Page 120 of Devilry

When he seems to have stabilized his breathing, worry and unshed tears fill his eyes. “I’m so, so sorry.”

Crouching down beside him, I take his hand. “Why are you apologizing?”

“I don’t know what came over me. I’ve never had a reaction like that to them,” he explains.

“You don’t need to justify it to anyone,” I say sternly. “Are you feeling better?”

“I need to go and talk to them.” He rises, and I take his hand and drag him back down to the chair.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Elijah.”

“This has been a long time coming, Cole. I need them to know they’re not welcome in my life anymore. They have been so absent for so long, especially when I needed them most.” His voice cracks and so does my heart. “They don’t just get to pick and choose when they want to be parents. It’s my life and I won’t let them.”

“Okay, why don’t we try and get them to come in here.” I glance up at Callie. “Save ourselves a public debacle.”

She gives me a quick nod. “Let me go and find them.”

“I have this sick feeling in my stomach, Cole. Like something bad is going to happen now they’re here.”

“Hey, hey. Stop thinking like that.” I tip his chin up to look at me. “I’m never going to let anything happen to you, do you hear me? I love you.”

“I love you too. So much.” He cups the back of my neck and kisses me for dear life.

”Oh shit balls,” I hear Callie say behind us.

Elijah’s body turns to ice, and I whisper against his mouth before turning around. “I got you.”

Mr and Mrs William are nothing like I expected. Impeccably dressed for the evening, Mrs. Williams wears a long black dress with sequins all over the body. And a man that looks exactly like Elijah, stands next to her. But his handsome outward appearance in a tailored suit can’t mask his disgust as he eyes his son. Their physical likeness throws me off for a beat.

But then his dad opens his mouth, and the differences between them are like night and day.

“And here I was thinking this beautiful girl that came to get us was your girlfriend,” he sneers. “I thought maybe all your book-smarts changed your mind about the gay thing, but here you are as queer as ever.”

“Dad,” Elijah says, trying to stop him from going any further. “That’s enough.”

“Who do you think you are telling your father that’s enough? How dare you come to this school and bring shame to yourself? Shame to God, in front of all these people.”

“Mr. Williams,” I interrupt. “I think it would be a good idea if you leave now.”

“Leave,” he spits. “Over my dead body will a man like you give me orders.”

A man like me.

“You still wearing that thing?” He juts his chin out to Elijah, and I notice he’s absentmindedly playing with his crucifix. “Such a disgrace you are. God would be ashamed of you.”

With strength I’ve never seen him possess, Elijah goes head-to-head with his dad, standing in his personal space, ready to explode.

“Don’t you dare talk about a God you don’t know.”

His father’s head rears back. “A God I don’t know?” he roars.

“My God,” Elijah points to his chest, “is compassionate. Merciful. And forgiving. My God,” he continues, his voice getting a little louder, “has an endless amount of grace. My God doesn’t tell his congregation to condemn the sinner. To banish them. My God says time and time again, he who is without sin may cast the first stone. You are not withoutsin. Yet you continue to cast stones at me. And I’m saying it’s enough”

He straightens his shoulders, and in a voice so commandeering and reverent, he says, “I have suffered enough under you, Dad. I have my God, I have my faith, and I have a man who loves me more than you ever have and anyone else ever will.” Despite the hate radiating off his father, Elijah turns to me with such love and pride. “There’s no shame in our love, Dad, and I refuse to be around you if that’s what you believe, so, please take your bigotry and stay as far away from me as possible.”

Tears streak down his mother’s face, and I wonder how many years she’s also been suffering at the hands of his father.

Mr. Williams remains as disgusted as ever. Disbelief that the Elijah he knew is not the Elijah that stands before him today.

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