Page 110 of Security and Submission
“She did not. She stayed with him. I left. I turned eighteen in October. I bounced around on friends’ couches before that, but their parents didn’t believe me about my dad, so I wasn’t really welcome anywhere. So, I took the GED test, got my diploma that way, and joined the Army during what should have been my senior year of high school.” His head fell back against the couch. “And that’s that.”
“You haven’t talked to them since then?”
“Well… a few times.” She felt his shoulder lift in a shrug. “I went back a few times. Imagine my surprise when my parents had the town greet me like I was a long-lost hero. The prodigal soldier son.” Bitterness tinged his voice. “They liked to parade me out any time I went home. Show me off. My dad would talk about how proud he was of me and how I was a chip off the old block.”
“You weren’t. You aren’t anything like him,” Yasmine said fiercely.
Zeus made a soft sound of amusement, not quite a chuckle. He probably didn’t feel much like laughing. Neither did she. “You haven’t even met him. But no, I’m not too much like him. Everyone likes him when they first meet him. I tend to piss people off upon first meeting.”
Huh. Yasmine wondered if he did that deliberately, as a way of not being like his father.
“When was the last time you saw them?”
“About five years ago. I went home for Christmas. My mom had a face full of makeup, every day, from the moment she walked out of her room. I confronted her about it. She told me that she’d just tripped and fallen and landed poorly on her own hand.” Zeus snorted, but somehow even that sound was sad. “She couldn’t even look me in the eye while she said it. I begged her to leave with me. Told her she didn’t have to be with him. She told me to get out if I was going to disrespect my father like that.
“I told her that was the last time I was coming to see them. To let me know if she wanted out, but not to contact me otherwise. She called me the next year for Thanksgiving to see if I was coming for any of the holidays. Then he called me about Christmas, and I hung up on him as soon as he started talking. They haven’t called again since then.”
“Until now.”
“Until now.” Zeus reached down to rub his hand over his pocket where his phone was, his voice so quiet, she could barely hear it. “They left a voicemail this time.”
“Do you want to listen to it?”
“Not really, but I probably should. Just to see why they keep calling.” He sighed again. “If you don’t mind.”
“I don’t. You can tell me what they say if you want, but you don’t have to. I’m just going to keep holding on right here.” She squeezed him again for emphasis. Felt his hand lift from her shoulder and his fingers slide through her hair before he shifted to reach into his pocket with his other hand. Being here for him was the least she could do. Even if things eventually went badly between them, she would never regret this decision.
“Thanks, Yas.”
Chapter 39
Zeus
“Hello, son.” The sound of his father’s voice, cheery but strained, immediately made Zeus tense. “It’s me…” There was a tiny pause. The sound of brief movement.
“And your mom!” Over the phone, it was impossible to tell if her happy greeting was forced or not. It sounded genuine.
“Since you’re not picking up the phone, we’re leaving a message this time.” His dad cleared his throat. “It’s been long enough, son. You need to come home and show your face around town. People are missing you. And your mom and I can’t take much more of this disrespect. You need to give us a call back. We’re working on redoing our wills, and I can’t see us including someone in our wills who isn’t including us in their life.”
There was another tiny pause.
“Please, honey, come home. Everyone’s wondering why you don’t come home more.” His mother’s tone turned more tired, pleading. “We don’t want to cut you out of our wills, but…”
But she would. She would side with his dad. Again.
Zeus didn’t even realize he’d bent forward until Yas reached up to run her hand through his beard, ruffling his hair, the sensation bringing him back to himself.
“Call us, son.” The command was clear.
The voicemail ended.
Sitting very still, Zeus took in a long, slow breath. Let it out. Count to four in. Count to ten out. It was a practiced, automatic response to dealing with his parents. One he’d leaned on more than once after therapy.
“Do you want me to pretend like I couldn’t hear that?” Yas asked after his third breath. “Or should I admit that I did?”
A small chuckle rumbled through him, and he closed his eyes for a moment as warmth in the center of his chest smoothed away some of the cold ache that had settled there from the moment he’d heard his father’s voice again.
“It’s fine if you did. I didn’t mean for you not to.”
