by Skyler Snow
I put my hand around his neck and lowered him for another lip-biting, tongue-battling kiss. I wanted to remember this moment, always. No one had told me they loved me in a long time. In a very long time.
“I love you, baby boy,” I whispered.
“Love you too, Daddy,” Elliot said.
Fuck, those words made me happier than I ever thought possible. I never thought I would have a relationship like this. My nurturing side was fully accepted and it soothed every part of my soul.
I knew there were different types of Daddies. All I wanted was someone to care for who didn’t mind me doing things for them, no matter how big or small. And my boy let me be all that.
“We still have to tell Jack,” I said. Because I meant it when I said I wanted everything. Maybe a house, a dog, and maybe a kid too.
It was a dream I hadn’t thought about in a long while—a family. With Elliot, I saw it, that picture that had faded suddenly became clear once more.
“How about you tell him while I go on a trip or something,” Elliot said.
I smiled, because telling Jack was important. I also knew even if he didn’t agree, it wouldn’t change how I felt. Elliot was mine and I would fight to keep him. Even if that meant conflict with one of my best friends.
I told the voice that said you weren’t meant to date your best friend’s kid to fuck off. Because Elliot wasn’t a kid. Like my friends had been telling me, he was a grown man. And he’d chosen me.
Elliot chose me.
21
Elliot
I sighed and twirled my phone in my hand again. I’d been avoiding my dad for a while now, even more so since Scott started insisting we tell him about us.
It wasn’t that I thought my dad would tell us to break up—not that he could; I was too old for that—or that I thought we were doing anything wrong because I didn’t.
But he was still my dad and Scott was still his friend. Plus, there was the whole I had to come out to him thing.
I groaned and opened the contact again.
“You know, you could have gotten done with the call with as much time as you’ve taken to worry about it.” Scott sat beside me on the couch and pulled me to him. “Call him.”
I sat up and turned so I was facing Scott. “Does my dad even know you’re gay?”
Scott let out a breath, “He knows in the way where he knows but it’s not something we’ve ever spoken about.”
“Why not?” I asked. “My dad might be a lot of things, but he’s not a bigot.”
“I know that. Trust me, I do. But back then it wasn’t something I was ready to talk about.” Scott’s hand made circles on my thigh and I wasn’t even sure he realized he was doing it. It seemed more like a self-soothing gesture. I covered his hand with mine and that had him finally looking up at me.
“What happened?” I asked.
Scott smiled, but I could tell it wasn’t a happy one. “Your generation is lucky. Even though there are still assholes out there, you have safe spaces.”
“And you didn’t have that?” It wasn’t really a question.
“My parents weren’t exactly allies.” It didn’t take a genius to see that was an understatement.
“What happened?”
Scott seemed to zone out, almost like he was looking back in time. “They weren’t horrible; they didn’t throw me out of the house. But from the moment I said those words out loud, they weren’t my parents anymore. It felt like I didn’t exist. I had food in my belly, clothes on my back, but I could have been a stranger.”
“And you were close with them before?” I checked.
“Mmm. I played football and my dad had been at all my games till that day. After that, nothing.”
My heart broke for him. I could see how that would devastate. Like, because of who you were, suddenly your parents couldn’t love you anymore.
“So, what happened?” I squeezed Scott’s hand in mine, just reminding him that I was here.
“Nothing. I got a scholarship to play college ball, and I took it. Then worked hard to get my degree even though everyone told me I could go pro. I decided it wasn’t worth it. I would’ve had to hide who I was and I had this gut-churning fear that if it ever came out I would suddenly have millions of people doing the same thing my parents did.” He shrugged. “I didn’t want that.”
“So, you never came out again?” I whispered, my heart breaking for this amazing man. He deserved so much better from the people who should have loved him unconditionally.
“Nope. I never wanted to go through it again. Maybe they never told me outright that they couldn’t stand that part of me, but I still felt it. Not being able to express who you are with the people you love is... devastating.”
My heart felt heavy to hear Scott say that. All these years he’d lived isolated and alone because he didn’t want to be rejected again. My eyes burned, but I didn’t want to cry. It wasn’t about me right now. I laid a hand on Scott’s arm and squeezed.
“I’m so sorry you went through all of that. Is there... anything I can do?”
Scott turned to me, a small smile on his lips. “You already help me so much just by being you, Elliot. What more could I ask for?” He tilted his head. “Except maybe a hug.”
