What had I done to deserveit?
“She’s been bullying mesince we were kids and she’salwaysgotten away with it, why should this be anydifferent? Why should it matter?”
My parents weren’t going to doanything about this, and experience told me Grandmacouldn’t—no more than shehad, anyway.
It was up to me.
“Honey, that’s not—”
“Mom,” I said. “Eitherlisten to me or I’ll walk awaywithoutexplaining myself.”
I could walk away.
I never had to talk to anyof them again. Never.
Never had to see this townagain, never had to dread who I’d run into, never had to dig deep to look for thebright side.
Not once.
The relief of realizing thatmade me feel so light I might as well have been hovering a couple of inchesabove the ground.
Fuck.I could leave.
Iwasleaving. Rightafter I’dtold them all exactly why.
What were they going to do,disown me?
They’d neverownedme. They’d never wantedme.
This was everyone’s best-casescenario.
“I’m gay,” I said, lookingmy mother right in the eyes and watching them harden. She knew. Of course sheknew.
They all knew, I’d just neversaid it. Never made itreal.
I took a step back to standshoulder-to-shoulder with Logan.
Not out of fear. I wasn’t afraid of anyof them anymore.
“Can I hold your hand?” Iasked softly, and I meantnow, but I also meant in the future. Today andevery day, from now on.
“Sure,” Logan responded,offering it between us. Calm as ever.
Wrapping my fingers aroundhis, in front of my whole family, felt so damned good I could have ridden thehigh all the way back to San Francisco.
Where I was going, rightafter I was finished with this conversation.
No,Sacramento. WhereLogan had offered to take me.
I’d work out what to do nextonce we got there.
“Which all of you know,” Icontinued, louder. “And I’ve never said it because I’ve been so afraid you’dhate me, and I guess this is all my stupid fault, because if I’d cut ties likeI should have when I left the first time, none of this would have happened.”
I took a deep breath,squeezing Logan’s hand for support. He squeezed right back without hesitation.
Yeah, he was a keeper.Worthkeeping.
Worth this, no matter howhard it was.
