AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No, we’ll stay up here,” Daniel said, his tone equally tight.
His mom switched to a loud whisper. I could still hear every word she said. “Danny, I don’t want your sister to think it’s okay to have a boy in her room when she’s a teenager.”
“I’m not a teenager. I’m twenty-two years old.”
“Even so, you’re not setting a good example.”
Daniel laughed, sharp and bitter. “Setting agood example?Are youkidding meright now?”
“Daniel, I’m your mother, and youwilllisten to me.”
He shook his head. “Mom, I’m the adult in this house, and you know it.”
Silence strained from the other side of the door until his mother whispered, “I don’t want your brother and sister thinking what you’re doing in there is okay.”
“What I’m doing in here? The being-gay part or the kissing part?”
I swallowed and sat as still as I could.
“Don’t be like that. You know I have no problem with you being gay or with you kissing anyone at all. But you never flaunted it with Kevin and now isn’t the time to start. The kids are already confused enough with me leaving and—”
“Flaunted it? Mom, Kevin and I had sexeverywherein this house. In my room, in the basement, in the hot tub,everywhere.”
“Seriously, Danny, that’s too much information. A mother doesn’t need to know things like that, and—”
But Daniel wasn’t listening. “As fornownot being the time to flaunt being gay, I think it’s agreattime. When’s the last time I got to hang out with a friend without worrying about whether you were going to find a way to go get drunk again?”
“Danny, my problem is a private matter, and I don’t appreciate the way you’re speaking—”
“Mom, your problem stopped being private around the time Paul was born.”
“Daniel James McPeak.”
“Mom.”
There was a silent stand-off.
“Fine. You and your ‘friend’ can visit up here in your room tonight. I give you permission.”
“I didn’t need it.”
Another moment of silence and then she said, “Goodnight.”
Daniel shut the door and turned the lock. Leaning back against it with his eyes closed, he shook his head.
“I’m sorry,” he said, letting out a long, hard breath, and rolling his shoulders. “That was ugly, I know. She brings out the worst in me. That’s one reason why I moved out to begin with, mistake though that turned out to be.”
He took another slow, shaky breath and then stalked over to a boombox on the bookshelf, pressing play on the CD player. R.E.M.’s mandolin and guitar broke out over the room. The familiarity was soothing. Daniel scrubbed his hands through his hair before leaning back against his desk with a heavy sigh. “She just pisses me off so much.”
I licked my lips. “Should we go downstairs? Or should I go home? I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable here.”
“No, stay. I promise, it’s not a big deal. If anyone’s making things uncomfortable here, it’s her…” He let out a sharp huff. “She’s being ridiculous.” Daniel crossed to the bed and crawled up next to me.
I wanted to make things easier for him, soothe him. So, I pulled him down and held him, with his head resting on my chest. It was strange and new having his weight on me. The spicy, sweet aroma of his shampoo and the warm scent of his skin filled my nostrils. I’d never held anyone but Adam like this. Tentatively, I kissed the top of his head.
Though I was still half-hard, even after the awkward interruption, I thought it was a good thing we’d been disturbed. We’d been moving way too fast. Despite having picked up condoms like my mom had demanded, I’d never hoped to do more than kiss Daniel tonight. But we’d been humping each other like we were bent on making each other come.
My blood cooled as I rubbed his back. I noticed a photo by his bedside of his entire family—his father, his mother, Kennedy and Paul, and a younger-looking Daniel. Daniel looked nothing like his dad. The man was rail thin with dark auburn hair and pale, freckled skin, like Paul. I wondered where Daniel and Kennedy got their sturdy builds, since Daniel’s mom was also long and whip-like.
