Page 110 of Boss and Brat

His voice came out softer than he had intended. “I’m gay.”

The words hung in the air, heavy and terrifying.

But his father didn’t look surprised. Not even a little. His expression didn’t crack. Didn’t shift. He just breathed out slowly, as if he’d been expecting this moment for a long time.

“I’m glad you felt safe to tell me,” he finally responded, voice calm. “But I always knew.”

Ethan blinked. “You… did?”

His father nodded once. “Some parents know their child. Even when they don’t say things out loud. But your mother doesn’t know.”

Ethan didn’t know what he expected—anger, disappointment, confusion—but not this. Not the absolute certainty. Not the acceptance wrapped in his father’s usual bluntness.

“I really didn’t act on until I was at Chico, then I knew there was no turning back.”

“And not going to class was your way of dealing with it?”

“Yes.”

His dad continued, “I figured you’d tell me when you were ready.”

Ethan’s eyes burned. He looked down at his hands, trying to breathe through the sudden rush of emotion. “I thought you’d be upset and disown me.”

“I’m not upset at all,” his father said simply. “You’re my son. That hasn’t changed. And I would never disown you like my father had done to me. It’s important for a son to have his father’s support.”

Ethan inhaled too much air, his lungs stretching too fast, leaving him a little lightheaded. The relief hit him in a warm rush that made his fingers loosen against the couch cushion. He glanced toward Carter, who gave him the smallest, proudest nod, the kind that settled something deep in Ethan’s chest.

He struggled to regain his breath as Carter shifted his weight and moved closer. It was a slight movement, but it changed the room—like the air tightened around the space he took up.

“Mr. Evans,” Carter said, voice steady but respectful, “we wanted to talk to you together.”

A pulse of nerves sparked beneath Ethan’s skin. He hadn’t expected Carter to say it like that—open, direct, no hesitation. His shoulders pulled in a little, not from fear but from the sudden awareness of how real this was.

His father turned his attention to Carter, his face unreadable, eyes focused in that way that made Ethan feel seen and measured all at once. “Alright. Go ahead.”

Carter glanced at Ethan for a split second—checking, asking without words. Ethan gave a tiny nod. His throat trapped the words.

Carter faced Ethan’s dad again. “I care about your son. More than I had planned to. More than I expected to. We’re… together.”

The words washed over Ethan, a comforting warmth spreading through him. Hearing Carter say it out loud—claiming him, not hiding him—made something deep in his chest ached in the best way.

His father didn’t react at first. No flinch. No raised brow. Just a long, assessing look between the two of them.

Then he asked, “How long?”

Ethan swallowed. “A little while,” he said. “Not long. But it’s real.”

Nodding slowly, his dad absorbed that. “And this is mutual? No pressure? Not confusion?”

Ethan sat up straighter. “No pressure. I wanted this. I chose this before Carter even told me he was gay.”

Carter added, “I’d never push him into anything.”

His father studied Carter for a moment—really studied him. Ethan was terrified of what he might see or assume.

Finally, his dad asked, “Are you serious about him?”

Carter didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”