Page 34 of Painted

“There, there,” Robert said, rocking Early slightly as they buried their face against Robert’s shoulder and gave themselves a few seconds to let it all out and cry. “I know Rhys didn’t mean to snap at you. Unfortunately, Nick and I had just ambushed him with a little twist in the fundraiser planning moments before you showed up.”

“It’s not that,” Early sobbed, desperately trying to pull themself together. “Rhys and I slept together last night and it was awful and now he hates me.”

So much for keeping their mouth shut and not incriminating Rhys in any way.

Robert stopped his gentle rocking movements for a moment, squeezed Early tighter, then let them go so he could look into their eyes. Early rushed to wipe at their face, even though they’d barely cried at all, and made themself stand straighter.

“Well that’s a horse of a different color entirely,” Robert said.

It was a surprising relief to see the sparkle of humor and joy in Robert’s eyes. Robert was one of the most easy-going, happy people Early had ever met.

“Sorry,” they said, glancing down a little, which caused their hair to fall into their face, like a shield.

But no, they couldn’t hide from what they’d done. They couldn’t hide from a Hawthorne. They pushed their hair back, sucked in a deep, bracing breath, and stood straight to face everything.

“Do you have something to be sorry about?” Robert asked, peering carefully at Early. “Did you tie my son to the bed and have your way with him?”

“No,” Early said with a small laugh despite his wrecked emotions.

“Did he assault you?” Robert asked more seriously.

“No,” Early answered with matching seriousness. “If anything, I seduced him a little.”

Robert arched one eyebrow. “A little?”

Early winced, feeling themself blush. “I…I cooked him dinner and dressed in silk pajamas and flirted with him.”

“Well, yes, of course,” Robert said with gentle sarcasm. “Because all of those things scream ‘bang me into the mattress’ and not ‘I’m your friend and I’m just being nice’.”

Early let out a shy laugh and lowered their head. They knew what Robert was trying to get at, but they weren’t sure they deserved that sort of consideration.

“It was what I wanted,” they said, still looking down. Their expression pinched. “I thought it was what I wanted.” They glanced up as Robert took in a breath, like he was going to object. “No, I’m sure it was. I wanted it.”

“Did you and my son talk about this beforehand?” Robert asked.

Early shook their head and glanced down again.

“Did you talk about it after?”

Early shook their head again.

“So basically, the two of you had an experience that should have been beautiful, but you stuffed it right up.”

That earned another smile from Early. They lifted their head and forced themself to face the consequences they’d created again, but the paternal concern in Robert’s eyes made them want to wither into a ball of uncertainty again.

“That’s why Rhys is angry with me,” they said quietly. “I did everything wrong.”

Robert continued to stare at them for so long it made their skin prickle.

“I was seventeen when I lost my virginity,” he said, completely matter-of-fact. “I lost it to one of my teachers.”

Early’s mouth dropped open. “Was that allowed back then?”

“No, it was not,” Robert answered quickly. “I fancied myself so grown-up all through the term, when I flirted with him. When he asked me to stay behind at the end of the day, then fucked me over his desk, I thought I was the bee’s knees and a part of the age-old tradition of spotty schoolboys losing their virginity to their wicked, ravenous teachers.”

Early blinked. “Wait, youlikedit?”

“I loved it,” Robert said with a shrug. “I had to find my way out of the school and home on the bus with an enormous wet spot on the front of my trousers from how hard I’d come.”

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