Page 199 of Dance of Defiance
“Jerk,” she giggles. She plucks the bottle off the counter and crosses to the fridge. “So,” she laughs over her shoulder as she opens the fridge and slides the bottle onto a shelf, “what else could youpossiblyhave to tell me that’s as important as that?”
“The fact that I’m gay.”
Evie goes still. The kitchen goes still. The whole fuckingworldgoes still. I can feel my heart thudding against my chest as I tryto swallow. Val turns slowly to me, his brows arched and his mouth open.
My sister slowly turns. And when she does, and her eyes land on mine, they go wide and shining, her mouth agape.
“ROMAN!!”
Then she’s slamming the fridge shut and rushing over to me. I grab her in my arms, hugging her tight and choking into her hair as she starts to cry.
“What areyougetting emotional for?” I blurt.
“I’m just so fucking happy for you!” she chokes out.
Val bursts out laughing. “Jesus, she actually said theF word.”
Evie giggles. “Oh my God, I did!” She pulls back, her eyes full of happy tears as she beams at me. “Roman, I…I just…” Somehow, her smile grows even bigger. “When?! How!? Who?—”
I watch as it clicks into place. She blinks at me, her eyes going round as saucers before her head slowly swivels to Val.
“Are you…”
I smile as I cup her cheek and turn her back to face me. My chin tips up and down as I start to smile.
“Yeah.”
“WHAT?!” She explodes in a flurry of pink cardigan as she shoves past me and flings her arms around Val. “Are you ACTUALLY SERIOUS RIGHT NOW!?”
“Serious as a heart attack,” Val chuckles, hugging her back. “Surprise?” He looks over her shoulder at me. “Seriously, surprise.”
Evie flings an arm back around me and yanks me close to hug us both.
“I don’t even know what to say!!” she squeals. “I’m justSOfreaking happy!!”
“Evelina!”
The sound of my father’s voice booming into the kitchen is like a gun going off. The three of us jolt, whirling to stare at the man swaying in the doorway.
“So much fucking yelling to welcome me back from Chicago!” Papa growls, slumping against the door frame.
He’s obviouslywasted, his eyes bleary, and his brows pinch as he looks at me, then Evie, then at Val.
“What is your fairy friend doing here?”
My stool pushes back across the floor as I stand abruptly.
“Apologize, Papa.”
Evie’s head swivels, her face turning white and her eyes horrified when the word falls from my mouth. I’m even aware of Val looking at me with a “what the fuck” look on his face.
And Papa?
He reacts exactly as you’d expect.
Drunk or not, in half a second, he’s lurching violently across the kitchen toward me. Evie screams as he grabs me, shoves me backagainst the island and leers up into my face, his vodka breath washing over me.
“What the fuck did you say to?—”
