The shouting grew louder, bouncing off the walls until the living room felt like it was caving in. Mom sobbed into her hands while Jason’s dad paced like a storm contained in human form.
“This is madness!” he roared. “You’ll destroy everything—our reputations, our family, our future. Do you even understand what people will say?”
Jason’s grip on my hand tightened, his jaw set. “I don’t care what they say.”
His father spun on him, fury blazing. “That’s because you’ve never cared about anything but yourself. Always reckless, always defiant. But this—this is a new low.”
Jason’s voice dropped, dangerous and sharp. “No. The lowest thing would be living a lie to make you comfortable. I won’t do it anymore.”
“Jason—” Mom tried to cut in, her voice trembling. “Please, stop this before it goes