I happily obliged, climbing into his lap.
Scott kissed the side of my head and whispered, “All better, with you in my arms.”
We took a moment to just sit together in silence. The sound of traffic outside and soft music from another apartment were in the background. But between us there was just the sound of our breathing. I felt no need to move and apparently neither did Scott.
I knew that eventually I would have to pick up my phone again and dial my dad’s number. I wanted to lie in Scott’s arms for just a little while longer. He pressed his lips over my cheek, my neck, my shoulders, and I knew he was giving me the strength to do what I needed to do.
I was fairly certain that everything was going to be all right. My father was a good guy and he loved me. He’d supported me through all of my choices so far, so why should this be any different? No matter what I was going through, I knew I had the love of my father and Scott. They were my biggest supporters and I wasn’t going to be afraid to speak to either of them honestly.
Slowly, I peeled myself from him and sat on the couch beside my boyfriend. Scott laced his fingers through mine and squeezed. I felt that strength resonate inside me, and I didn’t want to hold back anymore. It was time to pop my little bubble and bring my dad in on what was going on.
I smiled softly. “I think everything is going to be okay. I’m still nervous. I mean, who wouldn’t be in this situation? But... I don’t know. I have faith in my dad and that we have a great thing that won’t end.”
Scott caressed my cheek. “I do too.” He kissed my lips briefly and pulled back with a smile. “You’ve got this, baby.”
I picked up my phone and dialed my dad’s number. The ringing made butterflies take flight in my stomach, but I was ready to tell him. I was ready to tell him and everyone I knew. That I was in love with this amazing man and I was going to marry him someday. My lips curled in a smile as my father picked up the phone. I knew no matter what he was going to be happy for me.
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Want to find out Elliot’s dad’s reaction keep reading for a sneak peek on his book Fragile.
Sneak Peak - Unedited
Fragile
Chapter One - Jack
“So yeah. That’s what’s been happening. Scott and I thought it was only fair that we tell you everything.” My son’s voice came through the phone, but I couldn’t really hear it. I was lost in a daze, still trying to process exactly what he was saying.
I stood frozen in the middle of my living room, staring out into nothing. Elliot was never the type to sit me down for a serious talk. The moment he called, I knew that something had
happened. I just didn’t exactly expect this. How exactly did I respond to my son coming out to me as bisexual and then saying that he’s dating my lifelong best friend? The bisexual part honestly was of no concern to me. But Scott… my first reaction was one of anger. I hadn’t sent my son there to be pawed over by my best friend.
I stopped and took a deep breath. I’m worried about him. I knew that was why I was angry, but I didn’t want Elliot to hear it. He would think I was mad at him and I wasn’t. I really didn’t want to be upset at Scott either.
Scott was a good man. He was my best friend. That I’d trusted him to look out for Elliot spoke volumes. In fact, it might be good news that he was dating my son. At least Elliot wasn’t with some stranger. Maybe he was a safer bet. What was there really to be angry about? It still felt weird, but I couldn’t deny that I trusted Scott with my life. He would never let anything happen to my son.
“All right.” I was still conflicted, but Elliot was waiting for some kind of answer. I needed to break up the silence. Elliot had always been anxious, and I knew the silence would kill him. “All right, son, I’m proud of you for telling me. I know all of this is really overwhelming.” I gripped my phone a little tighter. “I’m glad you found someone.”
I was struggling with my words, trying to balance my acceptance with the instinctual need to protect my son. I took a deep breath then rocked back on my heels. The situation was even more difficult because I wasn’t there. I was all the way in Oregon.
“Look, I trust Scott and of course I trust your decisions. I just-” An idea clicked in my brain and I only needed to think about it for a moment before I knew what I was going to do. I could easily do my job from home and I often did. It didn’t matter where I was, as long as I turned in my projects and met deadlines. The more I thought about it, my excitement grew. “I’ll catch a flight tonight and I’ll be there tomorrow. We can discuss all of this when I get there.”
“Oh, dad you don’t have to-”
I instantly had the image of his red face in my mind. Just like when he was a teenager, he tried to assert his independence. It was a good thing, but I was still a concerned dad and I wanted to see my son. He was all grown up now, but that didn’t mean I would suddenly drop out of his life.
