Chapter 26

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

MONSTER

I have a sneaking suspicion that the abuse Finn suffered was a lot worse than he leads people to believe. The way his body shuddered so hard when they walked into the room was a pretty big indication to me. He seems fine now, but he refuses to be left alone. That, paired with the panic attack he had when my baseball team played his brother’s, is pretty compelling evidence that something bad went down.

I escort Finn to the bathroom about halfway through the party and am not surprised when Donny shows up at the same time.

“What the fuck are you doing with my brother?” Donny snaps at me, trying to get me riled up like he always does.

“Do you really want the details?” I question with a smirk and a raised brow.

Donny growls at me, pushing me up against the wall. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay away from him.”

I laugh, still not giving him the reaction he wants. “Finn is good for me, so I think I’ll be staying right where I am.”

“What the fuck do you want with someone like him anyway?” he shouts at me.

“Your brother is the most amazing person I’ve ever met, and your entire family are idiots for not seeing how special he is,” I tell him firmly.

“Get your hands off my boyfriend,” Finn yells as he comes out of the bathroom.

Donny laughs. “Make me,” he taunts his brother.

Finn doesn’t wait a beat before charging at his brother, taking them both to the ground.

“What the hell is going on in here?” Finn’s father shouts as I help Finn to his feet. “First, you have to flaunt your sick relationship in front of our faces, and then you attack your brother? Clearly, I didn’t raise you very well.”

“I’m sorry that your abuse didn’t turn me into the person you wanted me to be,” Finn bites out.

“I should have killed you that night you told us you were gay,” his father sneers.

“You would have had I not been so fast,” Finn retorts. “The bullet hole in your wall is proof. But I’m sure you’ve had that covered up since I left. Or did you frame it to remind yourself of the big, tough man you are? Shooting at an innocent child because he was born a certain way.”

“You smart mouthed brat,” he bellows, lunging at Finn, but I step in his way.

“Don’t you dare lay a fucking hand on him,” I growl the words out at him.

“Touch me, and I’ll have charges pressed against you so fast you won’t know what hit you. And then you can kiss your dreams of playing professional baseball goodbye,” he tells me with a sinister grin.

“That’s enough,” Finn’s grandpa shouts, silencing everyone in the hall.

“Dad,” Finn’s father says, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. “This was all just a misunderstanding.” He takes a step away from me and runs his hands over his suit trying to make himself look more presentable.

“Oh really?” Finn’s grandpa asks. “Because I heard everything, and frankly, I’m sickened. How could you do such a thing? You think you failed in raising Finn? Well, I clearly fucked up in raising you because I can’t believe you would do such an unthinkable thing. Why would you ever want a child of yours to die because they live a different life than the one you were expecting for them? You are a heartless man, and I’m ashamed that you are my son.”

“Dad, I promise what you heard isn’t the whole story,” Finn’s father tries to reason but Finn’s grandpa clearly isn’t having it. He’s not an idiot after all.

“I want you to leave, and I never want to see you again. You are dead to me.”

“Dad, don’t do this. We can work this out,” Finn’s father pleads, but it falls on deaf ears.

“If I had known this when Finn moved in, I would have cut you out of our lives then,” Finn’s grandfather states. “Now you have exactly sixty seconds to get off my property, or I will call the cops and have you arrested for trespassing.”

“Dad, please,” Finn’s father begs.

Finn’s grandfather crosses his arms, turns his back on his son, and starts counting.

Finn’s father looks completely taken aback but grabs Donny by the arm and quickly rushes away. We follow behind them and watch as he grabs his wife and quickly leaves the house.

“I’m so sorry to do this, but the party is over,” Finn’s grandfather announces in a loud booming voice. “Thank you all for coming and we will see each other again soon, I’m sure.”

People whisper but slowly start to leave.

“Will you please wait for me in my study? I'd like to have a chat,” he tells us and Finn nods before grabbing my hand and guiding me to the room.

“Would you like to have this conversation on your own?” I ask Finn, but he squeezes my hand tighter.

“Please don’t leave,” he begs, and I pull him into my arms.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I assure him.

I will be by Finn’s side for as long as he wants me there. Forever if he’ll let me.