Page 106 of The Meeting
“I want to make sure he knows I support him. I’m just… I’m just stunned,” he said again.
“Tell him that.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I need to.” He chuckled, and Kailynn gave him a questioning gaze. “I caught Derek in his boxers and John with his shirt off this morning. I thought John just came up to the house to get a change of clothes—maybe he soiled his shirt somehow even though it was at the crack of dawn.” Chase shrugged. “I should have realized it then. They must be dating.”
Kailynn only nodded her head toward Derek, where he now stood alone as their parents went inside to grab drinks for everyone.
“Now’s your chance.”
Chase gave her hand a squeeze before walking over to Derek and clapping him on the shoulder.
“I don’t know how to say this, so I’m just going to do the best I can,” he started.
Derek looked over at him and waited.
“You have my full support. I want you to know I’m happy that you can be free of a secret like that. That you don’t need to live a double life. And maybe you and John can openly be together now.”
Derek chuckled. “Did you figure that out this morning or not until dinner?”
“Dude, I was oblivious. I just thought John was up at the house borrowing a shirt because he ruined his or something. I was all sorts of confused.”
Derek laughed, loudly. “I thought I had been caught, and I was so relieved.”
“Is that why you told us?”
“Yes and no. The relief told me how much I wanted to be free of the secret. I didn’t want to keep it trapped inside any longer. Kailynn actually figured it out and asked me about it yesterday.”
Chase’s eyebrows shot up and he glanced over at Kailynn. “She figured it out after only a day of being here and I hadn’t figured it out in my entire life?”
Derek shrugged. “She had fresh eyes coming into it.”
Chase scrubbed his face. “I feel awful.”
“Don’t. I chose to keep it a secret. That is no fault of anyone here.”
“I would have supported you if you had told me when we were kids.”
“I know.”
Chase folded his arms across his chest and stared at the now roaring fire. “So, John, huh?”
Derek laughed and his cheeks tinged pink. “Yeah, John.”
“Are you happy?”
Derek nodded. “Yeah. I really am.”
“I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks, man.”
Their parents walked out with a mug in each hand containing hot cocoa. Kailynn ran over to help lighten the load a bit, taking both from Jane so she could run back inside for the last one.
Kailynn joined Derek and Chase. She handed off one mug to Chase just as Rob handed one to Derek.
Chase dropped an arm around Kailynn and pressed a kiss to her temple. She smiled up at him and suddenly everything felt right. There was peace in his family, Derek seemed lighter, and Kailynn was more relaxed.
* * *
