Unseen

Chapter 31

"What happened?" I whisper as I card my fingers through his hair. He takes a shaky breath and I press my lips to his forehead with hopes of soothing him, and it seems to work as I feel some of the tension leave him.

"He hates me," he whispers back, and I frown in confusion. "My dad, he..." He chokes out a small sob and I wrap my arms around him tighter. "He kicked me out."

"He what?" I ask in shock, pulling back enough to see his face. He gives me a sad smile, his lips wobbling slightly.

"Not all parents are as accepting as yours, mouse."

"But... but he didn't even know. He kicked you out just because I showed up? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. For all he knows, I was there to ask a question about school, or to relay something for Maddie, or –"

"I told him, Dalton."

He pulls away completely and sits up so his back is resting against my headboard. Holding his knees to his chest, he stares down at the blanket covering my bed as tears slowly fall down his flushed cheeks.

"I wasn't going to because I wasn't ready, but... after seeing the look of betrayal on your face, after seeing how disappointed you were... and then hearing how upset you sounded on the phone, I..." He sighs and runs his fingers through his hair, his eyes slipping shut for a moment as he collects his thoughts before opening again, staring directly at me. "I've put you through enough hell over the last couple years, and the last thing I wanted was to put you through more. I'm not ashamed of you, I'm not ashamed of us, I was just scared.

"So, after I got off the phone with you, I decided to tell them. I sat both him and my mom down, and I told them I was gay. I told them that you and I were dating, and that I love you. It felt like this huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders, and I honestly felt good. I felt happy and proud of my choice. But... then he told me he wouldn't allow a disgusting faggot to live under his roof." He clears his throat when his voice breaks and angrily swipes away his tears. "He tried to hit me, but my mom stepped in and made him leave to cool off. He told her that I better be gone by the time he got back."

"So your mom is okay with it?" I ask when he's quiet for a minute. He chuckles humourlessly and shakes his head before letting it fall back against the wall.

"No, she was just less vocal about it. While I packed, she made some calls and got my insurance and phone bill switched solely to me and filled out a bill of sale for my car so that it's officially under my name. She cancelled my credit card and switched my bank account from a youth account to an adult account, and took her and my dad's names off of it. She essentially did everything she could to sever the connection between me and them."

"I'm so sorry, Flynn."

"This is what you wanted, isn't it?"

"What? What do you mean?"

"You didn't want me to hide our relationship from anyone, so you got your wish. It's all out in the open, even though I didn't want to do it, and now I'm homeless."

"This isn't my fault, Flynn. Yes, I was hurt that you were hiding me, but after I had some time to think about it, I understood where you were coming from. I would never force someone to come out, you know that." He squeezes his eyes shut and takes a deep breath before letting his shoulders slump.

"I'm sorry," he whispers, slowly opening his eyes again. "I know it isn't your fault, I'm just... mad. I didn't mean that." I nod and scoot closer to him so I can wrap my arm around his shoulders. I press a soft kiss to his temple and he gives me a small smile in response.

"You're not alone, and you're not homeless. This is your home now." He chuckles and shakes his head, leaning against me slightly.

"You can't just offer up space in your parent's house, D."