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“Why is his happiness such a threat to you?”
All eyes land on Ty, and silence once again takes over the table. But Ty just continues to calmly keep eye contact with my dad, waiting for his answer.
“Tyler,” my mom sighs, “I don’t think you understand–”
“I understand.” Ty nods. “I understand that Luca is succeeding at achieving his goals and you don’t like that he’s staying true to himself. I also understand that Luca is a great teacher, and his school loves him so much that they encouraged him to apply for this position, despite it being very competitive. And he got it. I also understand that he’s the hardest working fighter I know, and without him, I wouldn’t even be here. He put everything he had into helping me when my career almost ended, and in case you were ever going to ask him about it, his opponent in the last fight was the guy who was responsible for that. And he won. He’s strong, resilient, honest, driven and the most selfless man I know. I love him for exactly who he is. I’m not sure why you can’t do that.”
Silence once again falls over us, as Nadia presses her lips together with a smile and Mia takes a drink of her wine, glancing between Mom and Dad.
And Dad looks like he’s going to jump across the table and rip Ty’s head off. But Mom places her hand over his, while keeping her eyes on Ty.
And you know what? I think this is a great place to stop. Those are the perfect parting words, and nothing else needs to be said.
I stand up and drain the last of my scotch. As I set my glass down on the table, I give my parents a nod. “Well, thanks for dinner, but we’re going to head out. I think everything that needed to be said was said.”
I gesture for Ty to follow me and I leave the table, heading out of the restaurant. I push the door open, taking a deep breath of the crisp evening air and stop on the sidewalk, turning to face Ty.
He shakes his head and sighs, running a hand through his hair. “Sorry, I just–”
But I don’t let him finish as I pull him into a kiss. I hold him tight against me, kissing him with everything I have as a thank you for being on my side, and for loving me.
“Oh my god.”
We break our kiss as Mia and Nadia exit the restaurant with huge smiles on their faces.
Mia pulls Ty into a hug, and Ty looks at me with wide, panicked eyes. And I just chuckle, watching him as he slowly lifts his arms to gently pat her back.
“That was amazing,” Mia says as she releases him. “They’re still just sitting there in stunned silence.”
Nadia laughs and looks up at me. “I think you did it this time.”
I smile and look at Ty with a little shrug. “I had some help.”
“How about we let them chew on that for a bit,” Mia says, looking down the bustling downtown road at the neon bar signs. “I think it’s time us four went out for some real fun.”
THIRTY-THREE
“I’ll grab drinks,” Luca says as he heads to the bar, and Mia and Nadia pull me to the lounge area.
I look around the crowded bar, which is loud and chaotic, and thank my lucky fucking stars we’re sitting at a table and not heading for the dance floor. But even as we take our seats, I pull at the collar of my shirt as a feeling of discomfort settles within me. I’m not a fan of crowded, busy places, and this fucking shirt isn’t helping either.
“So, Luca dressed you?” Mia asks me with a smile.
“That obvious?” I say with a breath of laughter.
Nadia leans forward with a serious expression. “At least it wasn’t pink.”
I shake my head with a sigh. “He tried.”
They both laugh, and immediately I feel more at ease. I’m not sure how Clara and David managed to have such nice kids when they are such assholes.
“For real though, Ty,” Mia reaches across the table and places her hand on my forearm, “thank you. You have no idea what Luca has been through with our parents. While they do genuinely love and want the best for him, they just place so much pressure on him. All because he marches to the beat of his own drum. And that pressure has been building in him for a long time, so it was bound to blow up sooner or later. So, thank you for being here for him, and helping him through this.”
I nod, looking down at her hand on my arm. “He helped me first.”
Nadia smiles. “Not surprised to hear that.”
Luca arrives at the table, setting down four glasses. “This place is fucked. Twelve dollars for a beer? Ty, you’ll need to earn your keep tonight.”
