appreciate it if the two of you started treating me like one.” Sniffling caught his attention.
Meredith was crying, devastation shining in her eyes.
“How could you do this?” She was gasping, sobs rattling through her. The theatrics of it only served to anger Kieran further. “You should be ashamed of yourself, using your body like that to make money! What if people find out? You’ll ruin your future, Kieran, much more than you already have.”
“Ruin my future? That’s great.” Kieran scrubbed a hand down his face, trying to calm himself and failing. “So you’ll say that to me but not to him?” He stabbed a finger toward his father on the screen.
“This isn’t about me,” Grant growled.
“The fuck it isn’t!” Kieran felt like he’d finally flown off the rails himself. “You’ve got someone who’s ready and willing to help, to take over the farm if necessary, and you won’t even fuckingtalkto him.”
“What’s going on between my brother and I is none of your business!”
“Itismy business if it means you expect me to give up my life because you’re too stubborn to have one goddamn conversation with someone who cares about you.” Kieran paused, sucking a sharp breath into his lungs, then another. He couldn’t get hold of his emotions, the anger and disappointment overflowing until he felt as though he were drowning in them. Grant’s face was red, rage contorting his features even as he was left speechless. Meredith was still crying next to him, and Kieran couldn’t find it in himself to feel bad for reducing his mother to tears. “I’m done talking about this with either of you. If you don’t want to accept the choices I’ve made formylife, that’s your prerogative. But I’m sick of you acting like I don’t have a say in any of this.”
“You need to calm down and apologize to your mother,” Grant seethed and Kieran saw red.
“Calm down?” He let out a scoffing laugh. “Yeah, sure. Let me do just that.” One click of the track pad and the video ended. Kieran stared at the screen, heaving breaths rattling his chest.
He would regret it later. Probably. But for now, all Kieran could feel was a burning resentment. He’d known the conversation wouldn’t go well, that his parents wouldn’t like his decision. And he sure as hell hadn’t planned to tell them about his side hustle.
It was all out in the open between them, finally. Everything that Kieran had kept to himself all summer long. He figured that the hardest part was over. The saying it, putting his feelings to words and speaking them out loud. If he could handle that, he could handle whatever came next.
Kieran closed his laptop, leaning back on his small sofa with a sigh. He closed his eyes, trying to find the calm he wanted to return to. On his own terms, not because his father had told him to. Not because Grant couldn’t handle Kieran’s anger.
A knock sounded out. Kieran opened his eyes, frowning at his door. He wasn’t expecting anyone, and honestly didn’t want to deal with putting on a performance of being okay.
Another knock, one that was louder, sharper, and decidedly more persistent.
“Captain, we know you’re in there.”
“Let us in!”
“Guys, stop. He might be napping.”
“Napping? Like an old man?”
“Shut the fuck up, Bow.”
More knocking. Kieran rose from the couch, crossing the room slowly.
“There’s no way he’s napping.”
“Maybe he has a girl over?”
“Oh shit, what if that’s how he celebrates?”
