Page 133 of Striking Range

“I don’t speak to them anymore,” Everett says, and a breath of relief leaves me and huffs into the open air.

“Oh. I’m sorry, hun,” Mom replies solemnly, giving Everett a frown.

“It’s fine. They weren’t that great, anyway. Very homophobic.”

Dad’s head snaps up, his eyes widening as he takes Everett in for what seems to be the first time.

“Homophobic?” he repeats. “Are you… Everett, are you gay?”

“Partially.”

I can feel him waiting for me. He’s giving me the opportunity to come out and tell them that we’re dating, but he’s also giving me the right to wait. It’s such an Everett thing to do.

“Well, I’m fully gay,” I chime in, stabbing another scrambled egg with my fork. “We’re, like, dating.”

I feel no pressure, no fear. I have never once assumed my parents wouldn’t accept me; I just had no reason to tell them. I didn’t even tell them what Jerome called me when the accident happened, just that he was bullying me.

I couldn’t bear to repeat it.

The room is silent for a moment, and I can feel the tension radiating from Evie where he sits next to me. Under the table, I squeeze his thigh.

“I don’t get it,” Mom says, looking between the two of us in confusion. “Your parents didn’t like that you love Sky? You’ve always loved Sky.”

A startled laugh leaves Everett as he nods. “Yeah, weird, right? I don’t know. They’re not good people.”

“Well, you have a home here,” Dad tells him. “If you ever need people in your corner, just call.”

My heart swells with emotion, not only because I know this is healing some part of Evie, but because I fucking love my family and how they adore him.

“Thank you,” Everett whispers, ducking his head to hide either tears or a blush.

“He lives with me now,” I offer, if only to take the attention from him.

“That’s great!” Mom gushes.

“And he knows. About Jerome, I mean.”

Once again, everyone freezes. It takes a long moment before Dad finally gets the nerve to speak.

“Skylar,” he starts, hesitant. “I thought… I thought you wanted to keep that as family knowledge.”

“Everett is family,” I reply sternly.

Dad startles but quickly recovers as he gives me an awkward smile. “Fair point.”

I won’t tell them about the documents Ash has, or how I hit him for what he called us and how he treated Everett. It would create a whole lot of nasty drama, and it’s over now. But they deserve to know that Everett knows who I truly am.

“I don’t care, though,” Everett interjects, looking between my parents nervously. “I know what he did, but I… I still love him.”

There is a single tear sliding down Mom’s cheek as she rests a hand on Dad’s shoulder.

“I knew this would happen,” she blurts, unable to contain her emotions. “I have said since you were boys that one day you two would—”

“Should we open presents now?” I interrupt, standing from my seat in a hurry.

I have the feeling that whatever it is she is about to say will only embarrass me, and I’m not in the mood for that.

Dad chuckles as he pats Mom’s hand. “Sure, son. Let’s do it.”