Maddox placed his hand on my shoulder, and his touch helped me to calm down. “Give him another minute,” he said confidently. “Malcolm knows what he’s doing.”
I leaned against the wall, sighing and crossing my arms over my chest. “It’s like his parents don’t even know him,” I complained. “Malcolm might be kind of timid, but he knows what he wants.” I clenched my fists. “They’re talking like he’s a child.”
Maddox nodded. “I know this must be a shock for them, but you’re right. They don’t seem to hear a word that he says.”
Malcolm’s voice rang out from the living room, strained and urgent. “I do care about them! I care about them more than anyone else I’ve dated.”
Maddox and I caught each other’s eyes, and I couldn’t help but smile. “At least he’s standing up to them,” I said. “It’s kind of sexy to hear him defending our relationship.”
“Our relationship,” Maddox repeated.
I scrunched up my face, worried I had said the wrong thing. “Or whatever this is,” I muttered.
“It’s a relationship,” Maddox said. “Not a conventional one, sure, but it’s definitely a relationship.” He smiled down at me. “I’m not planning on going away. Are you?”
I chuckled, then leaned into the warmth of his body, happy to hear him confirm that, even with the stressful conversation in the other room. “Absolutely not,” I agreed. “You know, one of the other bartenders at the Steel Rose is in love with two guys.” As soon as I said it, my mouth clamped shut. I hadn’t meant to drop thatLword that casually, even though I was talking about someone else.
“Brick,” Maddox said. “Yeah, Lilith told me a little about him.”
I looked up to him, trying to read his face, but Maddox’s expression was sternly focused on the conversation between Malcolm and his parents.
“Malcolm!” his father said suddenly, his voice rising. “You will end this foolishness now, before there are consequences for your actions, and I won’t hear another word about it!”
In the pause that followed the outburst, I heard Malcolm’s breath, strained and fast. It sounded like he was about to hyperventilate. Even with Maddox holding me close, the rage burning in my chest was too much. I just wanted the two of us to be out there by Malcolm’s side, instead of hiding in the kitchen with a rhubarb pie.
Maddox must have read my mind because when Malcolm choked on his own desperate breaths, he sighed. “Okay,” he said. “Let’s intervene.”
Without a second’s delay, I burst out of the kitchen and into the living room, Maddox immediately behind me. Malcolm was sitting alone on the couch, his face trembling as his parents berated him.
I started to open my mouth to yell at his parents, but before I could, Maddox joined Malcolm, placing an arm around his shoulders and pulling him close. When Malcolm immediately relaxed into Maddox’s embrace, I swallowed my words and joined them on the couch, holding Malcolm from the other side.
“Absolutely not!” his father declared, rising to his feet. “I will not sit here idly and watch this display!”
“What?” I spat at them. “Two people who care about your son? Is that really so bad?”
Malcolm’s mother stared, her eyes circling between all three of us. It was like she was trying to understand something, but with her husband fuming behind her, she quickly turned away.
“We’re leaving,” his father announced, helping his mother to her feet. “I will not stand by and watch my only son make such foolish, ill-conceived choices!”
Maddox pulled Malcolm a little closer. “If you think Malcolm is capable of making foolish choices, I doubt that you know your son at all.”
His father grunted under his breath. “And I suppose some aged grease monkey and his delinquent friend know my son better than his own parents?” He turned to Malcolm, narrowing his eyes. “We will see you this Sunday for dinner and discuss things further then.”
I stood up, my body shaking with anger. If they were leaving, the argument might have been my last chance to actually talk to them, and there were some things I needed to say. “Your son is a strong, good man,” I announced. “He’s sweet, and he’s caring, and he’s good. He doesn’t judge people based on how they look or how they were raised. He accepts people for who they are, and that takes a hell of a lot more strength than either of you apparently have.” Malcolm grabbed my hand, squeezing tightly, but I couldn’t stop the words from flying out. “If you refuse to see that, it’s your loss. But Maddox and I are going to keep on caring about Malcolm and looking out for him, no matter what anyone else says.”
Maddox stood, joining me by my side. “We know that Malcolm is someone special,” he said. “It’s a real shame his own parents can’t look beyond their own noses to see that, too.”
Malcolm’s mother still stared at us, not saying a word. She searched my face, then Maddox’s, and then turned back to her son. I thought she was about to say something, but before she could open her mouth, his father grabbed her elbow.
“Goodbye, Malcolm,” he said abruptly, turning away from us. “And good riddance to the two of you.”
I turned back to Malcolm once they had stormed out. His eyes were watery, and his shoulders slumped.
“Are you okay?” Maddox asked, joining him on the couch.
“I’m sorry,” I said, returning to my seat. “I just couldn’t keep my mouth shut.”
Malcolm shook his head, then pushed his glasses back, rubbing his eyes. “I knew it was going to go poorly all along. I guess the reality of it was just more painful than I realized.”
