Page 111 of Security and Submission
If he wanted Yas to be open with him, he needed to be open with her. Telling her about his parents had been the first step. Letting her hear them for herself was the next. He hadn’t known what they were going to say, but he wasn’t surprised.
Not going home… yeah, he was sure people were starting to ask questions. It was important to his parents that they put on the ‘proper’ appearance around town. Zeus was the problem. Not them.
“Do you want to call them back?” Yas’ voice was soft. Nonjudgmental. Like whatever answer he had was fine.
But there was only one right answer for him.
“No.” He wasn’t going back.
If his mom wanted out, he’d be there in a heartbeat to help her and protect her. But she didn’t. She didn’t want to leave his dad. She wanted Zeus to come back home and let her keep up the charade of being a perfectly normal family. Zeus’ absence didn’t just make it more difficult to lie to the town; it made it more difficult to lie to herself.
“Okay.” Still no judgment. Just a deeper snuggling into him, arms still tight around him.
“I don’t think they’re ever going to change.” He stroked his fingers through Yas’ hair.
Tiger came trotting back up to the deck, having finished going around the yard and sniffing everything of interest. He trotted over to Zeus and Yas and gave them a look that made Yas giggle.
“Hey, jealous boy,” Zeus said teasingly, holding out his hand. Tiger made a huffing sound and put his head on Zeus’ knee, looking up at him with big mournful eyes. “No, you cannot get between us.”
Yas giggled as Tiger made another huffing noise and lifted his head from Zeus’ knee, going to the other side of Yas, forcing her to quickly pick up the desserts, and jumping up beside her. He rested his head on her lap instead.
“Hello, Tiger.” Yas started petting Tiger’s head, handing the dessert boxes to Zeus. “Sorry for taking your spot.”
“He’ll live. He just likes to be in the middle. Give him an inch, and he’ll wedge himself into it.”
“Noted.” Yas sighed, twisting slightly so she could look up at Zeus. He looked down at her. “How are you feeling?”
Now, that was a question.
“I’m not sure,” he said truthfully. “A little blank. A little angry. A little sad. Resigned. That might be the right word. It is what it is.”
“Well, it shouldn’t be that way,” Yas grumbled. “I’m just mad.”
Mad on his behalf. A little more warmth spread through him.
“You don’t have to be mad for me. There are a lot of people who had things a lot worse.”
“That doesn’t mean you didn’t have it bad.” She sat up, glaring at him. “That’s like saying your broken leg isn’t that bad because someone else is paralyzed. You still have a freaking broken leg! It still freaking hurts, and?—”
Pulling her in, Zeus cut off her adorable little rant with a kiss. Tiger made a grumbling noise, which Zeus ignored as Yas’ lips softened against his, her body going pliant. He reached up to cup her face, stroking his thumb over her cheek. Their tongues met, moving together, and he tightened his arm around her, releasing her from the kiss just enough to allow him to pull her onto his lap.
She scowled at him. “Someone being in more pain than you does not negate your pain.”
“Yes, ma’am.” A smile played on his lips. He liked this fierce side of her.
“I’m sorry your parents suck.”
That simple acknowledgment of the situation made him feel better than anything else she could have said. Rather than brushing it off this time, he cleared his throat to help him through the emotion that was rising uncomfortably inside him.
“Thank you. Me, too.”
“Do you care if they cut you out of their wills?”
“Not really. They’ll probably leave everything to charity in the town, give themselves a good name in the town.” He shrugged. Did it bother him a little that they’d be able to keep that good name? Maybe. But he also didn’t need to prove anything to the town that had continually turned a blind eye to the truth, despite evidence otherwise. “I don’t need anything from them. I’m set.”
He did wonder if his not going home, not attending their funerals—because he didn’t plan to do either of those things—would make some in the town question the façade. If they might remember some of the details that didn’t add up about his parents’ stories, they might wonder. Maybe there would be gossip. But that didn’t make him feel satisfied. Just sad for his mom.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t force her to do anything she didn’t want to do, or he would have already tried.
