“No.”
“Gale—”
“Let me think.”
“If you want to walk out, every one of us will follow you. Charles has no right to—”
“Let me think, Oz. Please.” My voice warbled.
He became a silent sentinel, gaze never straying. Once my heart rate returned to normal and the internal shaking subsided, I shut off the water and stood with my face tipped, dripping into the sink.
Ozrik handed me a wad of paper towels and rested a comforting hand on my back.
I dried hastily and found the garbage receptacle, then I leaned against the counter, exhaustion making my limbs heavy. I could have slept for a thousand years.
“This past month has been incredible,” I whispered, fearing my honesty would break the fragility of what we had become.
Ozrik moaned. “Please don’t break up with me. I’ll fight for you, Gale. I’ll—”
“Let. Me. Talk.”
I didn’t mean for the request to come out with an edge, but it did, and maybe it was from years of suppressing who I was and never getting a say. Maybe it was from living in the shadow of an outspoken sister, who told me what to do and never asked. Or maybe it was from years of abuse in school, suffering under the cruel torments of bullies simply for being different.
Ozrik clamped his teeth shut and nodded.
“I didn’t think I could live an authentic life or have a relationship or be…” I stared at my hands, splaying my fingers. “Be comfortable in my own skin. This past month has proven me wrong. I’m not stupid. Subconsciously, I knew that everyone had figured us out. They just had enough decency not to say it aloud because they respected that I wasn’t ready. Owning it is… a whole lot harder than I expected, but it’s nice to be… accepted.”
“Charles has no right to—”
“I know, Oz. I know.”
But Ozrik was angry and couldn’t pack away his fury. “You should be allowed to come out on your terms or not at all if you so choose. He shouldn’t have—”
“I know.”
He was about to speak again, but I held up a hand, asking him to wait.
“I’ve been here before, Oz. At the seminary. Minor differences, but in essence the same shit. My choice was taken away, and I had to scramble to deal with the consequences. I ran. Back then, it was a solution that made sense, but I’m tired of running. I’m tired of being afraid of my own shadow. Of being fake.”
“Gale—”
I lifted my gaze and shook my head. “What happens if I don’t run this time, Oz? What happens if I stop being a coward forfive minutes and look in the mirror and be proud of who I am? It works for you. Why can’t it work for me, too? Is it going to change what people think of me?”
“Not the people who matter. Your true friends and your family will love you anyway. The rest of the world can go to hell. Their opinions mean nothing.”
I pondered his words for a long minute.
“I can’t promise that there won’t be negativity, but…” Ozrik shifted, stared at the floor as he bit his lips, and swiped a hand over his jaw with a weary sigh. “I’m going to say something. Hear me out. For the record, I don’t agree with what Charles did. This is not me trying to change your mind or tell you what to do. I’m simply pointing something out.”
“Okay. What?”
“Do you know how badly we need more positive queer representation on television? We could be that couple, Gale. We could give some poor closeted tween the hope you never had.”
My eyes misted, and I nodded.
Ozrik took my hand. “But not unless you are one hundred percent on board. If you say no, we’re going to march into that conference room and raise our own storm.”
I let Ozrik pull me into his arms and hold me. “I love you, you know.”
