"Wait I'll answer your questions but what about you? You told me you were going on a hot date and then you're here in a gay club with another guy? So, what's going on with you Zach?" Thomas pointed out
Zach sighed he might as well come clean. He knew he couldn't hide it forever. "I am here on a hot date. The date is James. I'm gay Thomas" Zach confessed. Thomas smiled so big his dimples practically made craters in his cheeks. He threw his arms around Zach and hugged him
"I'm gay too Zach. I was so afraid you and Glen would be angry at me, so I hid it from you guys. I can't believe you were doing the same thing" Zach raised his eyebrow at Thomas.
"It's not the same thing. You flat-out lied to me and Glen. I told you I was going on a date. I just omitted who it was with." Thomas scoffed at Zach
"You sure Glen's going to see it as you not lying?" Thomas challenged. He knew he was screwed for lying but technically Zach has been lying also.
"I'm sorry I lied but seeing you here I can see I had nothing to be afraid about. Can we please get back to our dates and talk about this later?" Zach understood and Thomas did have a point. He nodded and agreed, secretly he hoped they could keep this from Glen, but he was realistic in knowing they were both in for at least a good talking to if not more.
"For the record Thomas please don't be afraid, to be honest with us we will never judge you. I love you more than anything and nothing will change that. I give you my word" Thomas's eyes got watery again
"Thank you, Zach, I love you" the two men went out of the bathroom and found their dates sitting together and talking. James beamed when he saw Zach. He slid into the seat next to James and Thomas sat next to Derek. The four ended up staying and talking for several hours.
Zach pulled up to James' apartment. "Can you come up for a few minutes? I just want to talk." James asked him. The two men went into the apartment and James got them some water.
"So, is it okay if I speak openly and honestly with you?" James asked. Zach couldn't help thinking James had the best innocent puppy dog eyes and he probably could never get mad at him if he gave that look. He nodded and waited for James to talk.
"When I was 16 I figured out I was gay, and I was really scared of what my family would say about it because they were really religious. I fell in love with a guy, and he was out to his family and encouraged me to do the same. When I told my parents they got very angry. My mother told me no son of hers was going to be gay. My parents kicked me out of the house, and I was homeless for 2 years." James wiped a single tear away. Zach felt his heart hurt for what James had been through.
" After 2 years of hell on the streets I ran into my uncle one day and he and the rest of the family never knew the truth about my disappearance. My parents lied to them. My uncle took me in and helped me finish school and go to college. A couple of years ago my mother reached out to me. She apologized for her treatment of me and asked me to visit them. Long story short, I forgave them not because they deserved it but because I had learned to be proud of who I was, and I no longer needed their approval to be who I wanted to be. The reason I'm telling you this is because I felt a connection with you the first day you came in here to interview me. Tonight, I couldn't help noticing that your brother looked absolutely gobsmacked that you were at a gay restaurant and bar. I take it your family doesn't know you are gay?" Zach gave him a sad look.
"I want to get to know you much better, but I need to make sure the person I'm with is as comfortable with who they are as I am. I'm not sure you are, so I'm not sure where we go from here?" James looked truly saddened. Zach reached up and stroked his thumb against James' cheek. James leaned his face into Zach's hand.
"Your right I haven't told my family I'm gay. It's not about shame or fear, it's more pride driven. I live with my older brother Glen and 3 younger brothers Thomas, Brett, and Caleb, and one younger sister Claire. Glen and I have raised the boys since I was 16 and Glen was 18. The twins were 1 1/2 and Thomas was 8. When I say my pride kept me from telling the truth to them is because when we lived with my mother she had a lot of shady boyfriends, and some were worse than others. One boyfriend raped me when I was 12 and continued to do so for 2 years. He threatened to kill my brothers if I told or fought him. Glen found out when he came home from work early. He beat the shit out of the guy. Glen treated me like a broken doll for a long time. When I first thought I might be gay it scared the shit out of me. I actually believed what that sick man did made me gay." Zach admitted his own misunderstanding of his sexuality early on.
