Page 110 of Manhattan Tormentor

Every set of eyes comes at me.

“You don’t have to.” Sage tells me, putting his hand on my thigh under the table. “They’re being rude assholes. I never said shit to you.” He addresses Lachlan, “when you brought your teacher home, or you,” this to Theo, “when you knocked someone up. Don’t get me started on you.” He points to Raene and the girl huffs. “What the hell did I do? I already backed you with these two knuckle draggers, didn’t I? That’s the thanks I get.”

Man, this house is rowdy.

It takes Noah clearing his throat for them to shut up.

“Go ahead, Finn.”

When the table falls quiet, with only the weird noises whatever babies make, I start. “I’m gonna be straight with you.”

Lachlan snorts but covers it with his hand, not before he gets an elbow from his woman and a glare from Sage. Yeah, I’ll give him that, it’s pretty funny. “I was a prick to Sage last year,” looking toward Sena Fierro. “Sorry for the language.”

She waves it off. “We’ve heard worse.”

“You say worse,” Theo adds. “Especially to dad.”

“He usually deserves it,” she grins. Then to me. “Go on, get it off your chest so we can eat, just to say though, we trust Sage’s decisions. But a clear conscience and to air grievances always helps.”

“I was cruel and stupid because I couldn’t cope with my feelings for him. Until Sage, I’d only ever been attracted to women.”

Sena and Noah share a look, I swear it crackles the air.

“And because I couldn’t deal with my little boy feelings,” Sage chuckles and gives my leg a supportive squeeze. Turning me on. Which isn’t ideal, seeing as I’m sitting at his family table. I cover his hand and squeeze back. “I was a shitbag to Sage. I’m not gonna hide behind excuses. I don’t deserve him giving me a second chance, but I’m damned if I let anyone get in my way. I love Sage. He’s the only man I’ve been attracted to, the only person I’ve ever loved. So, there it is, out on the table. I screwed up and now I’m trying to make it right because he means something to me.”

More than anything.

He’s it.

I bring our hands out and hold them on the table for all to see. I’m not ashamed of my feelings any longer.

They can like me, accept me or not, that’s their choice. But Sage’s family won’t get in my way of loving him and trying to better myself.

Okay, I’malwaysgonna be an asshole, I can’t fix perfect, but he loves me as I am.

I crank my head to the side and the love he feels is right there in his eyes.

“You’ve only loved one boy before?” Sena asks quietly. She glances at Noah and he half-smiles at her.

“Yeah.” I answer with a half shrug. “He turned me queer.”

Delaney laughs and then coos, “aww, it’s so cute. I’m happy for you both.”

“Noah…” Sena says.

“Don’t start blubbering, kitten. We all heard him.”

“Noah. It’s like us in reverse. You fell in love with me and now Finn has fallen for our cub.”

Noah gusts a sigh but steps around the island and pulls his wife into a hug, and that’s how they stay. I’m not sure what’s going on, but no one else seems bothered by it. “So… we’re just going to ignore their PDA then?” I whisper and titters travel around the table. “Yep,” Sage answers, grabbing the basket of warm biscuits, he takes three and passes it on. “We’re used to them; you’ll get used to them too. Mom will be okay in a minute, she’s emotional that I turned you queer.”

I clock eyes with Lachlan and Theo and I see a little less hate.

We’ll see in time if that changes, as long as the guy at my side digs me that’s all I care about.

Food passes around, conversations start. Their parents take their seats.

“Hey, Finn?”

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