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We jerk away from each other, but it’s too late. I know it’s too late, and the thing is, I don’t care. I want everyone to know I’m with Troy. Life is really fucking fragile. Anything could have happened to him today, and I don’t have time in my life to waste on people like Glen.
I look at Troy, and the encouragement I see in his gaze tells me he feels the same.
“What the hell are you doing?” Glen snaps at me again—only me. Not Troy. “He’s your brother.” He takes a few steps into the room.
“He was mystepbrother, but now I love him. I’m in love with him,” I admit. But the thing about Glen is, being in love with someone, loving someone, isn’t something he will ever understand. He’s not built that way. He’s too selfish. He will only ever care about himself.
“You will end this right now. You’re not… You can’t… What did he do to you, Troy?”
“What did he do to me? Besides treat me well? Always being there for me? Making me laugh? He loves me,” Troy answers, his hold on my heart tightening even more.
“It’s disgusting. It’s wrong. Do you know what people will say? I will not let the two of you ruin our family. I forbid you to see each other!”
It’s almost like I blank out for a moment. I don’t see anything but red, my body hot, muscles tight as rage overtakes me. “We’regoing to ruin our family? Don’t act like you give a fuck about family! You sure as shit didn’t care about family whenyou cheated on Mom, and youstilldon’t care about our family because you’re doing the same damn thing to Ellie!”
The second the words leave my mouth, I want them back. There’s aclank, and I look up to see Ellie had come into the room. She’s dropped Troy’s bottle of soda to the floor. Guilt overpowers my anger because while Ellie and Troy deserve to know what Glen did, they shouldn’t have found out like this.
“Ellie…I’m…” I can’t find the words, so I look at Troy. “I’m sorry. I just found out. I didn’t mean—”
“He doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” Glen cuts me off. “They were kissing. Atlas has brainwashed your son, played tricks with him to get back at me. That’s all this is about! He’s trying to punish me for Madison. He—”
“That’s enough!” Ellie shouts, everyone else going silent. “That isenough,” she says again, closing the door. “Is what Atlas said true?”
My heart breaks for her. While she isn’t crying, I can hear the tears in her voice, hear how hurt she is.
“He’s trying to turn this around, make it about something it’s not. He—”
“Is telling the truth,” Ellie answers her own question. “This isn’t about Atlas. It’s about you—how you’re never satisfied. No matter how hard I try, I will never be enough for you. And maybe I deserve this after what we did, maybe I deserve it, but I’m not going to let you blame anything on our sons. They don’t deserve that.”
“So you’re just going to let them…” Glen waves his hand. “Do whatever this is they’re doing?”
“Loving each other? Yes. I can’t pretend I’m not surprised, but if they are good to each other, if they make each other happy, then I’m going to support them.” She looks at Troy. “It’s time I start supporting my son more.”
I feel Troy’s whole body relax, knowing how much he needed to hear that.
“Ellie…don’t do this. Let’s talk about it. I—”
“Get out,” Troy tells him.
“Who the hell do you think you are? I—”
“Get. Out,” I nearly growl at him.
He looks at me, at Troy, then at Ellie, who walks to the other side of the room to stand with us. Without another word, Glen leaves.
“I’m sorry, Ellie. I was going to tell you—tell you both. I just found out yesterday and planned to tell Troy tonight—”
“Shh.” Ellie reaches over and squeezes my hand. “It’s not your fault. I knew. Well…I recognized his excuses, but I kept lying to myself. I’m not going to ignore Glen and his bad behavior anymore.”
I nod, still weighed down by my guilt, but Ellie is looking at Troy. “You and Atlas?”
His eyes find mine, and just looking at him makes me believe it’s all going to be okay. “Me and Atlas,” Troy confirms. “I love him.”
“And I love him too,” I add.
Ellie smiles. “That’s the best news I’ve heard all day.”
And while I know there is a lot to sort through, a lot of pain that all of us will have to deal with, all I can feel is hope.
