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But for the first time, I refused to feel shame. Not after all these years of beating myself up for my choices. Something occurred to me. Unless they were my father’s choices, I’d never please him.
My voice was calm. “My club is not deviant; it’s sex, Dad. People have it. Matter of fact, I seem to remember you being all about telling me to have it in high school and college. Sow my wild oats, I believe you called it. But all of a sudden you act as though I’m the disgrace. You know what? You are. You’re a hypocrite. I created a successful business, one you might not approve of, but one I’m proud of owning.”
His entire face turned red. “You’re going to hell.”
A humorless chuckle left my throat. “For what? Defying you and dropping out of law school? Owning a successful club which allows people to be safe and explore their sexuality without judgment? For being a loving brother and son who never deserved to be cut off just because you didn’t agree with my choices?” I turned toward my mom. “I know this isn’t what you wanted for me, but I’m still the boy you loved. I’m sorry I disappointed you, Mom, but you disappointed me too. You were supposed to love me unconditionally.”
Tears streamed down her face while I held mine back. Barely. At the crux of it all, losing her love was the one thing I doubted I’d ever get over.
My father didn’t answer. He was an angry little man who threw out his judgments without anything to back them up except it just wasn’t his way. And my mom had simply never been strong enough to go against him. I found myself feeling sorry for her instead of angry.
“Come on, Oakley.”
Much to my relief, she took my hand, but my father turned to her.
“If you go with him, I’ll call up your parents right now, young lady, and tell them—”
If I’d expected Oakley to pale with the threat, I was mistaken. Instead, her eyes flashed with anger.
“Tell them what? That your son has treated me with nothing but respect? Unlike others who left me stranded on the side of the road because they had a fit of road rage like a psychopath. You want to start lecturing young men about their abhorrent behavior, start with that misogynist asshole.” She pointed toward Shawn. “And if you want to call my parents, be my guest. Unlike you, they would never cut off their child because they don’t agree with my choices.”
Chapter Seventeen
Oakley
I had the pleasure of watching Max’s father’s face go red. Just when he was about to respond with something I was sure would be uttered in a yell, Max’s mother stepped up. “That’s enough, Phil.”
She gave me a nod as if to say, “go.”
I was more than ready to leave. As I pulled Max away and down the hall, I was pretty sure I could hear her giving his father an earful. Good. I was still radiating anger on his behalf. How could his father be so hateful?
It was enough to almost distract me from the bombshell about Max owning a sex club.
As soon as we were in the lobby, Max pulled me into the alcove for the wine tasting room, framing my face with his hands.
“I’ve never had someone defend me the way you just did.” His lips took mine in a searing kiss.
Damn, I melted into him.
“What the hell are you doing?”
We broke apart to see none other than the bride standing at the entrance. Next to her was the groom.
Kate’s face went into a rage, one she directly focused on me. “I can’t believe this. I trusted you.”
Was I in the twilight zone? I was making out with her very single brother, not her husband.
Max tried to divert. “Kate, calm down.”
She flicked her gaze to him briefly before verbally assaulting me. “Is this why you’ve been so rude to Shawn? It’s like I don’t even know you anymore. You think you’re too good for this town, too good for me.”
Tim spoke up, grabbing her hand. “Babe, not here, not now.”
But Kate wasn’t listening to her new husband. “No, I think this is the perfect time. You’ve been the worst friend since you left for college, and you’ve been distracted this entire weekend. And now I know why. You’ve been sleeping with my brother.”
“Kate, that’s enough,” interjected Max, but I put my hand on his chest. I was trying not to say something I would later regret.
“Maybe your ex-boyfriend, Evan, was right about you.”
