Gio leans back in his chair, legs stretched out. "You know, Charles," he says, "I was actually gonna tell you, your son’s got this habit of—"
"Of getting involved with people beneath him?" my father interrupts, eyes cutting into Gio. "Yes, I’m well aware."
I freeze. He looks at me like he’s asking for permission. And I know. I know it’s going to be a disaster. It always is. We’ve just been postponing it.
Fine. Let it happen now. I’m tired of hiding the main source of my happiness. I’m tired of shrinking it down so other people can breathe easier.
I don’t just want to tell him. I want it to hurt. The way he hurt me. The way he hurt Gio.
Maybe that makes me cruel. Maybe it makes me petty. But I’m done being gentle with someone who was never gentle with us.
I nod.
He gives me that slow smile that kinda makes me a little scared. "Interesting choice of words," Gio says softly. "Though I wouldn’t exactly say I’m beneath him." He pauses.
"If anything…" he leans back just a little, eyes still locked on my father, "he’s usually the one underneath."
My father’s chair scrapes violently as he shoots up, face red with fury. I don’t even register it at first, just hear it. Then my brain catches up and my heart fucking explodes.
He moves like a goddamn lunatic. One second Gio is sitting, the next he’s slammed against the wall, my father’s hand holding his throat. I stumble forward, tripping over my own feet to get to them.
Gio is laughing. His eyes glint like he’s loving this. His head hits the wall but he doesn’t flinch.
I’m gonna fucking kill him. I told him to start a conversation, not go get himself murdered??
I grab my dad’s shoulder fast, trying to pull him away from Gio, but he shakes my hand off.
I shove him harder. I never thought it would come to this. I never thought I’d reach a point where I’d have to put my hands on my own father like this. But I will not let anyone touch Gio with that kind of disrespect. Not even him.
"Are you out of your mind??" I yell. "Seriously?? Is violence the only language you speak? What are you, an animal?" My dad looks at me. Then at Gio. Back and forth. Same disgust on his face for both of us. It should hurt. It should break me. Instead, it makes me furious.
I stand in front of Gio like a shield. My hands are shaking. "You’ve actually fucking lost it, haven’t you? Completely and absolutely. You’re not just bitter, you’re fucking broken!" I laugh.
"How do you live like this? How does it not kill you to carry this much hate around?" I look at Gio. He’s rubbing his neck, right where my dad had his hand.
Jesus… If Gio doesn’t press charges, it’ll be a miracle. I look back at dad. Fuck it. I take a deep breath. "I was gonna tell you, you know? Genuinely.Calmly. Thought maybe for once, you’d actually fucking listen to me." I step closer to him. "But you don’t deserve calm. You don’t deserve respect. Or trust. Or answers."
I feel my whole body buzzing. Like I’m going to shatter from the inside out. "You remember what you said, right? That time? Howsickit is for guys to like guys? About people being gay? Or as your homophobic ass calls them—broken, ‘unnatural’, is that correct?" I take a step forward. "'They’redisgusting.'" Another step. "'They deserve hell.'" My voice drops. "'Thank Godmy son is normal.'" I smile. It hurts.
"Watch this."
I turn, grab Gio by the shirt and kiss him as hard as I can. He clutches my waist and I clutch his face, moving fast. Then I turn.
"Oh dear God—" My dad steps forward, and right as he lifts his arm, about to hit either me or Gio, Gio moves. He grabs my dad’s wrist, holds it there for a second, then drops it hard.
Even my dad looks shocked. Like he forgot for a second that Gio’s not a kid. "If you wanna leave this room with that hand still attached," Gio whispers calmly, "I’d suggest you fucking don’t."
"I knew it," dad shouts, voice shaking with rage as he looks Gio up and down like he’s filth. "You’re the fucking problem. You did this. What did you say to him, huh? What things have you been whispering in his ear to turn my son into this absolute mess?!"
Gio tilts his head. Smiles. "I didn’t say things to your son," he murmurs. "Ididthings to your son. Many,manythings."
And that’s it. That’s the moment. My father’s fist slams into Gio’s face, making it snap to the side. "NO!" I shove my dad away without even thinking and grab Gio’s face, checking everywhere at once.
His lip starts bleeding. A little at first, then more. And that’s when my eyes fill with tears. That’s when it clicks.
Being hit myself hurt, yeah. But watching him hit Gio? That finishes me. Everything inside me breaks. My throat burns. I can’t even think properly.
I look at Gio.
