Unseen

Chapter 30

"How was your Christmas?" I ask Connor as he sits across from me in the crowded café. After being kicked out of Flynn's house, I didn't really want to go home and face my family, so I decided to catch up with Connor for a bit.

"It was alright, same as every other year," he says with a chuckle as he stares down at his coffee mug. "How was Australia?"

"It was great, but I'm happy to be home."

"When did you get back?"

"This morning." His eyes widen as he looks up at me.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping or something?" With a snort, I shake my head and lean back in my seat.

"I slept most of the flight, and if I have any chance at correcting my schedule, I'm going to need to stay up."

"That makes sense. Have you talked to Flynn since you got home?" The slight smile I had vanishes at his name and I look down at the table in hopes of hiding my reaction. "Uh oh... what happened?"

I chew on my lip for a moment, debating whether or not I want to get into it, but decide if I can't talk to my best friend, then who can I talk to? I tell him about the interaction and he stays quiet as he listens, his face giving nothing away as he maintains a neutral expression.

"You guys have been friends for years. You never knew his dad was a homophobe?" I shake my head slowly as I think back to the times I spent at his house.

"Honestly, his parents were never really around much. It was usually just him and his nanny, but the rare occasion they were present, they were always polite to me. Even when I'd mention my dads, they..." I trail off as I think back and remember the way their postures would stiffen and their smiles become a little more tight any time my parents were brought up and frown.

"Got weird?" My shoulders slump as I sink in my seat and rub a hand over my face. "I guess we know where he got it from." I frown and tilt my head in confusion.

"What're you talking about?"

"Flynn. All those years hating you. He's been raised to believe it's wrong, which would explain his initial rejection and disgust of you –"

"Hey," I pout, cutting him off.

"- and the bullying that followed thereafter. He practically idolizes his dad, does he not?" I scrunch my nose and tilt my hand in a so-so gesture. "He probably wants nothing more than to make him proud. If his dad is a homophobic prick, coming out and introducing you as his boyfriend would not be the way to earn brownie points," he points out and I chew on my lip in contemplation.

"I guess... but still, I can't help but feel like he's ashamed of me."

"Dalton, he loves you. Does he take you out on dates?"

"What does that have –"

"In public?"

"Well, yeah, but –"

"In school, does he or does he not hold your hand and partake in all those disgustingly adorable forms of PDA?" My cheeks flush lightly and I look down at my lap. "He's not ashamed of you, Dalton. He's scared of his dad."

"Well his dad is a dickbag, so who cares what he thinks?" I huff while crossing my arms over your chest.

"If homosexuals disgusted your parents, what would you do?"

"Call them fucking hypocrites," I say in a 'duh' tone and roll my eyes. He snorts out a laugh and nods.

"Fair. Okay, say heterosexuals disgusted them, and you were straight." My nose scrunches up again as I look at him in horror and he presses his lips together tightly to try and stop from laughing. "What would you do? And be serious."