Page 123 of Out Of A Fix

“Okay,” I agreed, because what was the point in arguing?

“I hope it won’t bother you when kids say your father is gay,” Luke told his son. “It won’t bother me, but kids, especially, can be cruel.”

“But everyone at school already thinks that.”

I squinted at Darwin. “What?”

“Yeah. Once you were here, moved in, everyone asked if you lived with us, and we all said yeah. And my friends asked me what you did, and I said you take care of us and you’re our guardian, so they all assumed you and Dad were a couple.”

“And you didn’t clear that up?”

He shrugged. “I don’t care. Two of my teachers are gay.” He lowered his voice. “Plus, I told you—Teddy thinks he is too.”

“Yeah, but nobody has given you any crap about it?”

“About my father being gay?” he asked, his voice back to its normal decibel level. “Why would they? It was a bigger deal when Mom left and they got divorced and everybody knew that she was cheating with Mr. Conti.”

“Everybody knew about the cheating?” Luke asked him.

“Yeah. That’s how I found out. I heard it at school, and I came home and asked Griff, and he said it was true. I’m sorry, Dad. That sucked, huh?”

Luke glanced at me and then back to his son. “It did, yes. But, buddy, I’m so sorry you didn’t hear it from⁠—”

“It doesn’t matter. It’s just that me and Tate had to tell Dr. Marlowe all about it, and she felt bad for you.”

“Oh, well, isn’t that nice,” he said dryly, shooting me a look. I made sure I didn’t laugh, but it was hard.

“Nash, love,” Viola called—she was at the stove, stirring soup, “I made you my world-famous chicken dumpling soup. Are you ready to have some?”

“Yes, please.”

“Well, sit down, and I’ll bring it to you.”

“I can⁠—”

“No,” she said, her voice like steel. “You will do as I say and not argue.”

Holy crap, she was a little scary. I hadn’t noticed that before.

I took a seat, and Luke was right beside me, his knee pressed to mine under the table. I couldn’t help it, I needed the closeness with him, and leaned sideways and kissed the patch of skin right under his ear. His sigh of happiness made me smile, until his father sat down across from me.

“Sir,” I said as his wife set in front of me a bowl of soup that smelled heavenly.

Tatum was right there with the spoon and a napkin and two ibuprofens.

“What is this?” I asked her as she settled next to me.

“Nana said you’re gonna be sore.”

I turned to Viola.

“What? You will. You’re not twenty anymore.”

I grunted and started on the soup, my attention on John, whose entire focus was on Luke.

“You’re gay?”

“Clearly not,” Luke said, putting his hand on my thigh under the table. “I’m bi, like Nash, or more likely, it’s just him I’m interested in. I’ve never been attracted to another man.”