Page 144 of Pucking Tangled
Tessa: You alive?
Owen: Technically.
Tessa: How was the visit with Casey and Mia’s parents?
Owen: Better than anyone expected.
Tessa: How are you?
He stared at that one longer before his fingers started moving again.
Owen: Happy for them. But I’d be lying if I said it didn’t mess me up a little.
Tessa: I get it.
Owen: Some part of me still wanted that. Even if I knew better.
Tessa: You deserve better.
Owen: You and Tyson are enough. I just wish...you know.
Tessa: I do.
Waylon walked into the kitchen.
Owen: I’ll give you a call later. Love you, Sis.
He put the phone down. Took another sip of coffee.
Waylon stood there in a hoodie that might have actually belonged to Luca and a pair of plaid pajama pants that definitely didn’t match. His hair was a wreck, and looked like maybe he hadn’t slept well last night.
He refilled his mug and leaned his back against the counter next to Owen.
They stood in companionable silence for a few moments, sipping coffee while everyone else moved around them.
Then Waylon spoke quietly. “You good?”
Owen didn’t answer right away, but finally said, “Luca’s parents handled it really well.”
Waylon nodded slowly. “Yeah. I was kinda expecting at least one of them to flinch.”
“Same.”
Another pause. Another sip.
Then Owen added, “Mine didn’t take it that well. When I came out, I mean.”
Waylon exhaled slowly and said, “Guess that makes two of us, huh?”
“I haven’t spoken to my parents in five years. I thought they might come around when I started dating Casey. I was wrong. I’ll never forget the day I told them I was bi. They looked at me like I was a stranger. Like I was breaking something sacred.”
Waylon let loose a humorless laugh. “Parents are weird about their expectations.”
“Yeah. They’d probably disown my siblings, too, if they knew Tessa and Tyson still spoke to me.”
“You’ve got a sisteranda brother?” Waylon cocked his head.
Owen chuckled. “Yeah. They’re twins. Just turned twenty. Tessa is finishing college in California. Tyson works for a tech company in Seattle. They’re both busy, and we clearly don’t hang out a lot, but they text often.”
