Chapter 119 - You Bring The Smile To My Face

Ford. 

The minute I stop crying and spiralling he asks me ''Is that why you came?'' his voice is calm. Very easy to respond to. 

I nod.

''Your father will not accept you,'' everyone knows him. they know how strict he is. He likes things done a certain way. Me being gay is not in the books and now I add more to the mix. 

''I can't intervene. You are his son.'' He tells me. 

''I will not let him go uncle. I need him in my life,'' I cry out those words that I have kept inside for so long. The fact that Lance came into my life and changed it completely cannot be taken lightly. I owe him a lot more than he can even grasp. I will not survive without him. 

He is my forever guy. 

''Just tell me what you want, and I will do everything in my power to help you,'' he assures me.

I don't know what I want. I came here because I want someone else on my side. When Lisa decides to spread the video. Father will try to do damage control and that will somehow involve me being sent away. I don't want to leave Lance. 

''I want to be with him,'' I cry desperately for a miracle. 

''Do you want me to talk to your father?'' he asks.

I shrug ''He will not listen to you. He will do what he wants and that is to keep me away from Lance.'' 

He smiles ''His name is Lance?'' 

I nod, thinking about lance and his usual bright smile and snarky attitude. ''Yes, he is a great guy and I love him so much.'' 

Somehow, coming out makes talking about it easier. The words just flow out of my mouth and now I don't want to hide it anymore.

''Your father is harmless. You have nothing to worry about.'' He assures me. I don't believe him. I know that he is not harmless. I know the man he is. I have lived with him all my life and I know the things he can do. 

''He will not let me be with him,'' I tell him. 

He shrugs ''You are almost eighteen. He can't control you for the rest of your life.''

In my head, I think 'He can,' but I don't say it out loud. There are things in my head, that I have never been able to say out loud. Things that only the two of us know. He has done so much that if said out loud, no one will believe. I am terrified of him because I know the things he could do.

I know the type of man he is. 

''Do you want me to call him over for a family meeting?'' he asks. That is the way uncle Max solves all his problems. By having a family meeting. 

That won't work here.

''He will not be happy with that,''

He nods ''So what can I do?'' he asks for like the millionth time today. 

I don't know what he could do to help but I need him to be aware of everything that is happening. the only plan I have is telling him the truth before he finds out. Once I do that, the video that Lisa shares will be pointless. The only problem with telling him the truth is the anger that will come with that. I know what will happen after that. he will blame all my actions on my illness and find a way to send me away. 

He will lock me up for as long as he can. 

He will have all the control that he desperately craves. 

''I just want you to know. When I tell him about us. I want someone else to know about it, so that when he retaliates, I would have someone on my side.'' 

''He won't do anything. Your father is all bark and bite.'' 

Everyone in the family seems to think that but all the man has done in my life is bite, bite, bite. So, I don't think they know him as much as I do. 

''I am terrified of coming out to him,'' I confess. 

He furrows his brow ''Coming out?'' he questions and I realise he might not know what that even means. 

''Telling him that I am gay,'' I rephrase. 

He nods. 

''Just tell him the truth. Let me know how he reacts. The worst he will do is disown you.'' He jokes and that doesn't even seem like the worst thing the man could do. All my life, I have prayed that he would disown me. He would rather keep me at the tip of my fingers. He likes the control, almost like he feeds off it. 

''That is what I plan to do Uncle,'' I tell him. 

He smiles again and stands up from the chair, slowly walking over to me ''You don't have to worry about anything. Your Grand Uncle Max will always protect you,'' he winks as he pats my shoulder playfully. 

This means the world to me because coming here today, I didn't have any other options but having him here on my side, somehow tells me that everything will be okay. Father is not the only one that will win. This time, I have a chance. I can choose my happiness with no fears or worries. 

''You should freshen up and come down for dinner,'' he says, and I stand up as he finishes the sentence ''You are staying for the week right?'' he adds in question. 

I shake my head ''I have to get back tomorrow,'' I can't leave Lance for too long. He needs me around especially with everything that is going on. I didn't even tell him anything coming here. I didn't want to give him false hope until I was sure. 

''Nonsense, you can't come to my house and stay for only a day.'' He dismisses as I get closer to the door ''Stay for a couple of days, Elliot will show you around and keep you company,'' he waves me out of the room. I walk back to my room and grab my phone. There are a couple of missed calls from Lance. A smile spreads to my face just from seeing his name on my phone.

A message notification pops up and that smile is wiped out of my face from seeing her name. 

Why the fuck is she texting me?

I open the message at once because this is not the time to ignore her. She literally has me on the tips of her fingers where she wants me. the ball is in her court and for the time being, she has all the control and my attention. I will listen to her and do what she wants until I gain that control back. 

Lisa: Hey, where are you? 

She is fucking acting like nothing even happened. How can someone be so oblivious? All that she has done makes me hates her so much. I don't even want to be friends with her after everything is over and done with. 

Lisa: A bunch of us are going out for a movie. Come with me. I miss you. 

My heart pounds against my chest from the anger that she is infuriating. I don't even want to respond to her. I don't want to let her get me angry. Things are going good. I am in a good place right now. I won't let Lisa and her wickedness ruin things. 

I dial Lance's number and he answers on the first ring. 

''Where are you?'' he blurts immediately he answers the phone. His voice is impatient and very worried. 

''I miss you,'' I evade his question because I want to tell him everything in person. I want him to know that I am not giving up on him. I want him to know that this thing between us will not end. I will work hard to get him to be mine forever. 

''I miss you too,'' he sighs into the phone. 

I knew that was going to work. Lance is the easiest person to read and it always is to my advantage. Cause making him happy is very easy. 

I sit down on the bed, ignoring my bag as I lie with my back on the headboard. I can hear his breathing through the phone. It is like music to my ears. The kind of sound I want to hear every day for the rest of my life.

''I know it has been a weird couple of days, with everything that has happened, but I promise you, I will fix it all,'' I assure him. 

I know he is smiling, even though I can't see him. 

''You know you can talk to me. don't take it all on your own. I got you.''

I know all that and more but for once, I want to be the one that handles things. I want to be strong for him. I want to protect him. 

''I know but leave this to me. I want to do this.'' 

''Okay.''