Page 125 of Off Limits

“You are?”

He nodded and tapped on the screen, opening his contacts. “If he tells her, she’ll call me in a rage, and she won’t listen to a word I say. If she’s going to disown me over this, then I’m going to be the one to tell her.” He looked up from his phone. “I never had a reason to stand up to her before. Now I do.”

I swallowed down the lump of emotion welling up in my throat. I was so damn proud of him.

“Can I put her on speaker?”

“Yeah, of course. I’ll stay quiet so she won’t know I’m here.”

“Thanks.” He tapped on the screen. “Here goes nothing.”

I put my hand on his leg and gave it a gentle squeeze. He covered it with his and held on tight.

“Hey, Mom,” he greeted when she picked up.

“Asa?” She sounded irritated, which was never a good way to start a conversation with her. “Can this wait?”

“No, it can’t. This is important.”

She muttered something I couldn’t make out. “Fine. What is it?”

“There’s really no easy way to say this, but I’m dating someone.”

“Really?” she sounded unimpressed. “That’s the important news you needed to share right now?”

“No, the news iswhoI’m dating,” he said dryly.

“Fine, who are you dating?” she asked, her tone filled with irritation.

“Dex.”

The line went silent.

“Who?”

“Dex,” he repeated.

“Dex, like your brother?”

“Dex, like mystepbrother.”

“You can’t be…”

“I am.” He squeezed my hand so tight his knuckles cracked. “And I wanted to tell you before you heard it from someone else.”

“You can’t be,” she repeated. “Dex would never… He isn’t gay.”

“No, isn’t gay. He’s bi.” He shot me a quick look, like he was making sure he was allowed to tell her that.

I squeezed his hand and gave him a reassuring smile.

“Since when?” she demanded.

I almost rolled my eyes. Was it really so inconceivable that I’d always been bi and just stayed in the closet?

“Since he was born.” He glanced up at the ceiling, his exasperation clear.

“I don’t believe you. This is some kind of sick joke.”

---