“Whatdid you want to talk about?” Arlene asked when she lowered herself into thechair beside Beau’s father.
Swallowing,Beau remembered the words he’d been rehearsing in his head for days. He wasgoing for casual, nothing blatant or in your face. Just the basics, so he beganwith, “I just wanted to let y’all know that I moved.”
Thatgot Ben’s attention, albeit briefly. Beau wasn’t sure why because he honestlydidn’t think his father even knew where he had lived for the last eight years.
“Whereto?”
“Imoved in with…” The words suddenly died on his tongue. His gut ached androlled, and he wondered if he was going to be sick.
Fordays he had rehearsed what he would say. He’d even gone over and over the wordhe would use to refer to Ethan. There had been several options – lover, friend,partner, boyfriend. But now that Beau was presented with the chance to say theword out loud, he choked.
“Wheredid you move to?” Ben repeated, his words reflecting his impatience.
Suckingit up, Beau decided this was it. He owed himself this much. “I moved in withEthan,” he told them.
“Who’sEthan? Someone you work with?” his mother asked.
“No,”Beau said quickly, but any further comment dried in his throat.
“Ethanwho?” Ben questioned, staring back at him.
“EthanWalker.”
“Ithought you were friends with Zane?” Arlene asked.
“Iam.”
Ok,so now he was definitely chickening out. Beau knew he had to get on with it,but he was having a hard time forming words because his tongue was dry and felttoo thick for his mouth.
“Sowhy are you moving in with Ethan?” she asked sounding genuinely interested.
Maybeit was out of spite, but Beau waited until his father took his next bite offood before he said, “Ethan is my boyfriend.”
Benchoked. Arlene shrieked, her hand coming up to cover her heart like she wasgoing to have a coronary right then and there.
Beausmiled. Strangely enough, he smiled. He wasn’t sure whether it was because he’dgotten the words out, or because he liked saying that Ethan was his boyfriend. Ormaybe because some sadistic part of him enjoyed the startled reaction from hisparents.
Hissmile disappeared abruptly when his father flew up out of his chair, causingthe glass of iced tea to teeter and nearly fall over until his mother grabbedit just in time.
“Out!”Ben growled, the vein in his forehead throbbing as his face reddened.
Beaupushed to his feet. It wasn’t like he hadn’t known this day was coming, butstill, it hurt. More than he wanted to admit. His chest burned as his heartfelt as though it shrank two sizes thanks to the hatred he witnessed in hisfather’s eyes.
Witha simple nod, he stepped around the table and headed for the door, biting backall of the words he wanted to scream at the very man who made him feel sounwanted.
Beforehe could get very far, his father’s hand clamped down on his arm painfullyhard. Jerking away out of instinct, Beau spun around to face him, his backramrod straight. He stood right up to his father, nose to nose, ensuring theman knew he wasn’t that young naïve kid he used to be.
Whatcame next was more painful than if his father would’ve just hit him.
“You’rea disgrace, you know that?” Ben rattled, his face red, his eyes shooting lasersof malevolence at Beau. “A damned disgrace. At one time, I thought there waspotential. You almost made something of yourself. Obviously, it wasn’t enoughfor you to ruin that, was it? Now you want to shame this family because you’rea…. a…”
Ananswering rage built up in Beau, his heart thumping in his chest, his handsballed into fists as he stared back at his father. “What? I’m a what,Dad?Say it.”
Beauwasn’t sure his father could be any more pissed than he was right then. “You’reafag!”
Clampinghis lips shut, he swallowed the words he wanted to say. Instead, Beau noddedhis head, completely disgusted with this man whom he had called Dad. The manhadn’t earned the title.
“Getout! And don’t you ever come back!” Ben yelled.
