Page 87 of Medium
“Yeah, but I started working at Fredericks & Son Landscaping after school my junior year. I didn’t dare come out to them, so I stayed quiet and didn’t talk about my personal life. They eventually figured out I was gay, but by that time Ricky had started passing my work off as his. Everyone pretended they didn’t care since I was valuable, but....” He shook his head. “I can’t believe I wasted twenty years of my life on that company.”
I reached back and squeezed his knee. “It wasn’t wasted. You had a steady job which allowed you to develop a valuable skill. You were just waiting for us to come along and help you to the next phase of your career, whatever that ends up being.”
He sighed. “We’ll see. Anyway, I’ve had three or four relationships, all with Wonders. But we were only passing the time with each other, since we could tell we’d never bond.”
I turned my attention to Rory. “And you?”
He grimaced. “Okay. You asked for it. I knew I was bisexual by middle school, and my parents were very supportive. They died in a car crash right before my freshman year of high school, and that’s when I went to live with Grandfather and Grandmother. They’d disowned my dad when he married my mom, because she made her living as a professional Medium, and they thought she just wanted his inheritance. I’d seen ghosts my whole life, but I knew better than to mention them to my grandparents.”
Now it was my turn to put my hand on Rory’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry for your loss. It’s awful how you had to hide part of yourself when you were already grieving.”
“Thanks. Um, my grandparents didn’t have any issue with me being bisexual at least. I had a hard time academically my freshman and sophomore years in high school, mostly because I was dealing with the loss of my parents. I didn’t have the grades I needed to get into Harvard or Yale or wherever, but Grandfather pulled some strings and got me into Rice University. And that’s where I figured out I was polyamorous.”
His tone was ominous, so I squeezed his leg again. “Go on.”
“My grandmother passed away near the end of my sophomore year at Rice. She—her ghost, that is—came to check on me in the dorm before she crossed to the other side. I was in bed with my two boyfriends.” He chuckled at the memory. “When she realized I could see her, she apologized for not believing my mother, and she was going to try to find my parents on the other side, as they’d chosen to cross over. She told me she was glad I had my boyfriends, and she hoped I’d be happy.”
He put his hand over mine. “Then at her funeral, Grandfather heard me telling Manny about my conversation with Grandmother after she died, and he noticed I was holding hands with two guys at the time.”
“Oh, shit.”
“Exactly. He waited until the funeral was over, but then he told me he was cutting me off. No more tuition, no more inheritance. I got to finish the school year, but then I had to get a job and transfer to the University of Houston. I could only afford to go part-time, so I didn’t finish my Finance degree until two years ago. Grandfather died about the same time, and he’s been trying to make up for his assholery ever since.” He gave us a wry smile. “But he’d left all his money to Uncle Hugo, and it’s frustrated Grandfather to no endwatching Hugo waste everything Grandfather worked so hard for.”
“Ouch.” Shane shook his head in sympathy. “It’d be karma except you’re the one who really got the shaft.”
Rory shrugged. “Grandfather’s been giving me stock tips, so I’m doing okay. Maybe one day I’ll have a fund like one of your Financial Wizards, and I can help all the District Monitors like you.”
“Hold up.” I jabbed my pointer finger into Rory’s thigh. “What happened to the two guys you were seeing?”
He smiled and shook his head. “We were twenty. The relationship didn’t survive my change in financial circumstances, plus I was always working or going to class.” He hesitated. “Then I met Beth and Thom. I’d just graduated, and they were several years older than me. We dated seriously for almost a year.” He sucked in a deep breath. “Beth wanted to have a baby. I decided if the three of us were going to start a family I should tell them about being a Medium.”
“Uh oh.” I gripped his leg again. “I’m guessing it didn’t go well?”
He let out a harsh laugh. “You could say that. They were horrified, as if me being a Medium would mean they’d be constantly surrounded by ghosts.” He rolled his eyes. “News flash: everyone’salwayssurrounded by ghosts. But they couldn’t be convinced, and they didn’t want the baby to be exposed to ghosts, or, even worse, what if I ended up fathering the baby? Then they might end up with a child who was a Medium.”
“Oh, Rory. I’m so sorry.” I rubbed his arm.
“Those assholes!” I glanced back to see Shane glaring out the window, his arms crossed. “And them breaking up with youover that, on top of your Grandfather cutting you off? Shit, it’s impressive you even talk tousabout ghosts, and we’re predisposed to believe you.”
Rory grinned. “Now you know why Manny was pushing me to get together with you two. Not that I needed much of a push.”
I couldn’t suppress my smile. “I can’t wait to be bonded to you. To both of you.”
“Same.” Shane rubbed his chest. “And not just so I can get rid of these extra connections.”
“Soooo....” Rory rubbed his hand along his thigh. “Once we’re bonded, it’s like some sort of mind link?”
Oh, shit. Had we forgotten to tell Rory what bonding meant?
Shane dove in. “Partially. We’ll be able to tell how each other are feeling, much more than we can do now. We’ll also be able to talk to each other mind-to-mind.”
I held up a finger. “And you’ll get a power boost. Well, we all will. Our magics will combine and become stronger. So, like your grandfather and Shane’s granny being visible? You’ll probably be able to do more stuff like that. Shane and I will know where all the Wonders we’re connected to are, and whether they’re under stress or anxious.”
Rory rubbed his thigh again. “Okay. That all sounds... okay.”
I frowned. I wasn’t getting anything through the connection. “What are you worried about?”
“I, uh....” He glanced at me and then back at Shane. “Sometimes I think about weird shit, and I don’t want you to think I’m strange or regret being bonded to me.”
