Page 15 of The Devil You Know
“Today’s all about you, bro. I missed you like fuck, you know,” Jesse replied and then paused. “So…when are you going to come out to Mom and Dad?”
Seth knew he gave his brother a deer-in-the-headlights stare. “What?’
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. Colin? Newsflash—you’re gay. When do you intend to tell Mom and Dad? Because I promise, it won’t change anything.”
Seth just stared at him. “How did you know?” His heart beat faster, and he felt his palms sweat as he tried to think of how he might have given himself away.
“Seriously? I’m your brother. You had a ‘falling out’ with your ‘best friend’Colinbad enough to make you basically join the Foreign Legion? That’s not friendship—that’s a broken heart. And, you think I didn’t notice younotnoticing the cheerleaders but being glued to the tight pants on those football players?” Jesse said, giving Seth a “duh” look.
“Whether anyone else ever picked up on it, I’ve always known. I was just waiting for you to find the right time to tell me, so I could say it didn’t matter.”
Seth reeled, taking in what Jesse said. “You’re okay with it…me? I thought Mom and Dad might freak—”Did they know about Colin too?he wondered.
Jesse gave a rueful grin and shook his head. “I brought the subject up a few times—very sideways, I promise,” he said, raising his hand to stave off protest. “Asked whether they’d have kicked either of us out if we told them we were gay.”
“And?”
He shrugged. “They didn’t care. I believe them, given how angry they’ve gotten over some of the anti-gay politicians.”
“Huh.” Seth didn’t have any reason to think his parents wouldn’t take his announcement well, but he’d planned to take things easy and get comfortable with the homecoming before tossing out any surprises. “Good to know. I promise I’ll tell them. Just…not yet. Let me get settled.”
“Gonna be a non-event, I’m tellin’ you.” Jesse shook his head fondly.
“I hope so,” Seth replied. “And—thanks. For having my back…and not minding.”
Jesse leaned forward and locked his gaze with Seth. “You’re my brother. Nothing changes that.”
Jesse’s reply warmed Seth’s heart. He felt a knot of anxiety untangle that he hadn’t realized existed. At the same time, an odd thought crossed his mind.
I could have sworn we had this conversation before, somewhere else. Must have dreamed it. Coming home is really messing with my head.
They stopped for frozen yogurt and lingered to play vintage video games in the small arcade next door. Nostalgia washed over Seth, reminding him of all the times he and Jesse had whiled away afternoons there back in high school. Nothing had changed, which seemed true of the whole town.
“Don’t forget Mom’s planning on feeding us dinner,” Jesse said as they left the arcade.
Seth groaned. “You took me to all my favorite places. I might never eat again.”
“But it was good, right?” Jesse sounded a little nervous, and Seth wondered how long his brother had been planning to celebrate his return.
Seth couldn’t hide his broad grin. “Yeah, it wasrealgood. Not just the food. There’s still a lot of catching up to do, but we’re getting there.”
“No rush,” Jesse told him. “We’ve got plenty of time.”
They walked in companionable silence for a while. Brazil, Indiana, wasn’t a big place. Its claim to fame was being the birthplace of Orville Redenbacher, the popcorn king, and Jimmy Hoffa, probably the most famous missing person in America. Being a bedroom community to nearby Terre Haute brought in new residents with cash and kept the downtown vibrant.
“So…” Jesse said. “You got any plans?”
Seth looked at him. “Besides finding room for dinner?”
Jesse rolled his eyes. “I mean like getting a job. You gonna stick around here or strike out for the big city?”
Seth snorted. “You mean Terre Haute? Or Indianapolis? At least there’s a big gaming convention in Indy.” He shook his head. “Wasn’t really planning on either one. I want to use the computer surveillance skills I learned in the Army and start my own security company. White hat hacker, stress testing systems, that sort of thing. I could work from anywhere.”
“Oh yeah?” Jesse brightened. “That’s a great idea. You’d be really good at that.”
“How’s work going?” Seth asked. “Do you miss college?”
“I like my job. It’s mostly programming right now, but I think I’ll be able to transfer into engineering. I loved college, and I miss it sometimes. The campus was big, and it took some getting used to, but there was always something going on. And being able to commute saved a lot of money.”
