Breaking up roots (One Night Stand, Book 3)

Chapter 6: Home or hell?

The silence was eating Kai. In an instant, he'd been taken back to his teenage years, dreading his father's quietness, but even more afraid of the man's impending words.

Ray and Maya were staring at the two boys, completely disconcerted. Kai knew what they were thinking —and he prayed for none of them to make an unfortunate comment that could ruin things for his boyfriend and him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Smith." Zane let go of Kai's hand and offered the limb to the man for a handshake. Ray, however, remained still, stoically boring holes into his face with a not-so-friendly vibe. Even someone as courteous as Zane was at a loss for words in front of Ray's coldness. He retreated as soon as he understood that the man was not going to fulfill his end of the salutation.

"Kai! Zane!" Like the chirps of a bird after a storm, Nya's voice resonated over their heads.

The girl rushed downstairs, jumping onto her brother with a big smile, then giving the other boy the same warm greeting.

"You know him?" Ray asked her.

Nya pulled away from Zane's arms slowly. The girl's head dipped as she replied with a low, "Yeah, we met back when I visited Kai before summer."

The man's eyes threatened to pop out. "You knew that your brother's been with other men all this time and you didn't tell us?!"

Kai moved forward and stood between the two, shielding Nya from their father's anger.

"I told her not to say anything. Don't yell at Nya," he explained. Ray blinked again before letting out a fatigued sigh while he rubbed his face. "You've got a problem?" Kai's defenses went up, ready for the expected war.

"Well, yeah. You left the house because you wanted to live your true love story freely and away from this horrid place," Ray gesticulated, as if trying to mimic Kai's dramatic farewell from two years ago. "But now it turns out it was just another one of your affairs? What kind of true love was that? How many men have you been with all this time?"

Kai greeted his teeth. "Do you even care who or how many guys I decide to sleep with?"

"I didn't raise a whore."

"You didn't raise anybody!"

"Stop it!" Maya shrieked.

Everyone turned towards the woman.

"One day. Can you two please not fight for just one day? Is that too much to ask?"

Kai's heart sank at his mother's plea and the way her loving face tightened with stress. He looked down, embarrassed in some measure. He'd come here to make her happy, not the other way around. Unfortunately, Kai couldn't control the anger that surged through his veins when he was near his father, and when the man was so blatantly throwing shit at him.

"Sorry..." Kai murmured, more for his mother's sake than for his dad's.

The other man remained silent, throwing invisible daggers at his son and handsome companion. Maya moved a step closer to the two young boys and looked at Zane with a mortified expression.

"I'm sorry for the scene," she apologized on everyone's behalf with a subtle bow.

"It's alright," said the boy with his usual gentle manners. "I understand the shock."

Maya sighed, giving one last glance to her family before she called them all into the living room. Trying to leave the awkwardness and tension behind them, the Smith family spread out around the chabudai table where a newspaper was resting, open at a random page. Shivers went down Kai's spine as he took a seat. This setting was so familiar, in an odd uncomfortable way.