4 Nerds Want Lemons

34

Chapter 34

Ryland

Saturday 10 am

***

We were sitting in the local diner eating lunch, throwing around dinner ideas when Tomlin's phone rang. "Hello, Dad." He said into the phone. Mister Lemons said something, and Tomlin frowned and paled.

"I'll be there in a few minutes, sir. Yes, sir." He hung up and looked at me. His usual happy stare was an icy rendition with cold blue eyes.

"What's wrong?" I asked him, grabbing his arm.

"I-I he found condoms and lube and wants to talk to me alone. I gotta go." His face was pale, and for some reason, he was shaking. Was he scared of his dad?

"Shit. Does he not know you're sexually active?" Jay asked as Tomlin stood.

"Fuck no. He doesn't need to know about my private life. Fuck he sounded really upset." He shook his head and darted away.

I wasn't sure what was going to happen, but I was sure this would probably put a damper on the birthday weekend. I mean we had a great Friday night, but there was still a whole party planned. And other things.

****

Tomlin

***

Time had stopped for me. Everything felt a little confusing and like it was going to explode at any moment for some reason. Yeah, so my gay dad knows nothing. Not a thing about my sex life. He knows I'm gay. He knows I've been good about being safe. But he has no idea how far or how many people I have been with. I wasn't sure he needed to know any of it either. The only thing I couldn't figure out was where he found that shit because I didn't own anything of the sort.

What the fuck?

I was beyond weirded out about it when I got home and found him at the kitchen table with a bottle of expensive lube and condoms in a target bag in front of him. He was also sipping on whiskey. I began to worry.

Fuck. Since when did my dad drink whiskey? Shit, I was nervous.

"Dad, I don't know who's those are. I didn't buy them. And don't know where you found them but -"

"I bought them for you." He said stoically. He sighed.

"I heard the guys talking. I know what this weekend is about. I know you all are in a poly type relationship. I may have been a real dad, and stuck my head to the door, and listened to a lot of different conversations over the last few weeks. I'm not a complete idiot. I even know about your journey of being a better human. It's commendable really."

Fuck.

My.

Life.

Something I wasn't going to like was coming. I could feel it. I could read it on his facial expression. The way he sucked in his breath and had to look away from me. Whatever he was going to say was going to hurt my guts.

"I went out and bought these things wanting everyone to be safe. But the more I think about it, the more I just want to take you away with me to Georgia."

"What? Georgia?" I was shocked. What was he talking about?

"Hear me out. Please." He took a sip of his whiskey. "Hear me out. Then make your decision."

"Okay." I had to. He was my dad, after all.

"I'm being sent to Georgia, the country, not the state, for work. At first I wasn't going to ask you to come with me. And then I overheard the guys talking about what Dylan and Andrew did to you on social media. I was shocked you had a threesome with your best friends. That's out of control."

"I'm sorry, dad."

"Don't be sorry. It's your life. I'm sorry they did that to you. I know how much you care about them."

I laughed, sniffling a bit. I didn't realize I was crying until then and it sort of shocked me. Why was I crying?

"I also overheard them talking about this weekend and know you chose them over Dylan and Andrew. " He shrugged, and I chuckled.

"Dad -"

"Tomlin, I've been thinking and I think you just bounce from one obsession to another. First it was no sex. Then you were obsessed with your grades. Then you were obsessed with making Dylan, and Andrew happy. Now, it's about the jugheads -"

"How do you know I call them the Jugheads?"

He laughed. "Please, you're my son and they all look, and almost dress, and smell the same."

"Like a jughead." We said at the same time. I laughed through my tears.

"What are you asking me to do, dad?"

He sobered up, sitting straight in his chair. "I want you to give yourself a break. These obsessions aren't healthy. When are you going to do what Tomlin wants instead of what everyone else wants?"

"I do want them." I said firmly.

"Really?" My dad scoffed. "Then why aren't you yelling? Why aren't you fighting me?"

I blinked at him. "Because I'm still fucking confused on what you want me to do."

He sighed. "End it with them. Let them figure out the troupe. You come with me to Georgia. I'm asking you to defer your life for a year, actually, with your credits and being the top tier of students you can graduate with a test I set up on Monday. We can leave to Georgia, the country not the state, for a year. When you're ready we come back. I'm asking that we leave right now with nothing more than a note that is from me to Ryland. Your contact with them ends this minute. Give me your phone."

"Dad, please don't make me -"

"I'm not making you. I am asking you to put yourself first for once. You matter, Tomlin Lemons, and when life gives you Lemons, what do we do?"

I chuckled from the saying when I was little. "We make sandwiches, not drinks."

"Come make sandwiches with beautiful tan skinned men before you make lemonade for four men the rest of your life. I promise it'll be fun. And I'll teach you deep sea ocean fishing. I know that's a dream of yours."

It really wasn't.

I was 18. I could do what I wanted. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared of my dad. I'd also be lying if I said this wasn't appealing. I didn't want to let my dad down. He'd always been there for me. Always since the day I was born, this man had been my everything. I had to do this for him. His disappointment was too great for my soul to ignore. I had to do this one thing for him before my life became my own.