Page 28 of Finding Delaware

Pausing for a few moments, I nod once, not turning around. Cold fingers slip down my arm, running from the crook of my elbow to my wrist before falling away. It’s a touch that sends goosebumps over my skin.

“Look, my father is an asshole,” he says haltingly, and I exhale in exasperation.

“I know, you’ve said that before.”

“Shut up and let me talk, Huck.”

My jaw feathers at the corners, molars grinding, but I stay silent.

“As I’m sure you know, my dad’s shop is my racing sponsor. Without his backing, I wouldn’t have been able to enter the competition for the scholarship next year. Plus, he owns my bike. Whatever prize money I get from winning goes toward paying it off, not to mention all the tickets and fines I’ve gotten from…well, from being me.”

Okay, and your point?

It’s on the tip of my tongue to say those exact words, but instead, I hold back as Taylor continues.

“He’s an old-fashioned guy, my father. Very set in his ways. One of the reasons Maisie left him. Let’s just say he has very particular opinions on a woman’s place in the household.” He huffs a humorless laugh. “So, you can imagine his thoughts regarding...unconventional relationships are very outdated.”

At that admission, I turn around to see Taylor’s bright and open eyes on my face, pleading for me to understand. His teeth work his bottom lip again—the lip my teeth were biting on.

“Unconventional,” I repeat slowly, trying to understand what he’s saying.

“Yeah. As in...relationships that aren’t strictly of the ‘male and female’ variety. And he’s very vocal about it.”

Understanding dawns on me, loud and clear. “So your dad is homophobic.”

Taylor nods grimly. “Yep. With a capital ‘H’.”

“He’s where you get it from, then,” I add, somewhat resentfully, and Taylor’s eyes flash angrily.

“I’m not my father,” he snarls, whirling away as he starts to pace, “and I’m not a homophobe. I have nothing against gay people.”

“Just me, then?”

Another punch to the gut from this guy. How many times am I going to open myself up to him so that he can hurt me?

“No, Huck,” he growls in frustration, halting his pacing to meet my gaze. “Look, if my dad had any kind of suspicion that I was gay, he’d take away my sponsorship.He’d take my bike. Any chance I had at getting that scholarship would fly out the window, and I need that scholarship, man.”

“Are you?” I ask quickly, snagging onto only one part of his speech, even though I know what he’s trying to tell me is important.

He blinks. “Am I what?”

“Gay?”

“Fuck no,” he snaps, and I rear back at the intensity in his tone. Taylor notices immediately, growling again as he resumes his pacing. “I don’t know, Huck. I don’t think so.”

The way his dick reacted to our kiss earlier tells me otherwise, but his sexuality isn’t my concern. I have enough issues with my own sexuality, thank you very much. Yes, I’m in the closet, but I don’t lie to myself about it.

Breathing slowly, I reach up to pinch the bridge of my nose. “So why don’t you just find another sponsor?”

“Tried that. No one will take me. I’m a bit of a bad influence. Not like you, golden boy,” he smirks. “Plus, when my father found out I was searching for someone else, he got...upset about it.”

The way he winces when he says that last part has a sick feeling churning in my stomach.

“Did he get violent with you?”

“What?” Taylor’s eyes widen as they snap to mine, and he quickly shakes his head. “No, no. Nothing like that. He’s just unpleasant to be around when he’s angry. That’s all.”

Like father, like son.

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