Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 102549 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 513(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102549 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 513(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
For the first time in maybe the history of our family, everyone is quiet for longer than ten seconds. If it weren’t for all the blinking and moving, I’d worry my screen was frozen. Ooh, that could be a good idea though. Be all, Oh noooo, you’re frozen. Have to end the call, byyyye.
My brother is the first to speak. “This has been going on for years? How did I not know?”
“Well, one, in college whenever I stayed out all night, you assumed it was with only one person. And two, these guys …” I glance at Kit and Prescott again. “We haven’t been able to see much of each other. One lives here in Virginia, the other in California. We’ve only now been able to make things official. Hence, the telling you all at once and making a big song and dance.”
My dads aren’t paying attention to me but to each other.
“Dads, I know you’re worried about Peyton’s career, but I already talked to Uncle Damon, and he thinks it will be fine, but if it’s too much, then I won’t be Peyton’s agent in the future. It’s not a big—”
“Screw that,” Peyton says. “You’re my agent, and I don’t care who you’re with.”
“You don’t, but the world might.” As sad and intrusive as that is.
“Fuck the world.”
I smile. “Thanks, but I’ve got my hands full with two partners.”
“Literally,” Uncle Maddox says and then does the jerking-off motion with both hands.
Beside me, Kit laughs, obviously having seen it from his angle.
“When the kids are more mature than the adults,” I say.
“You told Uncle Damon before us?” Dad exclaims.
“He did the right thing,” Uncle Damon says. “He didn’t want to tell you first in case I told him that he had to choose between his partners or his job.”
“You would never do that though,” Dad says.
“Can you blame him for questioning it? Yes, times have changed since you two came out, but do you remember the huge blowout that caused? Not only in your careers but your relationship as well. You have to be ready for this kind of thing, and I, for one, am happy for Brady.”
Dad’s eyes widen. “Wait, of course we’re happy for you.”
Pop nods. “Definitely.”
“But …”
“But it’s hard to turn off football brain,” I say. “Which is why I took so long to take this step. Well, that, and until recently, I didn’t think the three of us would become an official thing or anything.”
“Can you please put them all out of their misery now?” Levi asks. “I can’t wait for you all to see these guys. They’re SEALs.”
I slash at my throat, but again, it’s too late. Look at that, Levi was able to make all of them silent as well.
“You knew?” Peyton asks.
Four holds up his hand. “So did I.”
“Damon told me,” Maddox says.
“I can’t believe you kept a secret from me.” Peyton pouts.
Levi pats his cheek. “Sweetie, I love you with all that I am, but this isn’t about you. This is about your brother for once. Let him have it.”
“Okay, before my news ruins any more relationships or friendships or the fucked-up brotherhood you all have, would you like to meet them?”
There’s a round of “Duh” and “Of-fucking-course.”
“This is Guy Kitchener, but everyone calls him Kit.” Kit shuffles in, and I turn the laptop on an angle so we both fit in the screen.
A “Holy mother of fuck” falls from someone’s mouth, but I have no idea who says it because the screen glitches for a second.
“And before you say it, yes, he’s older. By, like, a lot,” I say.
“I guarantee that’s not why Freddie said that,” Uncle Soren says.
Kit shakes his head. “And Brady’s exaggerating anyway. It’s ten years. Not even.”
“Nine years and eleven months,” I murmur. “It’s basically ten.”
“I’m younger,” Prescott calls out from where he is.
“Show us the next one!” Jackie yells.
“Okay, okay, but how about we use our inside voices?” I stand and move over to Prescott’s hospital bed. “This is Prescott.”
And when I turn the computer around and everyone sees where Prescott’s lying, gasps exit the speakers followed by a million voices.
“What happened?” “Are you at the hospital?” “Is he okay?”
And Uncle Maddox has to take it that one step further again by saying, “My bet is on sex injury.”
“Wow,” Prescott says. “Kit earns a whole lot of expletives for his looks, and I get sex injury and sympathy. Really?”
I pat his head. “You’re gorgeous too, I promise.”
“You really are,” Freddie says. “Hey, if someone was looking for, say, these soldier types—”
“SEALs,” both Kit and Prescott say.
“Yeaaah, navy men don’t like being called soldiers. That’s army,” I say. “Which is kinda stupid if you think about it. You can call them seamen but not soldiers. Like seamen sounds any better. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll call them that all damn day, but it’s a weird flex.”