"I went into therapy and had an amazing therapist that helped me see the two things had nothing to do with it. I did accept myself, but I didn't want my brother to think it was because of what happened to me. After a while, the secret of my sexuality was just me not wanting to admit I lied, I then became worried Glen would be so hurt and angry that he wouldn't trust me anymore. We are all we have, and I love my siblings more than anything. I just didn't want to disappoint them." James admired how dedicated Zach was to his family.
"I'm going to come clean with all of them tonight. I can promise you I feel the same way about you. I want to continue to get to know you. Obviously, we both have had some hard times but we haven't let that define us, I think that our ability to overcome hardships is what makes it perfect for each other " James had reached out to hold Zach's hand.
They looked into each other's eyes and Zach leaned in and softly kissed James' lips. James leaned into the kiss. They kissed for quite a while eventually laying on the couch in a heated make-out session. Zach wanted nothing more than to stay there with James, but he knew he needed to get home. He rested his head in the crook of James' neck. James was panting and both men could feel the tightness in their pants.
"James I would love to stay here and kiss you all night, but I really should get home." James smiled up at him.
"I understand you need to clear things up. You can call me tomorrow. I can make us dinner sometime next week?" Zach had stood up and helped James do the same.
"I would love to come over for dinner, we will talk tomorrow." Zach left in a hurry the sexual tension between them was overwhelming and Zach knew he would stay there all night if he didn't leave right away. He got in his car and drove home. Sitting in the driveway for a few minutes gathering his courage together.
Thomas lay on his bed, he had gotten home an hour ago and Zach had told him he was going to drop James off and be home right after. Thomas was still in shock to know Zach had been lying to them about his sexuality. He seemed very comfortable when talking to James that Thomas didn't understand why he kept it a secret. The other part of him was worried about how angry Glen would be that he had been lying about the same thing. Glen hated lies more than anything, it probably was because their mother lied so much, he didn't want anything in their family to resemble her. Thomas heard Zach's car pull up. He waited to hear the doors open and close, but it was silent for too long. He looked out his window to see Zach sitting in his car. He went downstairs and outside to Zach's car. Zach saw him and got out of the car.
"Sorry it took so long James and I needed to talk about something important. I'm also sorry for being so untruthful for so long. It's time for us both to come clean. He gave Thomas a hug before either could say anything the front door opened and Glen came onto the porch looking concerned.
"Hey, you two what's going on? Is everything okay?" Zach approached the porch and smiled weakly at Glen.
"Not really, Thomas and I need to have a family meeting right away." He walked past Glen into the house. The kids were waiting for Glen to return so they could watch the next movie. Zach went and turned the TV off as the twins protested.
"Zach put his hand up to silence them and of course, they knew this was his warning to be quiet, so they stopped and waited for him to talk.
"I am sorry for interrupting your movie time. I will make it up to you, however, I need to speak with you about something I've been keeping from this family for a long time. Then Thomas needs to make a statement as well." Glen had a feeling things were going to get intense with the way Zach was talking.
Zach didn't waste time telling the family about his sexuality. The twins were shocked Brett gained his senses first.
"Wait if you've been gay this whole time what about your three-year relationship with Perry?" Zach shook his head; he figured that question was coming. He had to explain that their relationship was fake, and she knew he was gay. The so-called breakup was due to her finding an actual boyfriend. The twins kept looking over at a very unusually quiet Glen.
Usually after learning that one of them had lied, would have Glen yelling. He sat there very very quietly and that made everyone uneasy.
"Um, I guess that's all I need to say, Thomas your turn." Zach sat down as Thomas got in front of everyone by the time he finished telling everyone that he too had been lying and that he was gay. The room was eerily quiet. Glen stood up and addressed the twins and Claire.
"I'm sorry you three movie nights are over for now, why don't you three go get ready for bed, and then you can watch TV in my room until I get up there" the kids could see the anger on Glen's face and knew any protest would not go down well. They got up and gave sympathetic looks to a now nervous-looking Zach and Thomas.