Page 56 of The Rebel's Guide to Pride

I’m serious Z it’s too dangerous tonight

Sawyer

If you’re gonna ignore me then fine but at least hear what I’m saying

I almost typed back. Almost made a snide remark that at least Cohen, of all people, was showing up to help. But I forced myself to exit the thread and power off my phone. It wasn’t that I was ignoring her per se. More like she wouldn’t understand why tonight still had to happen. So what if I was out ofthe QSA? The main part of the QSA was theAfor “alliance.” It didn’t feel much like that anymore, not in Beggs or in my own life. It was just me standing alone at that rally, too afraid to use my voice.

And the speakeasy was an escape from that.

She could wait until tomorrow for a reply. I threw my phone in the toolbox, taking one last look at the decorations. The garage of Roaring Mechanics was the same as it had been for the grand opening. Streamers and lights hung from the ceiling beams, the rolled-out green carpet ready to welcome guests through the inflated archway…But I’d added even more. I had emptied out every box of decorations that Mom had stored. Pride Month would go out with a bang.

My last stint as the King of Pride would be remembered.

All that was left to do was change out the shop’s music to the playlist I’d made and get ready. For a brief moment, I wondered what I should wear to impress Mason. Then I shook the thought from my mind as I took the flight of stairs up to the apartment. It didn’t matter, he didn’t matter, whoever bedmas_22 was didn’t matter tonight.

The landline was ringing when I opened the apartment door. I hesitated, worried it was my father again. Worried that he’d somehow witnessed my panicked exit from the rally.That doesn’t matter tonight either.I eased down the hallway and peered into the dinette/office. The old-timey bells went silent, but they rang again as I reached my room.

I took a deep breath to ready myself and turned around. He didn’t get to make me second-guess myself. Not when he was the one being two-faced. Nothing he could say would ruin my night, but maybe I could guilt-trip him.

“What do you want?” I answered quickly. “Because I don’t want to—”

“Zeke?” Mom’s voice cut me off. “Hun, is everything okay?”

My grasp on the landline’s receiver slackened, and my head dropped back in relief. “Yeah?” I said, my tone lilting. “Why do you ask?”

The line crackled once, and then she said, “Tried calling your cell but it went straight to voicemail.”

“Sorry, uh, I…”

Turned my phone off so people would stop bothering me?I couldn’t tell her that, because then she’d ask why. She didn’t know that I’d gone to the rally or how much the hate in this town was starting to affect me. I didn’t feel like talking about either, just wanted to forget. At least for tonight.

“I was downstairs,” I finally replied, then bit my lip. “Uh, cleaning.”

“You were?” she asked.

“Thought I’d, uh, surprise you.” I’d have to clean again tomorrow before she got home anyway.

“That’s sweet of you, but you don’t have—”

“How’re things at the retreat?” I asked to distract her.

“Good…we…hike…” Her voice cut in and out, and then she said, “Sorry, bad service. We went on a hike to get in the spirit, and now we’re about to have charcuterie and wine to discuss.”

“That sounds fun,” I said absently, my mind focused on other things.

There was a moment of silence, static crackling as someone called for her in the background. “Be right there, Eileen,”she called back, and then to me, “We’re about to get started, but I wanted to check in to see if you were okay.”

“Yeah…Why?”

“I saw the Beggs Facebook Group.”

“Ohthat,” I said with a laugh, but she didn’t think it was funny.

“Mayor Buchanan’s angry because of some, what were they called? Underground events?” she asked with a note of skepticism. “Do you know anything about them?”

“That’s what he’s claiming.” My words were measured, emotionless. Not lies but misdirected truths. “And he’s got his asshairs in a knot.”

“Please promise you’ll be careful with the QSA tonight—”

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