Page 62 of Tides of Discovery
“Then act like it,” Ryan snapped and stepped forward to stand beside Jack and me. “For once in your lives, try actually listening to Cooper instead of just waiting for him to become who you want him to be.”
The coffee shop had gone completely silent, whispered conversations dying mid-sentence and coffee cups frozen halfway to lips, all pretense of not listening abandoned as every customer gawked at us with fascinated attention. Even as my stomach twisted with anxiety about the public confrontation, I felt a flood of gratitude for my brother’s support. Within the hour, the gossip would ripple through every corner of Seacliff Cove.
“Ryan, you don’t understand what’s at stake here,” my mother began.
“What’s at stake?” Ryan laughed incredulously. “His happiness? Because from where I’m standing, Cooper looks happier than I’ve seen him in years. Jack’s good for him. Anyone with eyes can see that.”
Jack’s thumb traced small circles on the back of my hand, a soothing gesture that centered me even as my heart pounded against my ribs. What was he thinking beneath his calm exterior? Was he regretting our bargain now that he was experiencing my family drama firsthand?
“This conversation is over.” My father’s voice was tight with controlled anger. “Evelyn, we’re leaving.”
“Richard—” my mother began.
“Now, Evelyn.”
She hesitated, looking between us with an expression I couldn’t quite decipher. For a fleeting moment, I thought I saw something like uncertainty in her eyes. Then her face hardened again, and she turned to follow my father toward the door.
“Ryan, are you coming?” she asked over her shoulder.
Ryan shook his head. “I think I’ll stay and have lunch with my brother and his boyfriend, if they’ll have me.”
My parents departed without another word. The bell announced their exit with the same cheerful jingle as their entrance. As the door closed behind them, the shop gradually returned to its normal volume. Customers resumed their conversations as if nothing had happened.
But something had happened. Something significant.
I’d stood up to my parents, publicly and definitively, over a relationship that was temporary—except it didn’t feel temporary. Even then, with adrenaline still coursing through my veins from the confrontation, I couldn’t shake the feeling that what I’d just defended wasn’t limited at all, but something precious that deserved to continue.
And standing up to my parents? I felt…liberated. As if the weight I’d been carrying for years had finally lifted.
“That was—” Jack’s voice pulled me back to the present.
“I’m so sorry.” I cut him off. “You didn’t sign up for that.”
Jack’s expression was enigmatic, a mixture of emotions I couldn’t quite read. But there was relief there, and something that looked like happiness.
“Actually.” He squeezed my hand gently. “I think I did. It’s all part of being your boyfriend, right?”
His attempt at lightness didn’t quite mask the depth of feeling reflected in his eyes.
“You were amazing.” Ryan clapped me on the shoulder. “Both of you. I haven’t seen Dad that speechless since I told him I was quitting law school.”
I blew out a breath and changed the subject. “Chicken and pesto panini, Ryan?”
“Sounds great. Thanks.”
I moved back behind the counter to heat the sandwich. My hands were still shaking as I slid it onto the press.
“I just wish they’d listen for once.” I sighed, the adrenaline beginning to ebb.
“They might, eventually.” Ryan’s tone suggested he didn’t believe it any more than I did. He leaned against the counter. “But regardless, I’m happy for you two. It’s about time.”
Jack’s eyebrows rose. “About time?”
Ryan chuckled. “You might have successfully hidden your feelings from Cooper all these years, but the rest of us noticed when he wasn’t looking.”
Heat flooded my face as I glanced at Jack, whose expression had gone carefully blank, though a flush crept up his neck.
“Ryan,” I warned.
