Touch ☞☜ Phan

Chapter Nineteen

WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS DOMESTIC ABUSE.

Phil and I enter my house to see my mum preparing a meal in the kitchen.  Coming out to my mum won't be a problem, I'm sure.  She didn't appear fazed whatsoever upon catching Phil and me the other day. Coming out to my father, however, might be a problem.  Bringing up the affair to him will definitely be one.

I knock on the door to my father's office.  Upon hearing him shout for me to come in, I enter, closing the door.  I sit down in the chair on the opposite side of his desk, leaving Phil to make smalltalk with my mother in the kitchen.

"What's up, Danny?"

I detest that nickname, but I maintain my composure and keep my cringing internal.  "There's something that I'd like to talk to you about," I say, my hands shaking in my lap.

"Okay," my father says, eyeing my shaking hands. There isn't a hint of worry on his face.  He should've gone into the acting business instead of the engineering one.  Then he never would've met Ms. Addie and had the affair.

"I know about Ms. Addie." The words stumble off my tongue.

My father's cool facial expression isn't altered. "Yeah? You got to know her a little bit at my work."

"And you got to know her a little bit in bed."

My father reminds me of a clown with a permanent facial expression drawn on his face.

"You've been cheating on Mum."

My father shakes his head. "Don't tell your mother that I said this, but we have an open relationship, Daniel.  I suggest that you refrain from telling her that you know, or else that would be awkward for her," he says, lying through his teeth.

It wasn't awkward for my mother when she caught Phil and me the other day. She is evidently comfortable with mentioning sex around me. My father is undoubtedly lying.

I shake my head. "You're having an affair."

Suddenly, my father's facial expression is transformed. He grins maliciously and grabs me by the collar of my shirt, pulling me so close that I am able to smell the coffee on his tongue as he says, "You and your mother are lucky to be under my roof. Don't be the reason that's jeopardized," he spits, letting me go.

I shake my head at my father and leave the room.

***

Phil holds me in his arms as I tell him about what happened with my dad, whispering that it's all going to be okay in my ear.

Is it though?

I know that I will always have Phil, but will I always have my mum and dad? I don't know. This dinner is going to be determining that.

Phil and I head into the dining room and assist my mother with setting the table. When we're finished, we all sit down, anticipating my father's arrival.

"Coming out to Phil's parents went well, huh?," my mum asks, her mouth smiling but her eyes watering.

I nod.

"I really hope this won't go how I expect it to," my mother says, her quiet voice quivering.

Phil bites his lip and averts his eyes to the floor.

"I'll always have you, Mum. Right?"

"Right," my mother assures me, nodding sincerely.

"And I promise that you'll always have me, Dan," Phil says, forcing a smile, his eyes bright and glimmering.

"I love you guys," I say.

Suddenly, my dad enters the room and sits down beside my mother, not able to keep his eyes off me. I never realized that Phil is a bald cheater.

"This is Phil," my mother says.

My father's eyes remain on me.

"Dad, Phil and I are together," I say.

"Throuple," Phil whispers in my ear, almost killing the moment.

"You've torn apart this family!," my father shouts.  He picks up his plate and smashes it on the table, not breaking eye contact with me.

"My good china!," my mother wails.

"I always knew there was something wrong with you," my father spits, pointing at me with a shaking hand.  "You're a disgrace."

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with your son loving a good person, baby," my mum says, attempting to calm my father down.  "Phil is very sweet and kind."

"Phil isn't a person, and Dan isn't my son," my father says, walking out of the room.

My mother sighs.

My father returns with a belt.  "Since you like butt stuff so much, boys, why don't we try this?"

"PUT THE BELT DOWN!," my mother shouts, standing up.  "Be civil or leave this house," she adds firmly.

My father snickers.  "This house?  This house is mine, and you can wave goodbye to it once I'm out of the picture."

"I have a job too!  I can afford a house."

My father shakes his head.  "Tell that to the court."

"I will because I know what you've been doing with that coworker of yours."

My father's grip tightens around the belt, and his attention is averted to me.  "You rat!"

"Oh, please! Dan didn't have to tell me—I've driven by the house so many times and seen her get out of the car. I keep going to the grocery store to kill time while you're screwing somebody else," my mum says bluntly.  "I've purchased way too many mini pies. You are the disgrace."

Rather than responding to my mum, my father runs over to me and hits me on the chest with the belt.  I attempt to shove him away but fail miserably.  My father strikes my arm, causing my to hold it in agony. The words "nothing," "rage," and "disappointment," appear, causing tears to pour down my face. The people in the room probably think I'm crying due to the physical pain, but the emotional pain of knowing that I am nothing to my own dad is what's getting to me.

My father walks out of the house, slamming the door behind him.

Author's Note

I'm sorry that this chapter is sad. :( On a lighter note, I've been dating the guy (whom I mentioned in the previous chapter) for a month now! Our relationship is honestly like a fanfiction, and it's crazy. I love you all! Thank you so much for your patience. ♥️  Also, I wrote this chapter just hours before Dan came out in real life.  I'm so proud of him.