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“Your dad?” Finn asked.
Hunter nodded. “I didn’t know your father was like mine. I swear, Finn. I wouldn’t have done it if I’d known. I know that doesn’t make it right but I thought he knew about you…I thought he accepted you because you guys were so close.”
“We were close,” Finn said. “He was my hero. After my mom left, he was all I had. I never told him I was gay because it didn’t even occur to me that he would care either way.”
“God, Finn, I’m sorry…”
“Hunter, it would have happened at some point. Maybe when I brought home a guy I wanted him to meet or when he caught me looking at a guy a certain way,” Finn explained. He laughed and said, “With the way I was always latched on to Callan, I’m amazed my dad hadn’t already figured it out.”
Hunter couldn’t help but smile briefly. But he sobered quickly and said, “It doesn’t make it right.”
“No,” Finn admitted. “It doesn’t. But after seeing firsthand what some of the people in this town are capable of and remembering how your dad looked at me when he called me a few choice names, I suspected what drove you to it. How long has it been happening?”
He didn’t need to ask what Finn meant. “Since as long as I can remember. He was always real careful to hit me where people wouldn’t see the bruises though.”
“No one suspected?”
Hunter shook his head. “I got good at hiding it. My mom, she kept telling me it was for the best so between them, I didn’t have any reason to think it should be any different.”
“And the gay thing?”
“That started when I was twelve or thirteen I guess. If I did anything he deemed too “girly” he’d call me names, smack me around and tell me to “man up.” If I spent more of my time playing sports or hanging with the cool kids, he actually seemed proud of me.”
“Your mom?”
Hunter shook his head. “I thought she knew about me, about who I was. But she backed him up every time. I begged her to leave once after he’d knocked me around pretty good but she just looked at me like I was suggesting we fly to the moon.”
“What about your grandmother?”
“I never told Gran and Pops about what was happening. Gran called me a couple days after I lied about you and told me I should tell the truth. I was so ashamed that I never spoke to her again after that.”
“I see your grandmother all the time, Hunter. She’s been up front about not believing what you said that night but she’s never once condemned you. I know she’d love to hear from you.”
Hunter nodded as a lump of emotion got stuck in his throat. “I will…I’ll go see her soon.” Hunter forced his eyes up and said, “I’ll tell everyone the truth, Finn. I’ve fixed things so my father can’t touch me anymore, and I’ll go back to Dare and admit what I did. I’ll go door to door if I have to.”
Finn was quiet for such a long time that Hunter began shifting nervously in his seat. He had no idea what else to say to Finn to convince him of his intention to follow through.
“That day on the sidewalk when Rhys went after you,” Finn began. “You didn’t try to stop him. He was about to hit you a second time and you didn’t even blink. It was like none of your instincts to defend yourself even kicked in.”
God, this was not the direction he thought Finn was going to take. “I don’t know what you want me to say, Finn.”
“I don’t care if the whole town ever hears the truth or not. I have exactly what I want. Two men who love me more than anything else in this world, an extended family that most people would kill for and a future doing work that I love. What I want is for you to have those things,” Finn said gently.
“My guess is you’ve got the love part covered if the guy you came in with is anything to go by and I’m hoping the fact that Luke and Gray are already very protective of you means that you’re well on your way to getting the family part. And I have no doubt that you won’t have any trouble with the work part. But what I want most is for you to forgive yourself for what happened that night because I’m afraid that when I tell you that I forgive you, it still won’t be enough for you to stop punishing yourself.”
Hunter felt like his heart was being ripped out and he couldn’t stop the tears that stated to fall. A hoarse cry erupted in his throat but he managed to stifle it and accepted the napkins that Finn slid across the table. Finn’s hand settled over his and he said, “I forgive you, Hunter.”
At his words, a sob tore free of Hunter’s throat and he wasn’t surprised when Roman appeared and sat down next to him and pulled him against his chest. He had no idea if other people were watching or not but he didn’t care either way because he couldn’t stem the tears that fell. Finn’s words had released some kind of dam inside of him and he doubted anything he did would put it back. And in truth, he wasn’t sure he wanted to.
“Okay?” Roman murmured against his hair once he settled. Hunter nodded and then used the remaining napkins to wipe at his face. He looked across the table to see Finn’s chair was empty. “He’s getting a refill,” Roman said as he slid a paper cup with a cover on it in front of Hunter. “Vanilla latte.”
Right. Because they were his favorite.
Hunter felt in control of himself enough to take a sip of his latte. “Did you and Rhys make nice?” he asked, hating how his voice still sounded shaky.
“We did but only after he agreed to let me take a swing at him for him sucker punching you.”
“He did not,” Hunter said in dismay.
