Page 69 of Zero Confusion

He waited for their quiet acquiescence, for them to silently get up and scurry away, but Micah and Misty exchanged a glance and stayed seated, their twinkling eyes alight with curiosity.

“Nah, I’m good,” Mara drawled, making no move to leave either. “I think girls are hot, so you might as well lump me in with the deviants here.” She hitched her thumbs at her older brothers.

Their mom gasped, hand flying up to cover her mouth, and despite the gravity of the situation, Miles had to fight to keep from laughing. Mara’s irreverence filled him with absolute joy.

“Are you actually kicking everyone out?” Misty asked in a shaky voice.

“I mean, we’re not trying to be the only ones left to do the chores.” Micah didn’t seem as upset as his sister, a hint of sarcasm breaking through. “Plus, who knows, maybe we’ll have our big bi-awakening in college. Anything’s possible. Max, can we crash with you and Ray? Sorry, Miles, I’ve seen pics of your dorm. I don’t think we’ll fit.”

A few minutes ago, Miles had been running on adrenaline, bracing for the moment his parents tossed him out on his ass. His siblings had been physically there, at the table, but they’d been nothing more than silent witnesses, and he would never ask anything more of them. He couldn’t. The cost of their support would be too high.

But they didn’t wait for him to ask. One by one, they banded together behind him, ignoring the risks. The twins’ acceptance was immediate, unwavering. And though he’d already known Max and Mara were on his side, he never in a million years would have expected them to take a public stance for him.

But they did.

They all did.

The force of it hit him all at once, a swell of emotion so strong he nearly sobbed with relief. As soon as the argument ended, however it ended, he’d pull them into his arms and tell each and every one of them how much they meant to him. He’d stop grumbling about helping Max get around the house. He’d use his savings to buy Mara a new laptop. He’d spend more time with the twins.

He’d be able to do all those things because, for once, their parents were outnumbered.

“Nobody is leaving to go live anywhere else!” Their mom slapped her palm on the table and pursed her lips at Micah and Misty. “Especially you. You’re underage.”

Micah started to argue when their dad threw the fork he was still holding onto his plate.

“Enough! I’m done talking about this,” he snapped. “You two—” He scowled at Miles and Max. “—I want you out of my house by tomorrow. And the rest of you—” His glare swept over his younger children. “—we’re gonna have ourselves a talk later. You best think real hard on what you’re gonna say.”

No one said a word.

“Let’s go, Laura.” With one last sneer, he stomped out. Seconds later, the slam of the front door reverberated through the room.

It should have hurt more. Miles knew he’d just been rejected by his father, knew he should have felt sad about it, but the lingering high of his siblings’ unexpected support left no room for heartbreak. Not yet.

His mom glanced around the table, her eyes briefly darting to the doorway through which her husband had disappeared. Something shifted in her expression, sorrow hardening into a steel resolve, and until that moment, Miles would not have dared to hope that she might stay.

He held his breath, wondering what she would do next, whose side she would choose.

She lifted the salad bowl, asking no one in particular, “Salad, anyone?”

For Miles, it might as well have been a declaration of love and acceptance.

He exhaled and sank back into his chair. Slowly, everyone returned to their plates, the air between them settling into a fragile, comforting quiet. His siblings shared small, secret smiles across the table, each one warming Miles’s soul.

Nothing would ever be the same again.

And Miles wouldn’t have it any other way.

Kink Talk

DomCurious: I have a question for gay/bi/pan men in BDSM relationships with other men. Do Doms exclusively top, or can you be a Dom and a bottom at the same time?

SubAir: Oooh, that’s a fantastic question! I’m still new to the whole dynamic, but from what I’ve read, being a Dom doesn’t mean you always have to top.

SubScribble: Hell yeah, you can Dom from the bottom! I’ve seen it, and it’s hot as hell.

SubZero: Sounds like Air is intrigued. Should we wait a few hours and ask Domicron how it went?

SubAir: Shut up!