Pure Vengeance

Chapter 14

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Adrian

I’m nervous about the panel. I know the reporter is going to be there to cover the investigation. As well as my mother and stepfather. I’m supposed to bring the girls who I paid with me, but that isn’t an option.

There’s only one option left, and I know what has to happen.

I sit in front of the panel, dressed in a suit. Dean Rochester is there along with two of my law professors and a teacher I don’t recognize. He looks around. “Are we waiting for the women involved?”

“No sir, but I’ve prepared a statement.”

Dean Rochester looks at me over his spectacles again and nods. “Very well.”

I stand up and nervously hold up the paper I wrote on. “Distinguished professors and Dean Rochester: I didn’t pay any girls for sex. I paid them to lie about having sex with me. I wanted to hide behind them, but I see now that’s a big problem. I didn’t bring any of them here today because they honestly did nothing wrong other than tell a few lies to make me look good. You see, I’m gay.” I let out the breath I’m holding as Maria gasps. “I don’t sleep with women. I’m not interested in women at all.”

I hear my stepfather hiss, and I look up at Dean Rochester. “I apologize if I made the university look bad, but it was just to protect my identity. I didn’t want to be ostracized because of who I am.”

Dean Rochester whispers to the rest of the panel, then looks up. “Very well, Mr. Carter. We understand your tastes steer clear of women. We cannot, however, have you dragging the university’s name through the mud. You will issue this formal statement to Campus News. You may continue to study here, but we are removing your football scholarship.”

I swallow hard. Fuck, I didn’t think they’d do that.

This has backfired. I can’t even look at my parents right now.

Dean Rochester waves his hand. “That is the final decision of the panel. You may go.”

I suspect they had decided this before my announcement. No way they came to that conclusion so quickly. I walk out of the room, and I hear hurried footsteps behind me. “You’re gay?”

My stepfather grabs me by my suit jacket and slams me into the wall. “You’re fucking gay?”

I look at him, refusing to back down. “That’s what I said.”

“I won’t have a little gay fairy-boy for a son,” he growls. “You’re not to come to the house ever again. You’re no longer welcome.”

I look at my mother, who averts her gaze. She won’t defend me against him. She never would. I never would’ve defended Noah against him. It’s just the kind of man he is.

He lets me go as the panel walks out of the room, and he takes my mother’s arm and drags her off.

I can feel the tears pricking at my eyes as I walk out of the administrative building after them. I see them get in the car and drive off without even a goodbye. My life is over. I can’t afford to study at university. I can’t afford accommodation. I only have the stuff that I packed when I came here. No doubt my stepfather will burn everything from my room.

I burst into tears and bury my face in my hands. I hear the click of a camera and look up to see Maria taking my picture.

“Can I ask you a few questions?”

“Leave him alone,” I hear Richard say as he walks up behind me. “You’re like a little vulture.”

Maria frowns as Richard leads me away from her.

“How did it go?”

“I came out,” I say quietly. “And it’s devastated my family, and they want nothing to do with me. It’s fucked up my future, and now I’ve lost my football scholarship, but somehow, I feel free. Very free.”

Richard pats my shoulder. “You can stay at the frat house as long as you need.” He is gentle and kind, and I look at him, surprised. “I’ve got no money.”

“We’ll apply for a loan for you, find you a campus job. It’ll be hard, but it’s doable.” He smiles. “It’s what my girlfriend is doing, working while she studies. It can be done. Lost football scholarships aren’t the end of the world.”

I nod and give him a sad smile. “Thank you, Richard. I doubt the Alphas will accept me being gay.”

“They’re all secretly in the closet anyway,” he says as we walk together toward the Delta house. “They’ll be jealous you can be free to be who you are.”

“I guess,” I say quietly. “People shouldn’t be scared to be who they are.”

Richard nods. “In an ideal world, they wouldn’t be.”

We reach the house, and we go inside. Richard looks around at the few brothers that are there. “We have a new brother. You all know Adrian, he’s been staying with us for a few days. He’s staying with us permanently now. I expect you to treat him with the same respect we show each other, especially once today’s story runs.”

“What’s today’s story?”

I look up at Noah and swallow.

“I told the panel I didn’t sleep with those girls because I’m gay,” I say, keeping my eyes trained on him.

Noah’s eyes darken. “We should talk.”

Richard looks between us and decides not to say anything.

I walk upstairs behind Noah, and once we’re in the room, he shuts the door and turns to me. “Are you fucking mental? My father...”

“He was there,” I say quietly. “He’s already disowned me. Said I’m not welcome back at the house at all.”

Noah shakes his head “You are mental. What were you thinking?”

“I’m tired of hiding who I am, Noah, and you should be too. Why pretend to be something we’re not because people will give us funny looks? We’re fucking gay, and we like each other. It’s not like we’re blood brothers. We’re stepbrothers. There’s nothing unnatural about our attraction.”

Noah frowns. “Adrian. You need to recant. You can’t do this.”

“They’ve already taken away my scholarship, but said I can continue to study here. Richard is going to help get me set up with a loan and a job.” I look at him with a frown. “Out of all this you haven’t asked how I am? Do you even fucking care?”

Noah’s expression softens, and he nods but he says nothing.

“But you won’t say it. You won’t say out loud that you care about me?” I feel the tears coming back. “You’re such a fucking hypocrite. You live this whole rebellious artistic life to say a giant fuck you to your father, but you won’t cut ties with him for the most meaningful reason.”

Noah looks away. “You don’t understand. It’s not your father. He’s your stepfather.”

“He’s raised me for half of my life, you don’t think I felt pressure from him to be a perfect son? Especially because you weren’t perfect to him.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m going to tell him I’m gay. If I tell him, he’ll cast me out too, and then what? What purpose does that serve?”

“You can be happy,” I say, frustrated.

“I need a drink.” Noah walks out the room, and I punch the wall.

“Fucking dickhead,” I mutter, shaking my hand that is now sore.

Richard knocks on the door, and I look at him. “He’s gone out.”

“He’s mad you’re gay?” Richard asks.

“No, he’s mad that he has to cater to my stepfather for the rest of his life because he hasn’t got the courage to tell him off.”

Richard nods. “Cutting ties with parents can be hard.”

“Or it can be liberating,” I say. “I was upset at first, but now... now I just feel like I should’ve done it sooner. That I’ve wasted a part of my life pretending to be someone I’m not.”

Richard smiles. “Well, you don’t need to do that anymore.”

“No, I don’t,” I say.