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Sloane groaned. “Not really.”

“Because you think it’s ridiculous or because of you?”

Sloane frowned. “Why do you have to think I’m responsible?”

“Please, I raised you, remember? If this were his fault or something that just happened, you’d tell me. If you’re a big reason it happened, you’re going to shut your mouth and keep it to yourself. You did it when you broke the microwave.”

“I was eight!”

“And some things never change.”

Sloane’s shoulders dropped. “I...freaked a little.”

“How much is a little?”

“Dean’s been seeing someone.”

“Okay, where’s the problem?”

“He’s been seeing someone, and I think it’s been for weeks, and I only found out because I happened to stumble across them while they were out on a date.”

She made a soft noise. “I see, so he didn’t tell you.”

“No.”

“And you took it badly.”

“I might have been...a little rude. Okay, I was really rude, and it felt like I was beating up the poor bastard who didn’t do shit wrong except like my best friend. And Dean kept looking like I kicked his puppy.”

“Doesn’t sound like the Dean you’ve talked about.”

Sloane grunted. “Yeah, he saved that for later when he caught me alone.”

“And gave you an earful.”

“And then some.”

Sloane had thought he was prepared for the showdown with Dean. He had, after all, been out of line and reacted poorly to a situation that Sloane knew was out of character for Dean. That Dean had hidden something so...normal from Sloane should have been a warning sign there was more at play. Instead, Sloane had let his stung feelings and wounded pride get the better of him, and the next thing he knew, he was emotionally shoving Dean into a corner.

“Alright, so you fought because he kept something from you.”

“I was just...so mad, Mama. Why would he keep that from me? Why wouldn’t he tell me? I kept thinking maybe he thought I might be upset because, suddenly, the whole gay thing wouldbe real to me. Or that I might be a dick to someone new because everyone expects it from me,” Sloane admitted.

“And then you turned around and did just that.”

Sloane rubbed a hand over his face vigorously. “I know I was an ass, okay? I know that, and I was an even bigger ass when he was here, trying to tell me off for being an ass. I thought I would apologize and maybe try to figure out what was wrong with him. Then he was here, and I just got so mad, I was pissed. I kept demanding he tell me why, why he did it, why he would keep it from me, just why, why, why. And then?—”

“And then?”

Sloane shook his head. “Then, I found out why.”

“Honey, Sloane, talk to me. You know nothing you say leaves this phone.”

Sloane knew, but that didn’t make it any easier to say. Dean’s secret had come out in such a desperate, raw moment of pure emotion. Sloane had never seen such pure agony on Dean’s face, and the sound of his friend’s heart breaking in front of him had left Sloane dumbfounded. It had taken him several minutes before his brain had clicked into place, realizing he should have tried to stop Dean from leaving before it was too late.

“He’s been in love with me, Mama,” Sloane heard himself say.

“Oh.”