Wild Card Ch. 06

"That's short for Indiana, isn't it?"

The corner of Efrain's mouth twitched like he was trying not laugh.

"What about the obviously straight one?"

Gio introduced himself before muttering, "And, Romero kept saying I'd be gay-by-association."

Keenan waved. "You know who I am."

"Unfortunately," Uncle Johnny replied with a huge grin, which my best friend returned.

"So, back to the matter at hand," I said maybe a little too testily—I still hadn't wrapped my brain around my brothers' arrival and just kept getting swept further along.

"You want the whole audience?" Johnny asked.

"Might as well." I sighed. "At least one of them will listen in on it and blab the whole conversation once he gets a few drinks in him." I glanced over just in time to catch the hurt and guilt that briefly flickered across Preston's face before he could control it, and I realized that I was acting like a fucking asshole.

"You sure?"

"They'll find out about it eventually. And, they already know the worst of it."

"Still can't believe you said that to Dad." Caiden shook his head in amusement.

"Oh, I believe it," Efrain said proudly. "Should hear how he ripped into my brother and cousin over Thanksgiving."

"Cory's always had a pretty sharp tongue," Cameron said.

"Suggesting 'Big' Connor needed a forensics team to figure out whose sperm is soaked into his floorboards killed me." Uncle Johnny face split in a grin. "And the bit about the guy shooting cum on the ceiling was pretty inspired. Your daddy was talking about burning the whole shed down."

I scrubbed my hand over my face while my friends and brothers laughed at my crass behavior. "Inspired, but stupid. I burned my damn bridges and guaranteed I no longer have a home to come back to."

My uncle sobered up. "Listen, kid, you will always have a home to come back to—mine."

"And mine," Connor added. "Leslie would never forgive me if I didn't make that clear."

"My parents said pretty much the same thing," Keenan said. I swallowed hard, willing myself not to tear up, yet again.

"And, I wouldn't be too sure on those burned bridges," Johnny said. "I know my sister; she loves you boys more than anything. She'll come around for you, Cory. Just give her a little time."

"Plus, we made sure they knew they'd lose us too if they won't accept you," Cameron said.

"Guys, just because..."

Caiden interrupted me. "It's okay, Cory."

"What about Dad?" I said.

"If he comes around, he comes around," Johnny said plainly. "Honestly, he's fucked up too much in my eyes, and the sooner he's gone, the better. Especially after the last time."

I looked at the computer screen in confusion. "The last time?"

Uncle Johnny took a deep breath. "You sure you want to hear this?"

"Just tell me."

He paused like he was trying to find the best way to put it. "He pulled some shit when Elaine found out she was pregnant with you. Said you weren't his because he'd had that vasectomy."

"But, I am his son."

"It's obvious now that you're grown and you boys all look like him," Johnny conceded. "But, not when you hadn't arrived, yet. He called her all kinds of shit, kicked her and your brothers out, saying they probably weren't his either."

"We lived with Gram for a little bit," Connor said. Keenan muttered under his breath as Preston covered his mouth in shock. Indie looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here listening to this. Even I wanted to be somewhere else.

"His judgmental bitch of a mother got in on it, too—told my sweet baby sister that she was a whore and worse. They didn't even apologize when the paternity tests the asshole demanded for all four of you proved that you're his. God, I was glad you boys only got his looks 'cause the whole Card family is full of crap."

"I didn't know," I stuttered, feeling nauseated all of a sudden.

"We kept it from you," Connor said quietly, clenching his fists. "Wanted to protect you from Dad."

"He was okay when we were younger," Cameron said. "But, he changed when we came back home."

"We didn't want him to hurt you," Caiden continued.

"And, fucking Elaine was so relieved when he took her back," Uncle Johnny added. "Did whatever she could to keep him happy so he wouldn't leave her again. Your momma could have done so much better than him, could still do better than him."

"Fuck, I knew your dad was a douche," Keenan said. "I didn't think he was that bad."

"I take it that's why we don't visit Grams that much," I said weakly.

"The Frederick family 'lacks morals,'" Caiden said.

Uncle Johnny harrumphed. "Had more to do with the fight he started, and I finished."

I slumped back in my chair. "I never knew any of this. I thought Dad was just a little, I dunno, lukewarm, but... I don't understand."

"I'm sorry, Cory," Connor said. "This might not have happened if you'd known how Dad really was."

"I'll admit, he got better," Johnny said. "You all playing football made him proud."

I closed my eyes, and swallowed hard. The issue wasn't that my father didn't want anything to do with me since I came out, but that he hadn't wanted me to begin with. He was 'proud' that I played football. Fuck that. He just liked reveling in the attention I brought him. The only thing I was good for was adding to his "football dad" status. Those goddamn pennants on his walls and the fucking coffee mugs to make him feel like big shit in front of the guys at work.

Connor's hand squeezed my shoulder, and I opened my eyes. My friends and family watched me struggle with this new reality. Their stares, so full of concern and care, bore down on me, making the room feel smaller, suffocating.

"I need..." I started. "I need to not be here right now."

And I bolted from the room.