Page 78 of Reverse Pass

“Do you want me to tickle you first? I can tell them I tickled it out of you, and it couldn’t be helped. Or I can fuck you and then we can say—“

She puts a hand over my mouth. “Don’t. You’ll get me all distracted and this is serious!”

“Okay, then just tell me, Vi.”

“They’re all coming out here for Thanksgiving a day early so we can eat together before you have to be back. Renting a cabin that we’re all going to stay in.”

“Who is they?”

“Your mom, Nora, her boyfriend. My parents.” She winces as she mentions her parents.

They’re generally speaking good people, but her mom can be overbearing and her dad’s only love in life is football. Which means I will be on the hook to listen to a whole lot of football stats and predictions while I eat my turkey and gravy. A sacrifice worth making if I get Violet at my side.

“Okay. And despite the usual reasons why family is sometimes rough, why are we freaking out?”

“I’m supposed to take you up there. Meaning we will both be there.”

“And?”

“They’re gonna know.”

“They’re not going to know, Violet.”

“They are. Joss says I have an aura now. Like a dickmatized aura and that it is insanely obvious to everyone that we are fucking.”

“I mean on one hand, good. Maybe all the guys she brings around will stay away from you.” I try to keep it light, but she just shoots me a look. “But I don’t think our parents are looking for a dickmatized aura.”

“I’m not worried about our parents. Oh fuck, yes, I am. Oh god, your mom is going to hate me. I’ve tarnished her perfect golden boy!” She’s being performatively dramatic, but I can tell she’s worried underneath it all.

“Violet, at the risk of sounding like an asshole, I think you’re overreacting. And my mom knows I was tarnished a long time ago.”

“Fine. Your mom isn’t the real problem though. Nora is. If Joss knows, Nora will absolutely know. Nora knows everything before I tell her.”

“So counterpoint… or idea I guess?” I lift my eyes to hers, so I can read her reaction to the suggestion I think she might not love.

“What?”

“What if we just tell them?”

“Tell them? Tell them what?”

“About us. Just be honest.”

“What are we going to tell them Ben? That we’re fucking exclusively?”

“I was going to say we could tell them we’re together, or that we’re dating. That would probably be easier for them to swallow than the whole fucking part. I mean they’ll likely assume given that we’re both adults, but…” I smile at her, but she doesn’t look amused.

“Nora is going to hate me.”

“She is not going to hate you. She’s just going to need a minute to adjust to the idea.”

“And if she can’t adjust?”

“We’ll worry about that when we get there.”

I hold my hand out next to her on the couch and she threads her fingers through mine.

“I’m still scared.”