“Mr. Fletcher.” Mackie looks at me. “Conan, this is Noah’s father.”
Ah, shit.
“What the fuck is going on here, Mackie?” he demands, glaring at me and pointing at my face. Mackie steps in front of me protectively. “Are you cheating on my son?”
Yup, this is bad. Really bad.
“No, never!” Mackie promises loudly.
“No? I saw the way you two were looking at each other, and then I find you in here. I like you, Mackie, a lot, but I will not let you hurt my son.”
“I promise I’m not cheating on him,” Mackie says, looking panicked and really upset.
“I’m disappointed in you. I thought you were something special, the one my son could depend on,” his father snaps.
“Enough, Dad.” We all turn to find Noah at the door. He shuts it behind him. “Are you okay, baby?”
“I’m sorry,” Mackie whispers, his eyes glassy with tears again. “I’m sorry, Noah.” I tug him back against me, and he melts into my chest. Noah hurries around and cups his face.
“Shh, it’s okay. He would have found out anyway,” he promises, his voice soft. Those usually hard eyes are bright for our baby.
“Noah, what the hell is going on here?” his father asks, flabbergasted.
All three of us share a look, unsure where to start.
FORTY-SIX
Panic grips my chest, and I have the strangest urge to cry. The disappointment I saw on Noah’s father’s face did that to me. We’d been getting along really well. He calls me all the time, and he came to my race, and we had dinner together. The idea that he might hate me for some reason has me feeling like a forgotten, unwanted child.
Noah looks at me, checking if I’m okay, so I nod. Leaning in, he kisses my head and pushes me back so I’m pressed against Conan more securely. The fact that both of them move to protect me makes me want to cry harder. I’m a fucking mess.
“I am dating Mackie. He isn’t cheating on me. This is Conan.” Noah takes a deep breath. “Mackie’s other boyfriend.”
“What?” His dad looks between us. “That isn’t funny?—”
“It’s not a joke,” Noah says, and I don’t like him standing alone against his father for a choice I made. I need to step up. We are all in this, not just him.
“It’s not, sir. I met Conan when Noah and I were struggling with what we wanted to be to each other. It just happened. When I realized I liked both of them, I felt guilty and pushed them both away, but wecame to this agreement. I love your son, I always will, but I love Conan as well. We are splitting our time, and I am dating both of them.”
His father just looks between us. “And you’re okay with this?” he asks Noah.
I see his dread that his dad won’t accept this and will turn away from him again. He just got his father back, just started to let him in. It would destroy him. I take his hand, and he looks at me. I step in front of him as Conan moves to his other side, protecting him.
“As long as Mackie is happy, I don’t care,” Noah says sincerely, and I realize, maybe for the first time, he means it.
“You, Conan, love Mackie?” he asks.
“I do, sir.”
“And you love my son?” he asks, confused.
“No, sir.” Conan smiles. “No offense, Noah. We are working on being friends, but that’s all we’ll ever be.”
“So, Mackie is dating my son, and Conan?” he finishes, looking still as confused, but at least he isn’t furious anymore.
“Yes, sir,” Conan replies when none of us answer.
Rubbing his head, he sits down, looking between us.
