Release(41)

Adam ignored how his heart was racing. “Know what?”

“Don’t play stupid. You had pornography on your laptop. That kind of pornography.”

Adam didn’t know where to go with this so decided to aim for invasion of privacy, which was always as good as an admission of guilt. “You looked on my laptop?”

“And we know you had an … infatuation with that Mexican boy–”

“He’s Spanish.”

“But that seemed to have passed and your mom found the pictures a while ago–”

“Mom found it?”

“You seemed to be doing so well. So … you know, close to Angela and…”

“And what?”

His dad looked him straight in the eye. “Do you know how much we pray for you? Pray for your healing?”

“I don’t need healing.”

“We all need healing.”

“I don’t need that kind of healing. Nobody does. Seriously, Dad, do you know what year it is?”

“I don’t need to move with the times if the times are wrong–”

“And what are you saying anyway? That I led Wade on?”

Big Brian Thorn looked distinctly uncomfortable now. “I know the hormones of teenage boys. It can happen to anyone. Look at Martin.”

“Marty is no longer a teenager.”

“I’m just saying that, you know, if you … had a little crush on this manager–”

“Wade?!”

“Then maybe he thought you were … making yourself available.”

Adam blinked at his father. Just blinked. They were in unknown territory here, in so many ways. This was, remarkably, the first time since the Wendy’s that either of his parents had directly addressed the topic with him, though clearly they’d been doing so regularly with Marty. And if they’d found stuff on his laptop – nothing creepy, just the regular-looking kind of guy that Adam found himself preferring to professional porn – and not even mentioned it– How dangerous did they think he was?

“Making myself available?” he said, feeling the fury rise. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

His dad looked up sharply, angrily. “Do not use language like that in God’s House.”

“But it’s okay to accuse your son of leading his manager into sexual harassment bordering on outright assault?”

“I’m just saying, maybe unconsciously–”

“I’m seventeen. He’s my gross boss with a gross moustache and looks like a road so well travelled I need to wash my hands after just being near him.”

“You let him put his hands on your thighs.”

This landed like a slap. The words of blame he had put on his own self, now coming out of the mouth of his father.

“So I was asking for it,” Adam said, his mouth dry. “Is that what you’re saying?”

All Big Brian Thorn did in answer to his son was shrug. But there was fear in his eyes. Fear even Adam could see. He’d thought the word “dangerous” just now.

Well, if that’s what they wanted.

“Do you know where I was this afternoon?” Adam said. “After leading my completely innocent boss into firing me unless I had sex with him?”

“Adam–”

“I was getting comfort in the bed of my boyfriend.”

It was Big Brian Thorn’s turn to look slapped. But not surprised. Not in the least surprised.

“Adam, I don’t want to hear this.”

“Yeah, well, I’ve heard a lot of things today I didn’t want to hear, so I’m going to keep talking.”

“No, you’re not. And don’t think you’re going out tonight either.”

“To the going-away party for Enzo? The boy I spent large portions of the last two years screwing?”

“Adam–”

“Which is actually not the right way around–”

“You will not speak to me this way! Not here–”

“But that’s okay, because I like being on the bottom. That’s what I did today with Linus.”

“With … what? Who?”

“Remember the boy you preached about? I mean, it’s less of a surprise when you think about it. This is hardly a very big town–”

“You’re seeing that … boy?”

“More than seeing. There’s quite a lot of sex involved.”

“Stop this!”

Adam held out his wrists. “You can still smell him on me. That’s why I’ve tried to keep my distance from you all afternoon. I didn’t have a chance to wash him off my body.”

His dad closed his eyes and started to pray, loudly. “Oh, Lord, please help my son. Please help him on his misguided path–”

“Then we did it a second time. Even better than the first, because it was like this new kind of closeness–”

“I rebuke this sin in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ–”

But Adam didn’t feel rebuked. He felt powerful. He felt the thrill of burning down his own house. It wouldn’t last, he knew that even then, but the moment had come for him to be dangerous, and finally, this once, he was going to take it.