“Jack and Connor caught us together in the backyard one night last summer.”
Matt’s laughed. “Jesus. So when Mom asked you to talk to them last month about their lifestyle…”
“Peak irony,” Seth admitted dryly. “Then, this morning…Carl caught Beck sneaking across the hall, back to his room. Surprisingly, he’s okay with it, though. I’m hoping that’ll make a difference when I break the news to Mom on Monday.”
“You know she’s going to lose her fucking mind.”
“Yep,” Seth said quietly. “But I can’t keep lying to her. And we can’t keep pretending. It’s not fair to Beck.”
Matt nodded slowly. “I get it. And for what it’s worth, you’re doing the right thing. It won’t be easy, but you deserve to live your life the way you want, without hiding.”
“You really feel that way? You’re not weirded out or disappointed?”
Matt studied him for a long moment, his expression serious. “Seth, I don’t care what your love life looks like. You’re my brother, and I love you no matter what.” He paused, then his mouth curved into a wry smile. “But I do want to know what kind of flowers you want on your grave.”
Seth huffed out a laugh despite himself, the tension breaking slightly. “Asshole.”
“I am.” Matt nodded with a grin. “But I’ve always got your back.”
“Thanks, man,” Seth said, his voice rough.
Matt’s support meant the world to him.
“Think Danny has any inkling?” Seth asked.
“I doubt it. If he’d figured it out, he would have said something to me.”
Seth nodded, his chest loosening slightly. “True that.”
“You telling him next?”
“I’ve got to.”
Matt tensed. “Yeah. But Maggie?—”
“I know. She can’t find out before Mom. I’ve got a plan.”
“Thanks for trusting me enough to come clean,” Matt said. “I miss having you around, but now that I’ve met Beck and Heavenly…you’re where you belong.”
“I miss you, too, bro.”
Just then, the emcee’s voice rang out over the speakers. “Ladies and gentlemen, dinner is now being served. Please find your seats.”
Matt straightened, gesturing toward the doors. “Guess that’s our cue.”
Seth nodded and glanced back through windows, watching as waiters began moving through the room with plates, before they headed back inside together.
He collected Heavenly from where she stood with Beck near the dance floor. Together, they retrieved Hudson, who had taken up with the twins again. They made their way to the family table. Heavenly sat between him and Beck—a deliberate choice, meant to unconsciously prepare others to accept them as a trio. Hudson sat on his other side, a little put out that his dad and Beck the hard-ass had hauled him away from hearing some likely inappropriate frat-party story.
Appetizers appeared. Casual expression locked in place, Seth pushed stuffed mushrooms around his plate.
Across from him, Jack and Connor wolfed theirs down, then announced that they were heading back to the bar.
“Not without me.” Matt followed, leaving them alone with Danny, Maggie, and Anna.
As the server cleared his plate, Beck leaned over Heavenly and whispered, “What’s wrong? Seems like everything has gone well so far.”
“Yeah, but one more conversation to go.” He glanced Danny’s way. “And he’s the wild card.”
