Page 58 of Pet Project

Don’s arm moves across the top of my back to grip my shoulder while Shiloh’s grip on my waist tightens from the other side. Standing between the two men I love more than life itself, I face the woman who thought it was better to subject me to literal torture rather than love me for the person I was born to be.

“I am yourMother, Tobias! How dare you speak to me like that!”

Choking back my rage, I manage to respond through clenched teeth. “My mother died the moment she booked me a plane ticket to a conversion camp… Oh, I’m sorry.Leadership retreat.”

She stares at me with nothing but rage and contempt in her eyes. It feels like an eternity before she shrieks and storms out of the venue. At the sound of the door slamming closed, my legs give out and all control over my emotions evaporates. Sobs rip from my throat as Don gathers me up in his arms. I can feel us moving somewhere, but I can’t bring myself to care.

Hours later, I wake up in our bed and can’t really remember how I ended up here. We were supposed to be having a party after the banquet at Mr. Drag, but I guess my mother ruined those plans. I hope that everyone else got to party even in my absence. It’s bad enough that I’m a genetic combination of a coward and bigot, but now I get to add delinquent and disturber of the peace to it as well.

Don’s raised voice from the living room has me climbing out of bed in curiosity. Deciding clothing is probably in order if he’s talking to someone, I pull on one of his gigantic hoodies that hangs midway down my thighs. I don’t bother finding pants to pull on top of my boxers before heading to the hallway. Everything is all covered that needs to be.

I hear the shower running as I step into the hallway, so I guess that’s where Shiloh is.

“He specifically told you not to let her know about tonight, Simon. She showed up… No, she didn’t come to make peace with him. She fucking destroyed what should have been a highlight of his life… SHE MADE HIM FUCKING BREAK DOWN, YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!”

Despite the fact that I have forgiven my father for being such a coward in my childhood, I can’t deny the happiness I feel that my owner is making sure my sperm donor knows he fucked up today. I’ve never had anyone stand up for me like this — not since Me-maw.

Nothing could possibly stop me from crawling into Owner’s lap right now, so I don’t hesitate. Don merely switches the phone to his other hand to wrap his arm around me and pull my head down to his shoulder.

“If you weren’t going to be coming, you shouldn’t have said anything to them… That’s fair, but it still falls to you. I’m not going to blame a seven year old for not understanding how her mother could hurt her big brother. I blameyou, the parent…”

“Owner?” I hesitate to ask, but know this is something I need to do. “Can I talk to him?”

“Hold on, Simon,” he says and pulls the phone down to his side. “Are you sure, Pup? You’ve been through a lot tonight. You can wait until tomorrow if you want. There’s no rush to clear the air or let him off the hook.”

“I need to get it out tonight, Donnie. It will fester if I don’t. And I’ve given the pain they put me through enough of my time and energy.”

Don kisses me on the forehead and hands me his phone. Looking up, I see Shiloh come into the roomwearing only his pajama bottoms. He takes a seat next to Don on the couch and grabs my other hand in support.

“Dad?” I hate the way my voice is so scratchy from earlier, but a part of me is glad he gets to hear what that woman put me through. He can’t hide from it this time. “You still there?”

“Tobias, I am so sorry,” he stammers. It sounds like he’s trying not to cry, too. My father never cries. Hell, he barely smiles. I think the most emotional I’d ever seen him was the day he put me on the plane to come here.

“Rachel didn’t know better. She told your mother she was mad that she couldn’t go see you for your graduation party and that woman managed to get enough information out of her to find you. The court official didn’t mention it to me. They’re supposed to tell me if she talks to them about you or if she starts spewing her hate. I didn’t even know she left Alabama until Robert called and ripped me a new asshole an hour ago.”

There’s a lot to unpack in that, but the loving gazes of my men help to keep me from spinning out. The thing that sticks with me is the fact that the woman can’t even see her other children without supervision, lacking though it is. More than likely, the official didn’t think anything of a seven year old complaining to their mother about not being able to go to a party.

“I don’t blame you,” I tell him after a pause. “I know you guys couldn’t come because Richie got covid from his peewee football team. I especially don’t blame Rachel. I get why she was upset. She’s a seven year oldwho was going to go on her first plane ride and see her big brother who she hasn’t seen in three years.

“I was disappointed to not get to see you guys as well.

“I’m glad in a way that you weren’t here. They don’t need to see their mother the way I saw her tonight. Even knowing the monster was always there after the fact, tonight obliterated all the good memories. I don’t want that for them.”

I feel the tears start to fall again and I wonder how the fuck there’s still any moisture in my body to still be able to come out.

“Tell me how to make it up to you, son,” my father begs on the other end of the call.

Shiloh hands me a bottle of water and I glance at each of the men who hold my heart in their hands. I give them each a small smile and tell my father the only thing that matters at this point. His relationship with me has been damaged by today’s events, but he can do better for my siblings.

“Make sure Richie and Rachel know you love them and will protect themno matter what,” I say with a hitch in my voice. “Love them unconditionally and make sure they know it. Don’t assume they know like you did with me.Tell them. Show them. Keep that bitch and her hateful relatives away from them.

“Don’t let them suffer like I did.”

I barely whisper that last part and hear my father’s gasp on the other end of the call. My heart can’t handleanything else without another crack forming, so I thrust the phone back at Owner. I stop paying attention to whatever he’s saying to my father and bury my face into his neck to let the tears fall.

67

SHILOH

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