Page 60 of Promised Secret
The smile I returned to mylao-bawas stiff. Growingup, he led by example and taught me that family was the most important thing in this world, and now I couldn’t help but feel like I was betraying his teachings. So, while he beamed at seeing all four of us together, I shrank back and pretended like nothing was wrong. It was what I was best at.
The four of us moved to the kitchen and finished getting dinner ready. Clay and I weren’t expert cooks, but we knew how to follow directions. On the other hand, mylao-baand Sandra moved around the kitchen like it was second nature.
Sandra tsked when she saw the uneven potatoes Clay cut up. “You’ve been around the kitchen long enough that you think you would’ve learned through osmosis or something,” she said with a shake of her head. “What are you going to do when you find a nice girl and settle down? Don’t tell me you’re going to make her cook every meal?”
“Keep stirring or the sauce will burn.” Mylao-banudged me when he saw me freeze. I stirred the pot robotically, but my entire focus was on Clay and Sandra.
“We can just eat out. Dan and I survive just fine without cooking,” Clay responded, but his mom didn’t seem satisfied with that answer.
“I doubt your future wife will want to eat out for every meal,” she muttered.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Clay’s tight grip on the knife. There was a stiffness in him that told me her statement bothered him asmuch as it did me.
Lao-bacontinued humming a soft tune while he prepped the salad, completely oblivious to the tension in the room.
When Clay didn’t respond, Sandra sighed. She bumped Clay’s hip to nudge him out of the way and took over the chopping. She didn’t stop her expert chopping as she continued, “If you really don’t want to learn how to cook, I won’t force you, but you need to start thinking about the future, Clay. Jessica is a perfectly nice girl, so I just can’t understand why you won’t give her a chance?”
Sandra’srhythmicchopping and the bubbling sauce in front of me were the only sounds in the kitchen for a second.
I had a feeling the blind date would be a topic of conversation at dinner tonight, but I had no idea it’d make an appearance before we even got to the dining table.
Clay crossed his arms. “I told you I didn’t want to be set up,” he grumbled, and Sandra glared at him. Clay sighed. “Look, Mom. Have you ever considered that maybe I don’t want to get married? That maybe I don’t wanna be with a woman?”
I didn’t even pretend like I could stay calm anymore. Thankfully, the sauce was thick enough to be ready, so I turned off the burner and placed the pot on a nearbytrivet.
I turned around just in time to see Sandra’s scowl turn into concern. She placed the knife down and wipedher hands with her apron. I might have imagined it, but I swore she glanced my way with a panicked look in her eye, but she focused back on Clay too quickly for me to be sure.
Lao-bastopped humming and was paying attention to the mother-son interaction now as well. Those dark eyes of his were so similar to mine, but I couldn’tdecipherhis thoughts.
“What are you saying? That you like men?” Sandra asked, looking a little pale. Mylao-bamust have noticed too because he immediately went to her side and wrapped a safe arm around her waist. She leaned into his embrace.
Clay shrugged casually, but his fists were clenched on either side of his body. I wanted to go to his side and comfort him just like mylao-bahad for his partner, but I knew it would only raise questions if I did.
Sandra’s lips formed a smile, but anyone could see it was stiff and unnatural.
“That’s more than fine! How about I introduce you to my friend’s son? I heard he broke up with his ex-boyfriend last year and is just getting back into dating. He’s a lovely boy. I’m sure you’ll like him. Or how about our neighbor’s cousin? You’ve seen him around before. He’s a few years older than you, and I’ve seen him dating men around town. Don’t you think he’s handsome?”
Sandra’s words came out fast and choppy. Herknuckles were white from where she grippedLao-ba’s forearm, and there was a crazed look in her eye.
“There’s no rush, Sandra. The boys will find their person in their own time,” mylao-basaid, but she didn’t look comforted. Then, she looked over at me, and the panic there was clear as day.
Certain moments from the past suddenly came to mind. How Sandra tried to persuade Clay to live at the dorms during college instead of off campus. She’d been so against Clay living with me.
Then, when Clay and I returned to Kither Springs, it was a similar situation. When we told them we’d found a place to rent, she insisted we both move back home.
She’d eventually dropped the matter, but until now, I never knew why she’d been so against Clay and me living together.
She knew.
She didn’t want us alone together because she knew I was in love with her son.
Sandra was never the forceful type, so she was acting really out of character as she continued to push, “I heard there’s a matchmaker in town. How about?—”
“Mom, stop,” Clay interrupted her, probably having had enough. His eyes flicked to mine for a brief second before he faced Sandra. “I’m already in love with someone else.”
My heart was pounding so hard inside my chest thatI could probably pass out from the impact. Sandra looked horrified whileLao-babeamed.
“That’s great! When are you going to introduce him to us?” mylao-basaid. By how genuinely happy he seemed about this news, I guessed he didn’t have the same concerns as Sandra. Mylao-bawas one of the smartest men I knew, but he could be dense when it came to matters of the heart. He probably never even suspected me of being in love with my stepbrother.
