Page 34 of Saving You

“You mean instead of knocking, you turned the handle and then let yourself in without permission?”

“When it’s my son’s house, yes,” she snapped.

“I don’t think that shit would hold up in court if I call the cops and say my house was broken into.” Oz folded his arms over his chest and squeezed tightly to help combat his rising anxiety.

His mom made a sound like a dying chicken. “How dare you speak to me that way. I am your mother.”

He almost laughed. “Really? How dareyouthink that just because you’re my mother you can waltz into my own home without permission. Or that you can try to corner me into proposing to a woman who is my ex for a damn good reason.”

Alora laughed and stood up from the chair. “What’s the reason? Being beautiful? Perfect? A good career?”

“She doesn’t speak my language,” Oz said.

“Yes she does. She speaksEnglishand?—”

‘That isn’t my language,’ he signed, and he heard Ridge snort behind him. He took a breath and switched back to speech. “I no longer give two fucks whether or not you two learn ASL. You made it clear where your priorities lie, and I refuse to waste any more of my time trying to change your mind. But you don’t get to dictate who I spend the rest of my life with. This is not the sixteen-hundreds and arranged marriages are not a thing. And you sure asshitdon’t get to humiliate me in front of my boyfriend by acting like a couple of narcissists.” His mother paled at the word ‘boyfriend’.

“Is that something your therapist said about us?” Alora asked with a sneer. “That we’re narcissists?”

“My therapist didn’t have to. I figured that one out on my own.” He backed up until he felt himself touch Ridge’s chest, and he let out a small, relieved breath when Ridge’s warm hand closed around his hip. He was a ballast, and Oz was safe in his arms.

“You can’t be deaf and gay,” his mother said after her gaze zeroed in on Ridge touching him. “I forbid it.”

Oz laughed. He couldn’t help it. He sagged backward into Ridge’s arms and let himself be held upright by his strong grip. “I’m bisexual, not gay.”

His mom clenched her jaw. “I understand you’re trying to upset me with this…whatever you’re doing. Thisactyou’re putting on, but?—”

Oz turned to Ridge, his heart in his throat, and Ridge met his gaze. He gave a nod—barely there, but Oz picked up on it, and he leaned in. Ridge’s eyes closed, and he reached out with one hand, cradling Oz’s jaw as tenderly as he’d touched him that first time.

Oz braced himself, took a breath, then let himself be kissed. This time, there was no hesitation in Ridge’s body. There was no surprise, no caution, no tension. He wasn’t off his guard. This time, he was putting on the performance his mother had accused him of.

And it was fucking glorious.

Oz’s toes curled against his carpet, a sound escaping his chest he didn’t recognize, and he parted his lips as the tip of Ridge’s tongue touched his. Fuck. Fuck. He needed to remember they were not alone. This wasn’t real.

His mother and sister were watching.

“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,” his mother said loudly as Oz broke the kiss.

Ridge looked a little dazed, and he licked his lips, staring down into Oz’s eyes. For a moment, it felt like the world was standing still. Then, his mom cleared her throat loudly, and Ridge snapped out of it. He looked past Oz at her, then smirked and leaned in, taking one more swift kiss before letting Oz go.

His face burned where Ridge’s lips had been touching him, and he fought the urge to press his fingers to that spot as he turned to face the two women in his life making everything a thousand times harder than it needed to be.

“Can we be done here?”

“You are not gay,” she hissed.

“Yes, we established that I’m bisexual—something I can’t help. Just like I can’t help being Deaf. It is who I am, and whether you like it or not, I don’t have a choice in either of those things. But as I said before, I don’t care what you want for me.My life isn’t about you. So, you can either leave on your own, or I can make you.”

“You’re going tomakeus leave?” Alora asked with a disbelieving laugh.

Oz felt Ridge lean over his shoulder. “If he doesn’t, I will. I have many friends I can call who will happily drive over here and not only make sure you get the fuck out butalsomake sure you don’t come back. They do this a lot when people refuse to accept when they’re not wanted.”

Alora paled. “Is that a threat?”

“Sure is, darlin’. Oh, and I had a nice conversation with Grady this afternoon too. How are things at home, by the way?”

“What’s he talking about?” Oz’s mom demanded.

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