“Ricky,” I say, taking a step closer to him and cupping his cheek. “It’s okay.”
He sniffles, shaking his head in disagreement but not enough to make me pull my hand back.
I press my lips to his, a form of assurance that it will all work out.
“They had to find out one way or another.”
His eyes search mine, but his lips remain closed. I can tell he’s on the verge of sobbing. It’s not ideal for them to walk in and find us that way, but it’s not the end of the world.
“I plan to spend the rest of my life with you. It would be kind of weird for them to find out I’m bi at our wedding.”
His eyes flash with a sparkle of humor, but it quickly fades.
“Why are they here?” he manages.
“I forgot they were coming.”
“Forgot? How do you forget your parents are flying in from a thousand miles away?”
“I’ve been wrapped up in you.” It’s a simple answer, but it’s the truth.
“Who was the last one back to the room last night?”
I tilt my head. I know it’s common to find someone to blame when shit goes sideways, but this is no one’s fault but my parents not respecting boundaries, something I plan on having a serious talk to them about.
“The hallway was quiet last night. We went to piss together. Technically—”
“I was the last one in the room,” he interrupts. “I’m so fucking stupid. I’m sorry. You may not believe me, but—”
I shut him up with a kiss, pulling away long before I want to.
“I can’t kiss you right now. I have to go chat with my parents, and I don’t think it’s a good idea to do that with a hard-on.”
He manages a chuckle.
“Now get dressed because you’re going to be expected to join us for breakfast.”
He shakes his head. “They’re not going to want me there.”
This angers me a little, but I do my best to hide it. “You know better than that. Go wash your face, give me ten minutes, and meet me out front.”
I smack his ass before pulling on my shoes and leaving the room.
I find Mom and Dad on a bench in the small courtyard between our dorm building and the one next door.
They don’t seem mad or upset when I approach, but both have gotten very good at hiding their emotions, a requirement when raising a son after witnessing atrocities going on with Dad’s work.
Mom looks up at me, her cheeks flaming red. “Landon, I’m so sorry.”
“You should’ve knocked,” I mutter.
“We did,” Dad says. “Twice, but I guess you were—”
Mom smacks his arm. “You don’t have to say it.”
My spine stiffens. “Because it’s what? Gross? Vulgar?”
She pulls her head back as if my words are a slap in the face. “Private, son. We interrupted a private moment.”
I can work with private, but it leaves me wondering if the next line of conversation is going to include them asking to keep such things behind closed doors.
“Are you ready for breakfast?” Dad asks.
I don’t move a muscle. “Are you just going to ignore it?”
“What’s that, sweetheart?”
I slow blink at my mom. I’ve heard of people coming out and their family members pretending like that conversation never happened., like maybe if they don’t talk about it isn’t true.
“What you saw upstairs.”
“I mean,” Mom shrugs, “I guess it was inevitable.”
“That I’m bi?”
Her brows scrunch.
“Rick and I are together?”
“That we’d catch you two together,” Dad answers.
Shit. Now I’m confused.
“You expected us to get caught?”
Dad shrugs. “You guys have been together since high school. It was bound to happen.”
“We thought it would happen sooner. I know young men are very virile, and—”
I groan. “Mom, please don’t say virile in front of me ever again. What do you mean been together since high school? This is new. Like this semester new.”
They both look confused. It just seems to be the day for it.
“We presumed that you guys were just keeping it secret, and that’s why you two acted so distant when you were together.”
Another round of slow blinking at my dad.
Mom chuckles. “I think you broke him, Dustin.”
“Wait,” I snap. “You thought I was bi this whole time, and you never said anything?”
“We figured you’d say something when you were ready,” Dad offers.
“You’ve always been bi, honey. You may just not have realized it, and that’s okay.”
Dad nods at Mom’s statement.
I can’t even argue that I’m bi/gay for only Rick because Joey didn’t sneak by unnoticed yesterday. I may only want intimate things with Rick but that’s about love not just focused on sexual attraction, because Joey is smoking fucking hot.
“I’m honestly surprised he stopped staying the night at the house,” Dad says.
“We were going to have to put an end to it because we can’t be the parents that allowed teenage boyfriends to have sex under our roof,” Mom adds.