Page 53 of Stay A Little Longer
He stopped breathing. Trent studied his face for a long moment as if he was looking for something but Lance didn’t know what. He stood stock still, wanting more than anything to rush towards the man he loved, but he couldn’t force his body to move. Couldn’t even blink. Couldn’t take his eyes off Trent as the other man’s eyes traced over him, as if memorizing, before pulling away to look over the crowd again.
The loss of his gaze felt like a dagger straight through the chest and he knew. He knew exactly what Trent was about to do. He was going to sacrifice himself to save Lance. To help Lance keep his secret. He wasn’t going to out him. He was going to protect him, just like he’d promised.
Lance’s heart thumped hard in his chest because this man was… amazing. So strong and confident, he stood there in front of a hundred cameras with his head high and his jaw set. So protective and selfless that he hadn’t given a single thought to reaching for Lance when he saw him in the crowd.
He didn’t know why Trent had chosen this moment to come outside, to face the crowd. Had he seen him? Or was it just a coincidence that he’d shown up at this moment? He lived in Fate, Texas. He didn’t believe in coincidences. Not anymore. Not since the night he fell into his bed and found the man of his dreams sleeping there like some kind of fairytale come to life.
And God, he really must be in love because he was waxing poetic about fairytales now. Who was he? Where had the old Lance Nichols gone? The man that was content to lie to everyone he’d ever met so long as it meant he got to keep the status quo. Who was this new man that said screw the status quo?
He knew the answer. He was Trent’s man. That’s who he was. Strong enough to stand by his side. Brave enough to trust him to have his back. He could do this. For Trent and for himself.
If ever there was a time to come clean… it was now.
He’d only thought he had so much to lose before by coming out. His family wouldn’t disown him. He’d never thought they would. They’d be shocked and they might be disappointed but he’d make it right with them in a way Trent had never been able to with his own. Shane knew so his job wasn’t at risk if he said it out loud. The only thing he had to lose, really lose, was Trent.
“Shh!” Hisses went through the crowd when Trent raised his hand for silence.
“If you’ll all please be quiet, I’d like to say a few words. I believe that’s why you’re here.” Trent’s voice rang out over the now silent crowd, strong and smooth with just a hint of a Texas accent that made Lance want to smile.
It was coming back. The longer he stayed in Texas, the more his accent would come back. And he needed to stay, Lance decided.
“You’re here today because there have been some allegations made about my sexuality.” Trent looked over the crowd but carefully avoided looking directly at Lance and damn, that stung, even if he knew why the man did it. “Well, I guess there’s no more hiding it and no use lying about it. The rumors are true. I’m gay.”
The crowd whispered amongst itself but since there were so many people it was like a dull roar. Lance flinched at the scene. He didn’t like it. Didn’t like that Trent felt the need to tell these people anything about himself, especially not something so personal. They didn’t deserve that kind of honesty from him not after the way they’d been dissecting him on the tv and radio the past few days.
Trent stood there, stoically, calmly, and waited for the crowd to hush again. Lance stared at him, wiling him to look his way again, but he didn’t. Trent purposefully looked everywhere but at him and it shouldn’t have hurt so much. Lance knew why he did it. He was trying not to draw attention to Lance and it was the sweetest, most misplaced gesture ever.
“I’d like…” Trent started to speak again and then cleared his throat, “I’d like to apologize to my fans for misleading them all these years. I’d like to be able to say that wasn’t my intention but it was. I hid my sexuality because I was scared. Scared that country music wouldn’t be able to accept me for who I am and at the time, I wanted my music more than I wanted to be honest.”
Lance’s heart swelled for the man standing in front of a shitty old trailer, speaking his truth. He was so strong. So brave. Standing all alone at the front of this massive crowd, telling these people, telling the world, that he was gay and apologizing. Not for who he was but for what he’d done, for all the lies he’d told. Lance respected the hell out of him for it.
“I didn’t get a choice about coming out.” Trent continued, “And I regret that it happened the way it did. I wish I’d been strong enough to do it myself but I wasn’t. All I can do is apologize for misleading my fans and ask you not to judge me too harshly. It’s a cruel world, particularly for people that don’t fit the standard of what you, the media, say normal is supposed to be. If you all haven’t proven that just by being here today, I don’t know what does.”
There were a few grumbles about being called out from the crowd but nobody denied that it was true. If the original report had been that Trent was straight and in a relationship, there might have been a rush of entertainment headlines but nothing on this scale. They wouldn’t have tracked him down to middle of nowhere Texas just to see if it was true. They were treating it differently, treating Trent differently, because he was gay.
“The truth is out there now. I’m gay. I won’t try to lie about that or take it back. I’m gay.” Trent met several cameras face to face, “If someone out there has a problem with that, I’d say that’s more of an issue with them than it is with me. If my fans can’t support me now, then I’m sorry but you’re not the kind of fans I want. I want people to know me, the real me, and still support me but if this means my career is over, at least I won’t have to deal with you people on my lawn anymore right?”
That earned Trent a smile and some chuckles from his captivated audience. He was so damn charming. Lance was sure he would lose a few fans. Hate was still hate and it was far too prevalent in the world. But he would bet that most of Trent’s fans would stick by him and give him a chance.
“Okay. I think that’s enough for today.” Trent rubbed a hand over his hair, “I’m spending some time with friends here in Fate and they’d appreciate it if you’d all go back to wherever you came from so they can live their lives in peace.”
“Trent!” Someone shouted, “Trent, wait, will you take a few questions?”
He sighed heavily and shrugged his big shoulders, “A couple, but then y’all leave. You hear me?”
“Trent! Trent!” The shouting started up, handing going up as well, as the reporters vied to be the ones he chose to ask whatever their all-important question was. “Trent! Over here! Over here!”
“This is gonna get crazy.” Shane huffed next to him. “I gotta go set the perimeter. You okay back here?”
“What?” He pulled his gaze off Trent momentarily but it found its way right back, “Yeah. Fine.”
“Okay. We’ll get rid of these people as quick as we can and then you can have the rest of the day to… uh… work things out with him.”
Lance felt his cheeks flush at the acknowledgement, “Thanks.”
Shane didn’t say anything, just nodded and moved away, through the crowd. Lance didn’t watch him go. He was too busy staring at Trent, trying to figure out what he was going to say next. So far he’d handled the crowd with ease, his charm on full display even if his smiles didn’t quite meet his eyes. But he looked tense now that he’d agreed to answer questions. Almost as if he’d rehearsed the other parts but hadn’t been prepared for this.
“Trent! Trent!” One blonde woman pushed her way forward and shouted louder than the rest, “Why did you come to Fate?”
