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She reached out, placing her hand over mine, where it sat on the table. “I promise, Gray. Anything you tell me today will stay between us. I won’t even talk to Tanner about it if you don’t want me to.”
“I don’t want them to know what a freak I am.”
Her brows pinched as she looked at me. “Talk to me, Gray. What happened with her? Why would you want to keep it a secret from your family?”
“It wasn’t a her. It was a them.”
Emmy shook her head. “What, like a non-binary person?”
“No. Like two people.”
She squeezed my hand tighter. "I don’t understand, Gray, and I really want to. Can you start from the beginning?”
So, I did. I told her it all. Everything. And she sat and listened until I’d finish.
Silently, she stood and moved to sit next to me before wrapping her arms around me, making me panic that I might break from her touch.
“If you loved them so much, if you knew they loved you, why did you walk away?”
“I couldn’t be who I am with a relationship like that. I was worried about what my family would think and what the fans would think. I didn’t want to be a freak and have everyone talking about me even more than they do, so I left. I ghosted them without any explanation. I walked out on two people who loved me because I was afraid. Emmy, I miss them so much. None of this means shit if I can’t share my life with them. What the hell am I going to do?”
A sob wracked through my body, and she rubbed her thumb across my face, wiping away my tears. “You’re not a freak, Gray. We love who we love. And who gives a shit what anyone else thinks? Is it better to cut yourself off and be miserable or tell them how you feel?”
“It’s been so long. They won’t want me now.”
“What makes you so sure? You still want them, so what’s to say they’re not feeling the same? Talk to them. Explain. Even if it’s too late, you won’t have any regrets and they won’t wonder why you just vanished. You owe them that, at least.”
I pulled back slightly, pushing a strand of hair that had fallen from Emmy’s messy bun away from her face. Suddenly, I felt hands on me, yanking me away from her and slamming me against the wall. Tanner was there, pinning me, his jaw flexed, rage filling his eyes.
“Give me one good reason I shouldn’t punch the shit out of your pretty face, Gray? What the fuck right do you have to touchmygirl like that?”
“What the hell, rock star? We were talking. You don’t own me. Jesus. Do you not trust me? Not trust your brother? Like either of us would do that to you.” Emmy fired at him.
Tanner loosened his grip on my shirt and stepped back.
“Wow, there’s the old Tanner. I’ve not seen him for months. I have to ask, man, have you been drinking?”
“No, I have fucking not. I come down here and find you pressed all over Emmy. Of course, I was going to lose it.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know I couldn’t hug my friend or move some hair out of her face. You’ve got issues, man. I thought it was because of the booze, but maybe it’s deeper than that. Emmy, thanks for the chat. I have a call to make. I’ll let you know how it goes. Tanner, calm down. You’re out of control.”
Ethan
“Heyprincess,youwantwhite or red with dinner?”
“White, please. How long will dinner be? I was going to jump in the shower.”
“Twelve minutes.”
She turned and stared at me with a sad smile.
“I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to take a long shower again. I wonder if it will get easier. It doesn’t help that the stupid band are all over the news all the time.”
“I know. I just wish he’d have talked to us and explained, instead of creeping away like a coward.” Anger flashed across Ethan’s face as he spoke.
I walked around the kitchen island to where he stood, wrapping his fingers in mine. “Hey, look at me, Eth. We were enough together before him. We will probably always miss him, but you and I are unbreakable, and this is just another reminder.” She held up her hand and the platinum wedding band on her finger sparkled in the light of the kitchen. “I love you, Mr. Tate.”
“I love you too, Mrs. Tate. Now, go shower. I’ll finish dinner.”
