Page 57 of Jalen & Colby

Isla runs over to her and Esme. “I don’t want to go to his place tomorrow, Mum. Please don’t make us. He’s so homophobic.”

“The custody agreement says—” Gregory begins.

“That agreement doesn’t mean shit if my girls don’t feel safe with you,” Anisha fires back.

Gregory sways on the spot for a moment before his gaze narrows again, and this time he’s got both Jalen and me in his sights.

“This is allyourfault!” he shouts. When he lunges this time, I don’t doubt he means to put his hands on us.

And he probably would have. If in that split second, Andreas didn’t appear in front of us like a human shield.

“Touch my boyfriends, and I’ll put you on your arse,” he growls. Donna runs around his legs, barking nonstop. Even River has risen from her place by the fire to come sit by Andreas’s side, and manages a deepwoofof support.

The fear of being hit again after all this time almost made me black out. I think I’m only still standing because Jalen is holding me up.

But hearing Andreas announce in front of hisentire familythat we’re his boyfriends threatens to take my legs out from under me all over again.

Gregory only just manages to stop himself in time to stagger backward. “Pervert,” he snarls.

“Says the man who left my sister for a gold-digging teenager,” Andreas says calmly.

Tianna steps in front of us to stand side by side with her son, crossing her arms. “Andreas, Colby, and Jalen are all welcome in this house,” she says clearly. “You are not. I suggest you don’t come back tomorrow. Anisha will contact you in the new year.”

“Anisha’slawyerwill contact you in the new year,” she amends from behind us.

“This is my family,” Andreas says. He moves to pull me and Jalen into his arms.“Allof them. If you weren’t so full of hate, maybe you’d still be a part of it. I feel sorry for you, Gregory, I really do. I hope that young woman out there sees who you really are before she marries you, and escapes. But really, that’s her problem. Now, leave.”

The anger has apparently blown out of Gregory, and he looks like he’s going to cry. It’s pretty revolting. “Nishy, please,” he blubbers.

“Out!” Anisha yells.

“Please, leave our home now,” Tianna says firmly as Yuen steps forward and ushers Gregory back toward the threshold.

Even both the dogs bark a farewell.

Finally, Gregory snaps and spins on his heels, slamming the door behind him.

“Bye, Felicia,” Nai Nai says smugly.

Voices erupt behind us, but Andreas just whips me and Jalen around to hug us to him tightly. “Are you boys okay?” he asks thickly. I realize he’s shaking.

“Daddy, I’m fine,” I say quietly.

No one’s going to hear me over all the commotion behind us. But they might notice when Andreas kisses both Jalen and me on the tops of our heads and crushes us even more with his fiercely protective hug.

“They’ll see,” I protest weakly.

Andreas’s laugh is rueful. “Oh, baby boy. Iwantthem to see. I want them to know you’re both mine.”

“Really?” Jalen asks. For once, he sounds as unsure as I feel.

Andreas turns us all around so we’re facing his many,manyrelatives, who are practically climbing the doorframes of the living and dining rooms so they can watch all the drama in the hallway.

“See,” Nai Nai says. Someone’s fetched her walking stick for her, and she flicks it toward us three. “Boyfriends. I tell you.”

Tianna raises her eyebrows, a small smile playing on her lips. “Andy? Is that true?”

I look up at my Daddy as he looks between me and Jalen. “Absolutely,” he says proudly.

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