Page 146 of Pucking Tangled
Owen leaned forward, elbows braced on his knees.
“I have two siblings,” he said. “Twins—Tessa and Tyson. We’re not super close in age, but they’ve always been in my corner. Tessa’s loud. Tyson’s the quiet one. They both give good advice, usually in meme form. We talk a lot. Mostly over text.”
Mia smiled faintly. “I didn’t know that.”
“Not many people do,” Owen admitted. “I don’t bring them up a lot. Maybe because...it highlights everything I don’t have with the rest of my family.”
Casey moved so that he was sitting closer to him and pulled his hand into his.
“My parents didn’t handle things well when I came out,” Owen went on. “ When I tried to explain more about how I feel and what I want. They didn’t yell or cut me off. They just...disengaged. Quiet rejection. Never said anything directly, but all the love pulled away. I hoped when Casey and I got together, things would change. They didn’t.”
He swallowed.
“I haven’t spoken to them in over five years. They’re not part of my life anymore. Not by choice—at least, not mine at first. But eventually, it was easier to let go than keep bleeding for something they weren’t going to give.”
Mia stood and moved toward him for a hug. “I’m so sorry, Owen.”
“I’m not,” he said. “Not anymore. It still hurts. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t. But...I have people now. People who get it.”
He looked over at Luca, whose throat worked like he was trying to swallow words he wasn’t sure he could say out loud.
And then his gaze found Mia—her eyes soft, unflinching.
“You’re my family,” Owen said, voice low. “You two. Waylon. Casey. This house, this mess, all of it.”
Luca cleared his throat. “You’ve always been that for me. Even before I knew I needed it.”
Owen smiled and sat back in his chair, finallybreathing deeper.
Now they all knew his full truth.
“Does this mean we can invite Tessa and Tyson for a visit?” Mia asked with excitement in her voice.
“Maybe. They’re both super busy with their own lives, and my parents don’t condone them talking to me, so it’s really up to them.”
“Doesn’t hurt to ask,” Casey nudged him.
“True. They’re older now. Living on their own. They can make up their own minds, not that they haven’t all along.”
“Then it’s settled. We’ll invite them to visitafterwe plan a trip to meet the Blackfords.” Mia smiled.
FIFTY
Casey
They were piledin the car on the way to another PR Training session at the Barn Raisers’ offices when Waylon spoke up, catching them all off guard.
“We need a family bedroom,” he declared.
“That sounds…weird.” Casey stopped scrolling on his phone and turned slightly so he could look back at Waylon, who was sitting next to Luca.
“I’m serious.”
Luca scrunched up his face. “You mean all five of us in one room?”
“Yes. Remember what Owen said the first night we all slept on the bedroom floor? I looked up those ‘family’ beds he mentioned? I’ve been doing the research and thinking about it.”
“That’s dangerous,” Owen smirked.
