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"Dad, what are you talking about?" Elliot asked in confusion. "This morning I logged onto Facebook and see that you’re in a relationship with Matias and five minutes later the post is gone."
I figured the woman Matias had mentioned who did the computer stuff for Ronan had likely removed my posts, but I hadn't been sure. Hopefully, they’d been up long enough for Bishop to see them. Or I'd at least have to convince Matias and Ronan to have her put the posts back. But first, I had to deal with Elliot and Cruz.
"We'll explain everything to you, El, but the short version is that there's no relationship between me and Matias. It was all a lie."
"No it wasn't," Matias interjected. I turned to look at him and shook my head in disbelief. What the hell was he doing?
"Matias—" I began.
But the man stepped around me and closed the distance between him and his brother. "It wasn't a lie. Sam and I are in a relationship. It's been going on for weeks."
I opened my mouth to correct him on more than one front, but before I could, Cruz was throwing a punch. The blow caught Matias along the jaw. He stumbled backwards but managed to stay on his feet.
"You're such a selfish asshole, Matias!" Cruz snapped. "What, you aren't happy so no one else can be? I can't live like this anymore. I don't know you," he added sadly.
"Enough," I interjected as I stepped between the two men. "What happened between your brother and me is none of your business, Cruz," I said. "It's nobody's business but ours. But if you must know, it was very much a mutual decision. And maybe we should have told you at some point, I don't know, but that's neither here nor there. We have a bigger problem now."
Cruz pulled in a couple of breaths. Elliot had taken his hand and that seemed to have calmed Cruz considerably.
"What problem?" he asked.
"Bishop," Matias said as he rubbed his jaw.
Cruz let out a harsh laugh. "God, Bishop again? Matias, he's gone. He's not hunting you. Or me. If anything, he’s staying as far away from us as he can. It would be insanity for him to come here—"
"Cruz, as your future father-in-law, I need you to do something for me."
My words got Cruz's attention. As badly as I wanted to know if the young man had proposed to my son, I knew it was irrelevant at the moment. Even if he hadn't, it was just a matter of time. With that knowledge in mind, I said, "I need you to listen to your brother. Really listen." I couldn't help but glance over my shoulder as I said the next part. "Listen to the things he's not saying."
Cruz was silent for a moment and then he finally nodded. I glanced at Elliot who also nodded in understanding. He leaned in and kissed his boyfriend softly and then whispered something in his ear that I couldn't hear. I took the opportunity to focus on Matias. "If you want to protect him, do it by telling him the truth." I found myself reaching out to squeeze Matias’s fingers. I kept the contact brief, though all I really wanted to do was lean in and close my arms around the man.
I waited for Elliot to join me and then led him to Ryan's room. I had no doubt that my oldest son had a million questions and that my youngest son was probably confused as hell by all the yelling that had been going on, but despite all that, all I really wanted to do was return to Matias’s side so he’d have someone to hold on to.
So much for faking it.
Chapter 23
Matias
For the first time in a long time, it wasn't a matter of not wanting to talk to my brother, it was a matter of not knowing what to say. I didn't do feelings or emotions. I dealt in truths and silence. But as I stood before Cruz and took in the disappointment that was clearly written across every feature, I knew that silence wasn't an option.
Which left the truth.
"I thought he was just an obsession. I thought if I could get past the physical attraction, I could move on," I said.
"And did it even register with you what your obsession could do to my relationship with Elliot?" Cruz asked.
"Yes," I acknowledged.
Cruz nodded. "So it registered, but you just didn't care?"
"Did you care when pursuing something with Elliot jeopardized your job?"
"I'm not your job, Matias! I'm your brother!"
He was right. I knew that and I knew nothing I said would justify what I’d done. As terrible as that was, I still couldn't find it in myself to regret it. My silence was the same as if I'd made the admission out loud. Cruz shook his head in disbelief and then turned his back on me. In that moment, I felt fear like I'd never known in my entire life. Not even the night I'd almost lost Cruz forever.
