Page 22 of Say Uncle

He leaned into my shoulder, his skin warm from the sun. “Good. That wasn’t so bad.”

“That was just the beginning,” I warned. “Go get me another beer, and get yourself something to drink. It’s hot out here.”

Mattie bent over the cooler to grab another bottle for me, giving me a perfect view of his ass. We had the boat to ourselves, docked at the pier, which was now mostly empty because of the late hour. The sun was setting, and we had front-row seats to the most beautiful sunset in South Carolina. Mattie handed me the beer, resuming his seat beside me. He even popped the top for me.

“Can I have a sip?” he asked.

Cute. “No, you’re underage.”

“I was old enough to drink in Barbados,” he argued.

“Look around, Mattie-boy, this ain’t Barbados.”

Looking me directly in the eye, he grabbed the bottle from me and took a swig, daring me to punish him again. I wasn’t going to take the bait.

“Always a brat, always looking for a punishment.”

“I don’t want another punishment,” he argued.

“Don’t you? Isn’t that why you continue to push my buttons?”

“No, it’s not.”

“Then why?” I asked, snagging the bottle from him.

“I don’t want you to see me as some unruly kid who needs to be taught a lesson. I want you to see me as a man, as your equal.”

“Then behave like one,” I challenged, taking a pull from the bottle. I licked the malt flavor from my lips and his eyes tracked the movement. “Are you going to talk to your father when you get home?”

“No,” he scoffed.

“What are you waiting for?”

“For him to be reasonable!”

“Let me ask you a question. What’s the worst that could happen? What’s he gonna do if you tell him you’re gay and that you want to pursue photography?”

Mattie shrugged. “I don’t know, probably kick me out.”

“He wouldn’t.”

“Yeah, he would, Sam. This little summer adventure was my last chance to get my shit straight before he kicks me out. When he realizes I’m not gonna go along with his plans for my future, he won’t support me any longer. He’ll be finished with me.”

Fucking prick. “Listen, kid. You can’t let assholeslike that bully you into being who they want you to be instead of who you are. You can’t go through life like that, always letting them win.”

“Easy for you to say,” he huffed. “You got to live out your dream.”

“My father was just like yours. In fact, we don’t even talk anymore. The difference between me and you was that I had money. I’m a trust fund brat,” I admitted with half a smile. “I also had Cass, so I wasn’t the only one with a harebrained scheme. He’s always backed me up. Who do you have?” I asked.

“No one,” he sulked. “Nicky?” Then he laughed. “Not sure what he can do for me, and neither of us have money.”

“But I do, and you have me. And you have Cass.” He glanced up at me, almost looking hopeful. “I’d never let you go hungry or without a roof over your head. Nobody deserves that.”

“Why? Why would you help me?”

I knocked his knee with mine, smiling. “We’re friends now, remember?”

That was the short answer. The longer answer was that I saw so much of myself in him, and I could never let him suffer for wanting to be himself. Also, my heart was becoming strangely twisted up in Mattie-knots. For better or worse, I’d developed a soft spot for him.

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