Page 128 of Catch Me
I stared down at the wood in front of my feet. “Yeah. Tilian’s friends.”
He made a sound that I recognized. My heart sped up as dread chilled my blood. I knew what type of response was coming, but I still hoped I was wrong. At one time, I’d gone along with the shit he said and we’d laughed about it.
“Heard Ross’ kid moved in with a guy. Can’t believe your mom posted about it on social media like she was proud.”
“She is,” I said softly. “Til’s boyfriend is good for him.”
“Rome, don’t tell me she’s softened you toward that shit.”
“Mom just wants him to be happy, Dad. He’s her stepson.”
“Maybe she shouldn’t have married a guy who couldn’t set a good example for his kids.”
“Just shut the fuck up.”
The silence that ensued made the delayed panic start to crawl through me.
I shouldn’t have said that. What the fuck was I thinking?
Not sure what else to do, I waited for him to respond. While the seconds dragged on, I put the phone on speaker and checked my notifications. A text there made me pause.
Ezra:Hey, how’s your break going?
Roman:Break’s been amazing. I hope yours has too
Ezra:Yeah, it’s nice being home. I’ve been drawing a lot
Roman:I’d love to see them when I get back
My stomach felt like shit right now.
Since I was trying to make little changes, I thought this was a good one to work on. I did want to see his drawings, and when I thought about it, there was no confliction like every time before. Maybe it was because I knew that it wasn’t about sex. I had no idea what I’d be going home to after break, considering I couldn’t imagine hanging out with my old group. I wasn’t going to jump off the deep end and make a bunch of new friends, but it’d be nice to have someone around who didn’t make me feel like I was tearing off my skin to mold myself into someone else. If Travis wouldn’t mind me hanging out with Ezra, at least. Considering our history, he might find it weird.
“Guess we can agree to disagree,” Dad said dismissively.
After a deep breath, I shook my head. “Are we not allowed to have a difference of opinion?”
“Sure, but the fact that you see this as an opinion is disappointing.”
The statement made my nostrils flare. Why did I even care? He wasn’t someone I wanted to be like, but the idea of cutting ties made me feel weak right down to my bones.
“Okay,” I replied simply.
Ezra:Really?
Roman:Yeah, but not like that...You’re an amazing person and I’m being honest when I say I hope you find a guy who can give you what you deserve. Sorry I was always a dick
Ezra:Oh ok. I understand how things are for you, so no need to apologize. If you want to actually hang out for real, not like before, I want to do that too. You’re a cool guy, Roman. It doesn’t have to be more
I let out a relieved breath. He was a good person, which was part of why I’d liked him. After building this friendship with Travis, I wanted to explore platonic relationships I could actually enjoy. It didn’t matter that Ezra was gay, and maybe I’d get shit for being his friend, but hopefully, I’d find a way to get past what other people said about it.
“Is that all you called for?” I asked. “To check in.”
“Melissa and the kids were upset you couldn’t come for the holiday.” His voice was more curt than before, and at this point, I just didn’t have the mental energy to deal with it.
“Tell them I’m sorry. I’ve got to go. It’s late and I’m heading to the airport tomorrow.”
Without waiting for him to respond, I ended the call. My phone buzzed, so I pulled down the notification bar to send a quick response.
