“Nope, you do you, man,” he replies.
I pull on sweatpants because I’ve spent the last several hours in real clothes. Plus, it’s cold as fuck in here since Liam insists on vacationing in an igloo. I grab a T-shirt and make my way back out to the living room with my laptop.
Liam is pacing back and forth with his phone to his ear.
“Yeah, we’re having a great time, thanks.” He doesn’t have the phone on speaker, so I can’t hear what the other person says or even who it is, but it only takes me a second to figure it out when he says, “No, Dad. I’m fine. Just tired after a long day. Let’s catch up later, okay?” After another pause, he says, “Yeah, you too.”
“Acting like everything is normal?” I ask, trying to keep the bitterness out of my voice, which is so fucking hypocritical of me. Christ, I’m going to have a stress-induced heart attack at this rate.
“Yep. Just wanted to check on ‘us boys,’ and make sure we have everything we need.”
I nod, unable to speak around the guilt lodged in my esophagus, as I set my laptop and phone on the coffee table.
Finally accepting that I’m not going to be able to enjoy the time we have left out here if I don’t come clean—about being gay, at least—I prepare to out myself for the first time in my life.
Suddenly, I’m not just cold, I’m fuckingfreezing,like my body is going into shock, and I wrap my arms around myself.
“See,” Li starts, not fully understanding what’s going on, but noticing my shaking frame, “this is why you need to own a hoodie, for crying out loud.” He crosses his arms and pulls his hoodie over his head before throwing it at me.
Of course, he doesn’t have a fucking shirt on underneath. Li acts like every article of clothing personally offended him, so he wears minimal amounts at all times.
Miles of bare skin are winking at me, taunting me.
“We’re buying you a hoodie before we leave,” he states matter-of-factly.
I pull the sweatshirt over my head, inhaling deeply. Maybe I subconsciously didn’t bring a sweatshirt because I knew he’d give me his…and no hoodie I ever buy could compare to this one simply because this one has spent countless hours against his skin.
My heart rate immediately begins to slow just from being wrapped in his scent. Maybe it would help if I made my confession while he was in my lap.
I almost laugh out loud at the thought, but decide to take the plunge.
It’s now or never.
“Li, I need to?—”
“Do you think being queer is genetic?” he asks, interrupting me and leaving me speechless.
Maybe I haven’t hidden it as well as I thought.
Chapter 14
Liam
Me and my stupid fucking mouth, I swear.
Damon stares at me wide-eyed, and I have to admit, it probably seems like that question came out of left field. But I felt something while I was watching Owen and Storm kiss like they were. And then my dad called, and now that I know the truth about him liking both men and women, it just makes me wonder.
It probably would’ve made more sense had I explained all of that to Damon instead of just blurting out the question, but I can’t take it back now.
“I…I don’t know,” he stammers. “Why would you ask me?” He seems almost defensive.
Shit. Am I fucking this up already?
“Uhh, because your brother is gay?” I fire back, watching as he relaxes a fraction, but not much.
Snorting, he says, “Taylor came out of the womb attached to a rainbow-colored umbilical cord, wearing glitter and fake eyelashes. He hasn’t been straight a day in his life.”
The image makes me laugh because it’s so true.
