Honey

24. Family Reunion.

"You're kidding me."

The only three words Asher can muster the minute I finish telling him and my mom about dads past. I told them all about Maya and it only made my mother cry more in my brothers arms.

We'd migrated to my room so that we could have a little more privacy from my father. I still felt sick to my stomach at the fact that he was actually using Laura like that. If it weren't for her, Asher and I would've easily been able get rid of him. But, we can't risk our father taking her. As long as Laura is with him under this roof, she's safe. But, if my dad decides to leave, and takes her with him. I don't even want to imagine it.

I know he'd never hurt her, he's not like that, at least not with her. I recall the slap from earlier and the ghost of the pain in my jaw and cheek still remains. I'm still in shock after that. My dad was never violent, not with my siblings and I, or our mom. Never.

I feel the guilt wash over me at the realisation that I was the cause of all of this. If my family never found out that I was gay, none of this shit would be happening right now. We'd still be your typical happy, suburban family with absolutely zero flaws. But now I realise that that was all just an illusion. Simply just an act. In reality, my usually calm and collected father who quite frankly never gave a shit, is a homophobic bastard who hates me and in turn, the rest of our family for supporting me.

In reality, right about now he's probably feeding my four year old sister lie after lie about me and probably my mother and brother too. But, mostly about me. How being gay is bad and that means that I'm bad and can't be trusted or how she shouldn't love me because you can't love someone who chooses to be gay.

Oh, and I swear if that prick says that I chose to be like this one more fucking time I'm going to gouge his eyes out. I'm not kidding.

Do you seriously think that if I had a choice in the matter, I'd choose this? That I'd choose to be hated by pretty much everyone just because of who I'm attracted to? Hell to the fucking no. If I had a choice to not be such a burden. If I had a choice to still be loved by my father, despite his underlying cruelty. I would choose those things in a heartbeat.

I know I know, but it's the sad truth. I know I shouldn't want those things, not after everything my father has done but I just can't help it. He's my dad and I'm his son. Nothing will ever change the fact that I will always want to be loved by him.

"Billy?" My brother asks, bringing me swiftly back to reality, "are you being serious?"

"Yeah, why would I lie about something like this?" I reply, my tone a bit more snappy than I intended it to be.

My mother continues to sob into my brothers chest as they sit on my bed while I lean against my desk. I wish my mom would stop crying. I repeat that over and over in my head but she doesn't stop.

"So, I'm sorry but, you're saying that dad was married before and has a daughter who he completely abandoned?" Asher asks, still sounding dumbfounded by the whole situation.

"Yes."

"You've got to be kiddi-"

"No I'm not fucking kidding Asher for the last time. Now mom, please just pull yourself together. For Laura, please mom," I beg her, moving to kneel in front of her. She finally lifts her head from my brothers chest and wipes her teary eyes, looking at me with a blank expression.

"W-what do we d-do?" She asks the same question my brother asked which I now realise, I never actually answered.

"We're going to host a family reunion," I say, making a look of realisation cross both their faces at almost the exact same time.