Page 67 of The Grumpy Vet
"Linus looks like he'd rather be anywhere but here," Ryde says quietly, as if reading my thoughts.
"Tell me about it."
"I'm glad Dad's here to support him, but man, I wish it didn't mean we had to disappear."
"Tell me about it."
"And it sucked not being able to sit next to him at the church or get too close to him here."
"Tell me about it."
Ryde needles me with his elbow and lets out a low chuckle. "Stop repeating yourself."
"Tell me about it."
Ryde steps up in front of me, blocking my view of Linus being miserable, and stares into my eyes, the skin between his eyebrows pinching into a frown. "This is really affecting you, isn't it?"
"Of course it is," I say a little too loudly, so I lower my voice. "I get why we have to do this, but it sucks pretending we're nothing more than Linus's employees. Especially now. We've always been there for him, and now all we can do is watch from the sidelines in his time of need." I fold my arms across my chest to stop myself from spinning around and ordering another drink. "It's bullshit," I huff.
"You're right." Ryde nods, his frown deepening. "It is bullshit. And I'm done with hurting the men I love."
His gaze turns sharp, and he inches away from me. He's up to something. I know he is. As the king of best plans, I recognise that look you get when an idea forms in your head.
"What are you up to?"
He finishes his drink with a noisy slurp and plonks his glass onto the bar. "Something I should have done a long time ago." His determined blue eyes lock onto mine. "I'm going to tell Dad about us."
"Now?" I splutter.
Ryde nods definitively. "Right fucking now."
And with that, he spins on his heel and marches towards his dad and Linus.
Think I might have that fourth drink after all.
18
Ryde
I may have peaked too early.
When I left Dario and marched towards Dad and Linus, I felt bolder with every step I took. Seeing the pain Dario was in, the anguished look on Linus's face all day and being powerless to comfort him, I was done with hiding. Two of the three men I love most in the world were hurting, and I didn't want to keep our love a secret from my father one second longer.
I was polite as I interrupted the conversation and asked if I could speak to my father privately. Even as we walked outside to the empty beer garden, I felt secure in my decision to tell him that I was in a three-way relationship with his best friend and Dario.
But now that we're finally sitting across from each other at a table, my confidence is evaporating faster than lawn dew on a hot summer's morning.
"What is it, son?" Dad asks, his blue eyes boring into mine, like he can sense something is up. He probably can. He knows me that well.
I flatten my palms against the rough texture of the table and gather up all my courage. "I have to tell you something."
Dad's brows pull down. "Is something wrong?"
"No. It's not a bad thing." I meet his gaze. "But you might think it is."
"Just come out with it."
Typical Dad. Direct and to the point. That's probably why he and Linus are such good friends.
