Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 81423 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 407(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81423 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 407(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
“Destiny?” she teased.
I couldn’t find it in myself to joke, though, not then. “He said he wants to be friends.”
“Do you want that? That’s what’s most important. You need to protect your heart.”
Yeah…yeah, I really did. He’d been the only one who had ever found his way inside, and then he shattered it. The fucker. I didn’t know what it was about him that got to me so much.
“I told him I’d try. I want to, and I hate that I do. I thought I got past all this shit years ago. Makes me feel weak. I fucking hate that.”
“It’s not weak to love someone, or to get your heart broken. But…I’m glad he’s here this time. I’d like to meet him, and if he hurts my big brother again, he’s going to have me to deal with.” She flexed her muscles playfully, and I laughed. It was exactly what I needed. Well, that and maybe to get laid. I didn’t need Remington Monroe for that.
Bruno came back over then, so we curbed our conversation. A minute later Mom opened the door and yelled that lunch was ready.
The three of us went back inside, where we all crowded around the table to eat the casserole Mom had made the night before and warmed up today. Dad said a prayer before we all dug in.
“I saw Griffin yesterday,” Phil said. “He seems to be doing pretty well.”
“Yeah, they’re doing great,” I replied, wishing Phil hadn’t brought it up.
“I’m still not sure how I feel about Chase Hawthorne getting his job back. What he does in his private time is his business, but he’s an officer of the law,” Dad said. Here we went.
Chase and Kellan had some photos taken of them without their consent. They’d ended up all over town, and it had been, well, it had been touch and go for a while on how it would all work out. Luckily, everything was good now; only people like my family still brought it up.
“There is no but. That was a private moment. Nothing Chase and Kellan did was wrong.” Would people still be talking about it if Kellan was a woman? Would my parents?
“Can we not talk about sex photos at the lunch table?” Mom said. “And I wish you didn’t hang out at that bar so often, Lawson. Why does anyone need to be at a bar that much? You tell me that. I hope you’re not getting a drinking problem.”
I rolled my eyes, and Phil offered his support. “Mom, he’s an adult. He can hang out where he wants, and he doesn’t have a drinking problem.”
“I didn’t say he couldn’t spend time there. I said I wish he didn’t do it so often. It doesn’t look good. The type of people who spend time in bars all the time are George Hawthorne and Jimmy, and look what happened there—both alcoholic criminals.”
“Ma, Law isn’t a criminal,” Mere said.
“It’s a really nice place,” Alesha added. “Griffin runs a clean establishment.”
“I don’t find it very appropriate that Chase Hawthorne spends so much time there either. Not with his father’s history and his position in town,” Dad insisted.
“Oh Jesus Christ,” jumped out of my mouth. Why in the fuck had I ever thought it was a good idea to move back to Havenwood?
“Please don’t speak like that,” Mom scolded.
“But it’s okay to talk about Chase and Kellan’s sex life? Or basically call Chase an alcoholic because his dad was? And alcoholism is a disease. Also, I don’t have it. I don’t even drink every time I go. I spend time with my friends, who aren’t judgmental and don’t give me shit about the length of my hair, or my choice to own a small business, and they don’t think someone should lose their job because a crime was committed against them, or because they happen to be bisexual and in a relationship with someone of the same gender.”
Everyone was quiet for a moment, all eyes on me.
“I didn’t say it had anything to do with the man’s choices,” Dad said.
“Jes—holy shit. They aren’t choices, Dad. Chase was born bisexual, and he loves Kellan.”
“Are you gay? Is that why you haven’t brought anyone home?” Mom asked.
Fuck. Part of me wanted to say yes, even though I wasn’t. Or to say I was bi, but instead I dropped my head back and exhaled a deep breath. My family was crazy. This town was crazy.
“Mom, just because Law hasn’t found the right woman yet doesn’t mean he’s gay. Jesus,” Phil said. I noticed no one called him on his language.
“And if he was, that would be okay!” Mere added, and yeah, I appreciated the support, but I saw the way Mom looked at her. She wondered if Meredith knew something the rest of them didn’t.
“We don’t judge other people’s lifestyles in this household, but we do have our beliefs. Officer Hawthorne and Kellan Caine are grown men, and what they do is between them and God.” Mom tried to play it politically correct, but I noticed she was aiming it at Kellan and Chase and not saying anything about me, her son, if I did happen to be gay or bi.