Chapter Thirty-Two
Malcolm
Three days later, I was still feeling the intense pounding my guys had given me. My aching jaw and sore rear were like a constant reminder that they had dominated me, right there in my very own bed.
And now? Mother and Father were coming over to meet them.
Gunner came over at work, and we spent a couple hours cleaning together. I scrubbed every surface in the kitchen while he swept and polished the floors, and when I got too nervous, he’d come over and distract me with some kisses and some flirty pats on my butt. The place was looking up to my parents’ very high standards when Maddox showed up, the rumble of his motorcycle on the street alerting me to his arrival.
My jaw dropped when I opened the door. Clean shaven, dressed in a black button-up and slacks, and with his hair nicely combed, he looked startlingly dashing. I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek to welcome him in, and a moment later, Gunner came wandering out of the bathroom, a toothbrush dangling from his mouth. In his own dark blue button-up, he looked every bit as proper as Maddox.
Except for their tattoos, that was. There was no fooling my parents, and between their tendency to cuss and use slang and the intense ink covering their bodies, I doubted Maddox and Gunner would strike them as upstanding citizens.
“I can’t believe I’m actually going through with this,” I said, dropping into an antique armchair. I had a cup of chamomile tea waiting to help me relax, but even as I kept sipping the hot liquid, my anxieties flew through the roof.
Maddox and Gunner joined me, sitting beside each other on the couch. Maddox reached out, patting my knee. “I’m proud of you,” he said. “It takes a lot of integrity to be honest about who you are and what you want. But I also want you to know you don’t need to do this for me.”
“Or for me,” Gunner added.
Maddox nodded. “Meeting the two of you has turned my world upside down in ways you can’t even imagine. I never thought I could connect so strongly with a guy who was younger than me, let alone two guys. But now that I have found you, I’m damn sure not going anywhere. I’ll be happy just spending my days with you both and taking my time getting to know you better.”
I nodded. “I appreciate that,” I said. “But this is something I need. Some people might be able to live a lie, but I can’t spend my days falling for two amazing men and then turn around and talk to my parents like everything is the same as it has always been.” I shook my head, feeling more certain I was making the right choice. “I know they’re not going to take it well, but the two of you are important to me. I just hope they’ll come around to understanding that.”
Gunner whistled, then leaned back against Maddox. “I think it’s brave,” he said. “I never even told my father I was gay. The second he figured it out on his own, I was out the door.”
Maddox nodded. “The same with my father. But I understand what you mean, Malcolm. You have to be honest with the people you love. There’s no other way.”
I took a sip of tea, then looked up to both of them.
What about you?I wanted to ask.Could you be the people I love some day?
My heart told me yes and that, in some ways, maybe they already were. But saying that this early in the relationship seemed ridiculous. We still had so much to talk about, and with my parents driving over at that very moment, I hardly had the headspace for romantic declarations.
“You tell them whatever you want,” Maddox said, squeezing my knee again. “Just know that Gunner and I are here for you.”
“Thanks,” I said, finishing off my tea. Before we could dive deeper, however, the buzzer to my apartment chimed, making my stomach lurch.
“Here goes,” I muttered, rising to my feet.
When I opened the door, my parents were clearly already upset. My mother had her fingers laced together in front of her, and my father was frowning and wrinkling his brow. They had still dressed up, of course, and still brought over an expensive bottle of wine. From the dark clouds over their face, however, there was no doubt—they were not happy about it.
Maybe I shouldn’t have told them to brace themselves?
“Mother, Father,” I said, trying to keep my voice bright. “I’m so glad you could make it. We have a rhubarb pie staying warm in the oven, but why don’t you come in and sit down first?”
Gunner and Maddox both rose to their feet, and Gunner rushed over to greet them. “Let me grab that wine so you can take a seat,” he offered. His voice was warm, but from the way his fists were clenching by his side, I knew he was as riddled with anxiety as anyone else.
Mother and Father looked at each other out of the corners of their eyes but didn’t move beyond the entranceway. “Yes,” Mother said gingerly. “And who is this?” She looked at Gunner, then over my shoulder to Maddox. “Two?” she asked, tilting her head to the side.
Maddox stepped forward, offering his hand. “My name is Maddox Richter,” he said.
“Gunner,” Gunner said, sticking his hand out as well.
My father and mother each did the polite thing, shaking their hands and muttering their names.
“Malcolm,” my father said, dropping his voice a little. “Could we perhaps speak to you in private for a moment?”
I turned to the guys, and Maddox rested his hand on my shoulder. “Why don’t Gunner and I go grab the pie?” he said. “We can put on some tea, also. You all just let us know when you’re ready for us.”
