Denial

Chapter Twenty: Boyfriend Love

Reed

I didn't want to leave Quincy like that, especially when he looked so upset. But if that's what he wanted, then I wasn't going to argue. I wouldn't even know what to say to him to make him feel better. Like I said before, I wasn't good with emotions.

Walking back into the kitchen, my mother was immediately on me. "What is going on, mijo?"

I shrugged. "Quincy's their nephew, apparently, and they have a bit of a rocky past with each other. Don't know much more than that." So that was a lie, but it also wasn't my place to tell my mother the details of my boyfriend's life. He didn't even tell me until today, so obviously he doesn't like people knowing.

"Well this sure is the most interesting Valentine's Day dinner we've ever had," my sister said, walking in. "And to think, it's all because Reed decided to, first off, come to the dinner, and secondly, bring his boyfriend with him."

I rolled my eyes. "Shut up, Reya. No one likes you."

She stuck her tongue out at me. "No one likes you either."

I ignored her because I knew she was wrong. Quincy liked me, no, Quincy loved me, and I loved him too. I did, and it only scared me a little bit, much less than I thought I would feel at having fallen in love with a guy. But with Quincy, it felt right, and I couldn't imagine myself with anyone else - guy or girl.

Turning away from my sister, I started heading to the dining room to take my seat. Mamá and my dad had already started piling the food up on the table, so I knew we would be eating soon.

By the time we were all sitting, well, my family, at least, Quincy and his aunt and uncle were just coming in. Quincy, as soon as his eyes landed on me, smiled as he sat down next to me.

"Everything alright?" I asked him, putting my arm around the back of his chair.

He nodded. "Yeah, but I'll tell you later."

He looked like he had been crying a little, but I didn't push him. Obviously he'd tell me when we weren't surrounded by all these people.

Instead of saying anything, I tucked that strand of hair that always found its way into his gorgeous face behind his ear. "You should get a haircut," I said. I wanted to know what he'd be like without all this hair.

Quincy smirked. "You do not want to see me with short hair. I won't look half as good as I do now. Trust me on that."

Pulling all of his hair back, I tried to picture it. "I still think you'd look just as amazing."

A light blush started creeping onto his cheeks, which got even deeper when my dad spoke up. "Are you two going to join us, or just flirt with each other throughout dinner?"

I nodded, dropping my hold on Quincy's hair. "Pass the rice?" I asked Micah, since the bowl was next to him.

With that, we were brought right into whatever conversation was going on, and that continued throughout the rest of the night, everything going surprising well for how things were before. Apparently, whatever tension was between Quincy and his aunt and uncle had gone down. They ended up talking to each to each other about the past couple of years while my parents interrogated me about what I've been up to, 'cause, according to my mom, I don't tell her anything, which is bullshit. I talk to her just about once a week or so.

Quincy

This whole dinner was interesting, to say the least. After getting over the shock of my aunt and uncle showing up and realizing that the worst part of my childhood was all my fault, I did have fun. I got to know Reed's family pretty well. But the whole night was exhausting, and by the end of the meal, I was just about ready to pass out.