"I think the staff were hiding the glassware because she started breaking things."He sighed."She's always been hard to deal with, and frankly, both Dad and I found it easiest to just roll with all of her outbursts.Honestly, we never discussed it, but I think my dad might have leaned toward being gay.His family and that time period would have made coming out of the closet out of the question.Instead, he hitched himself to a shrew of a woman just to give the appearance he was straight."
"Then that's where you start.A conversation with your dad.Maybe he can even talk some sense into your mom."
George laughed at that suggestion."Probably getting ahead of ourselves with that."He relaxed back with a smile."I've got to get back to the hospital, but I'm glad this happened.It's freeing knowing that at least one important person in my life knows about my relationship with Gabe."
"I'm glad this happened, too.It answers so many of the questions I had rolling through my head.And now I have a lot to think about for myself.I'm free from your mom's control now, and as exciting as that is, I'm also a little freaked out about where to go next.But I think I'll start with home.My parents were stunned by all that happened, and I don't think they've fully recovered.I'm going to go home and spend some time with them."
"That sounds like a good start," George said."I wish you all the best, Lacey."He'd become so human.I could only imagine how much keeping this secret had weighed on him.
"Same to you, George."
NINETEEN
THEO
"How are the ribs?"Uncle Hunter asked as he plopped onto the chair next to me.
"They fucking hurt."I'd been sitting still enough at the food table to momentarily forget about the three cracked ribs until my uncle reminded me.The ER doctor had wrapped them, but I'd removed the wrap this morning because it irritated the hell out of me.
Hunter went to clap me hard on the shoulder with his giant hand and then thought better of it."Been there and yeah, hurts like hell just to breathe.Stella showed me the video.That was one big fucking road gap drop.What was that?A fifty-foot jump?"
"Something like that."
Hunter picked up a hot dog off the platter.Jaxon and Bridget had put in a volleyball court.What had started as a summer evening game of volleyball had turned into a full Stone affair.The moms decided to make food, and they really outdid themselves.The table was filled from one end to the other.The volleyball court was pretty fucking cool, too.Their property had a million-dollar view, and once the house was completely renovated it would be a multi-million-dollar home.It was still nothing compared to what Bridget was used to.She'd grown up ultra-rich, and thanks to her dad's dishonesty and shady dealings, Bridget had ended up with most of his fortune.She considered the money so tainted she'd given a lot of it away to charity, but she and Jaxon still had a pretty sweet life.One I could only dream of.My sponsorships were nice, but I wasn't going to be living in a multi-million-dollar beach house any time soon.And now that the video of my last crash had gone viral, those sponsors might just be rethinking my contracts.
I'd made the same gnarly jump three times in practice, but the fourth time, my head wasn't in the game.I flew through the air, and as I landed my foot slipped off the pedal, a small mistake that caused me to slam hard into the handlebars before flying over those same handlebars and smacking the dirt.I'd missed a pile of rocks by mere inches.Dad was white as a sheet by the time he climbed the trail to reach me.I got lucky, ending up with only a few cracked ribs.I was also lucky because it was just practice and not a race.But enough people caught the whole spectacular fuckup on video, and I quickly discovered that your best way to a viral video was to be in a big, stunning wreck.
Hunter shoveled in two hot dogs while barely taking a breath.
"Hunter," Dad called from the volleyball court."We need you on this side."
My uncle looked at me."Don't tell anyone this, but I fucking hate volleyball.Dumbass sport, as far as I'm concerned."
Dad whistled for him to join the game.
"Don't look at me," I said."I sneezed this morning and thought my insides were going to start pouring out of me."
Hunter grabbed another hot dog and inhaled it as he headed toward the game.
Mom came out of the house with a glass of lemonade."Here.Remember how you used to beg me for lemonade in the summer?"
"Sure do."I took a drink."Yep, still hits the spot."She sat down next to me.
"How are you feeling, sweetie?Do they still hurt bad?"
"Not as bad.That's the good thing about cracked ribs.They heal fast.I need to get back to the construction site.I'm running out of money."
"I'll send you some money to help out."
"Thanks, Mom."She reached back and picked up a handful of chips.
"Do you want me to fix you a plate?"
"No, I already had some hot dogs.I'm good."
She nibbled a few chips."Your dad is worried about that fall."
I nodded."Yeah, I couldn't exactly get back on the horse with these ribs.I'll be fine."Even as I said it, I wasn't so sure that was true.A fall like that could really mess with your head, and if you weren't able to get right back on the bike, then that mess only got bigger.While I'd climbed back on with a broken thumb, a sprained ankle and a few concussions, I'd been in far too much pain after this last crash to even consider it.
