Total pages in book: 152
Estimated words: 140629 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 703(@200wpm)___ 563(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140629 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 703(@200wpm)___ 563(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
But before he could have said something coherent, Alexander butted in with a wide grin. “Caspian and her will have a lot to talk about then. It’s good to have diversity in the office.”
John’s blue eyes sharpened as they zeroed in on Gunner. “Oh. You’re gay, Caspian? Your father hasn’t mentioned—I mean, sorry, there’s no reason for it to just come up.”
“No. I—what?” Gunner’s heart sped up and rattled like the engine of his old wreck of a truck. He was going to be sick.
Thomas paled while the white noise around them echoed in Gunner’s ears. “Caspian?”
Alexander cocked his head as if he was a confused parrot. “You’re not out? I’m so sorry, I just assumed… you know, when we went shopping, and you talked about wanting to look a certain way…”
Something cracked in Gunner, and he pushed Alexander’s chest. “You know exactly what you’re doing, you motherfucker!”
Alexander’s lips widened into a sneer, and his eyes glinted with triumph, as if he’d already won, not only this confrontation but the whole war of piano contests and attention. He had no idea how wrong he was.
Thomas squeezed Gunner’s arm, but rage had already overflowed deep inside him, and there was no stopping it. This was for all the shitty gossip Alexander had spread about Caspian in school, the sabotaged piano, the offhand shortness quips, and wrecking Caspian’s seventeenth birthday party by organizing his own swimming pool extravaganza with Taylor Swift as the star on the same day. Taylor Swift had really been an impersonator with a cover band, but the damage had been done.
He kicked Alexander straight in the nuts. The bastard folded in half, uttering a comically high-pitched sound, and when he met Gunner’s gaze, his red face was the signal for the bull that had been huffing with aggression inside Gunner.
He charged at the lying fucker, who couldn’t even be nasty to his face and had had to resort to backstabbing. Alexander lost his footing, his eyes went wide, and they both fell onto the table behind him, crashing between the little bowls filled with fruit and candy, the chocolate fountain, and the marshmallow stand. Sweet brown goo sprayed everywhere, covering them both like a representation of the years of shit between them.
Alexander writhed under him with a squeal, but Gunner didn’t hesitate and punched him in the face with all the force he could muster. The table shook, and the chocolate from the unsteady fountain splashed onto his face before spilling into Alexander’s hair as it fell over and rolled to the grass.
The garden erupted with squeaks and shouts, but while he could see figures moving in the corner of his eye, he was grounded in this moment of violence and wouldn't stop punching the self-satisfied bastard’s face until even his mother wouldn’t be able to recognize him.
“You think you can just toy with people’s lives?” he yelled despite his next punch slipping along Alexander’s forearm when the snake covered his face.
“Stop, you psycho!” Alexander cried.
“No! Get the fuck out of my life!”
He didn’t get to land the next chocolate-stained blow because two sets of arms pulled him back.
His knees hit the edge of the table as he rolled off, but moments later, he found himself facing Barb, who stared at him from behind hands clasped on her face. “Caspian! What are you doing?”
Thomas helped Alexander off the table, keeping him up when Alex almost rolled onto the ground, holding his beaten face. Gunner bet his ears were ringing too. Good.
It was about time someone taught the smug bastard a lesson!
“Me?” he yelled, spreading his arms. “Why does everyone think it’s okay for this cunt boy to out me, huh? So yeah, I’m fucking gay!”
“Go back to the house, Caspian! This is unacceptable!” Thomas said through clenched teeth, his kind face stiff with anger.
“No, I won’t! He fucking deserved a good thrashing!” Adrenaline boiled in Gunner’s veins and poisoned his mind until he couldn’t think straight.
“I am so, so sorry,” Barb shook her head, looking at her guests. “Dessert will be served shortly. I’ll soon be back with you,” she said and approached Gunner, digging her fingers into his arm. “Into the house. Now.”
She pushed him forward with surprising strength, but he gave up the fight, because it wasn’t as though he was gonna attack Alexander again. He stared at his feet, the grass, and then tiles as they walked on, because while he wasn’t sorry about landing those punches, he didn’t want to confront the judgemental stares and whispers stabbing at him from every direction.
Staff occupied the kitchen, so Barb led him to a side door, into a utility area and slammed the door shut before grabbing his shoulders. “What do you think you’re doing? I don’t know what he said to you, but you need to apologize and make amends before he presses charges! And in front of Mr. Sadler? Are you insane? Do you want to ruin your future, or just our reputation?” she asked, so flushed he could even see it through her makeup.