Page 122 of Off Limits

“I don’t know what’s gotten into you?—”

“Maybe I’m sick of your bullshit.”

I was definitely playing with fire now, but I was beyond caring. If he wanted to cut me off because he couldn’t accept me being with Asa, then so be it.

Losing contact with my little siblings would suck, but I refused to let him manipulate me into giving up the only person I’d ever loved.

“Do you remember how everyone reacted when you and Miranda got together?” I tried a different tactic.

“What?”

“Do you remember how people reacted when you and Miranda got together?” I repeated. “How scandalized everyone was. How you lost half your friends and people talked and gossiped about you for years.”

“I don’t see what that has to do with this conversation.”

“You did it because you love her. Because you wanted to be with her.”

He didn’t say anything. Hopefully that meant he was listening.

“You didn’t care about the consequences because you knew it was what you wanted. Do you regret it? Do you ever wish you’d stayed with Mom?”

“Of course not.”

“That’s how I feel about Asa. I know people are going to have opinions about us being together, and I’ll probably lose friends and even family over it, but I don’t care. I love him, and I’m going to be with him, consequences be damned. He’s worth it, and I’m not going to let you or anyone else push us apart because you’re uncomfortable with our relationship.”

“You really feel that strongly about him?”

“Yes.”

Another silence fell over us.

“Fine. But you’d better find a way to tell Miranda before anyone else does. I refuse to be the one to break this to her.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” I asked lightly. “You really want to risk her finding out that you lied to her and waited for us to say something?”

Another pause.

“Fine. I’ll tell her. But you tell Asa that he’s going to have to answer to her without you stepping in to play protector. I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but I will not allow you to disrespect her by talking to her the way you’ve talked to me.”

“Disrespect her by telling her to stop verbally and emotionally abusing her son?”

“Dex—”

“That’s exactly what it is, and you know it. And you’re just as guilty because you’ve let it happen. You’d never let her treat me or the kids the way she treats him, but you’ve never stood up for him or even tried to protect him. You keep talking about how we’re supposedly brothers, but you’ve never once acted like a father to him. I’m not going to fight his battles for him because he doesn’t need me to, but I will not allow anyone to treat him like he’s just a means to an end anymore.”

Another silence fell over the line.

“You told me once that it’s in our blood to protect the people we love. That family is the most important thing in the world, and nothing is off limits when it comes to protecting them. Do you remember that?”

“I remember,” he said softly.

“Asa is my family, and not because you and Miranda got married or because we share siblings. He’s my family because I love him. I didn’t choose to feel this way about him, but I do, and there’s nothing you or anyone else can do to change that.”

Dad let out a loud sigh that I knew was a sign that I was finally getting through to him.

“I’m sorry you found out about me being bi like this,” I said honestly. “I wanted to come out to you properly. And I didn’t hide it from you specifically, I hid it from everyone. I haven’t even come out yet.”

There was a slight pause. “I appreciate that.”

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