“No, I will. I’m not angry at you or Scott, but I’m worried. I won’t try to break y’all up, but I should at least have this discussion with the two of you in person.” I walked around my house, already heading to my room to pack. “Plus, it’s been years since I’ve seen him. It might be nice to do some catching up.” After the divorce, Scott had always been there for me. We’d grown closer and closer over the years. Now that he was dating my son however, would that change our dynamic? The thought of being Scott’s father-in-law was a bit jarring and almost laughable. There was some whispering on the other side of the call before Elliot spoke up again.
“Scott wants to talk to you.”
“Hey,” I said when he was on the phone, my stomach still doing a fluttery thing I didn’t care for.
“Hey. Sorry about keeping you in the dark.” It was so like him to immediately jump to apologize when he knew that he fucked up. I shook my head and smiled a little at his words.
“No, it’s fine. Elliot’s a grown man now and I trusted you with him. I’m just surprised that I have to trust you with this now.” We both chuckled, falling back into our usual dynamic of casual jokes and teasing. I felt relieved knowing that even though things had changed, we could still be us. “So, you’re finally going to visit LA?”
“Yup. I should be there by tomorrow just to keep an eye on things.” That probably sounded a bit ominous, but I wanted to make sure everything was fine. Their age gap was significant. I was sure Scott wouldn’t use my son for sex, but there was still that little nagging feeling to make sure my son was actually okay. Being a parent was hard. I realized that I’d been quiet for a while. I dropped my voice to a ridiculously deep tone. “I don’t trust you with my son.”
“Ah, shit. Are you going to come kick down my door with a shotgun?”
“Are you telling me that’s what it’s going to take for you to walk my son down the aisle?” I raised a brow even though he couldn’t see me. “I might be a little late. Let me pick up that shotgun first.”
The tension eased as we both laughed at the image. “Don’t worry, Jack. You know I’ll always keep Elliot safe.” I could hear the smile in his voice and my heart squeezed. That wasn’t the sound of a man in a casual fling. “You’re more than welcome to visit. We would love to have you. It’s been way too long.”
There was a flutter in my chest, some long-dead crush that I once had on Scott trying to come back to life. I rolled my eyes, letting the feeling pass over me like it was nothing. At one time I had been in love with Scott. Maybe that was why it was easy to accept the fact that Elliot was dating him. It was hard not to fall for someone like Scott.
I’m too old to be falling in love, anyway. At least Elliot will have someone.
That thought immediately stirred the loneliness that sat in my chest. It was a familiar feeling. Although maybe sharpened by the reminder that Elliot didn’t need me as much anymore. Maybe even less now. Sure, he’d still be around, but whenever a kid grew up and fell in love, it was different.
“Jack?” Scott’s voice held concern. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” I shook my head to clear the cobwebs before I started grabbing clothes. “I’ll see both of you tomorrow.”
I finally hung up and stared at the suitcase on my bed. Everything had just been flipped on its head with a single phone call. I bit my lip.
“Man, this is going to be weird.”
Watch for more Fragile coming July 2020
Also by Skyler Snow
Burns Brothers Series
Alpha's Surprise Baby
Taming The Alpha
Fated To The Alpha
South River Book Series
My December Alpha
Meant To Be Series
Finding His Daddies
The Lost Wolves
Hunted
Also By Rheland Richmond
Stories Of Us Series
A Family For Keeps
His Instant Family
Christmas For Keeps - A Stories Of Us Christmas
The Family We Make: A Stories Of Us Valentine
A Family Of His Own
Amber Falls
Stranded With His Boss
Forever With His Boss
Skyler Snow
Skyler Snow is an author of all things M/M and sweet. They reside in sunny Arizona with their amazing kids and two trouble making cats.
When they're not writing steamy, cute stories they're playing video games, watching true crime or obsessed with romance movies
Want to keep up with Skyler?
Connect with Skyler on social media:
www.skylersnow.com
Rheland Richmond
For as long as she can remember Rheland had her nose stuck in a book, getting lost in the world of someone else's creation (She still does). Her love for writing came from her love for reading. She could never have one without the other.
Writing has always been a hobby and a cathartic experience for her. There are many stories lost to the never to be completed or published pile but needed to be written at the time.
She's just a girl that loved stories so much she decided to write hers.
Made in Nigeria and raised in the UK, she’s an interesting mix of both cultures and appreciates both equally.
Connect with Rheland on social media:
www.rhelandrichmond.com
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