Phoenix Rising: The Veiðimenn Mob, Book Two

Fourteen

Staring at himself in the bathroom mirror, Jaxon tried to center himself the way he'd been taught since he was nothing more than a scrawny seven-year-old. Over and over, he could see the way his father would look at him in his mind, like a video someone had put on repeat. He could see the disappointment shining in David’s hazel blue gaze, the dark emotions swirling as he digested the confession.

The protective stance that the man had over his adopted son was clear to anyone who knew him, but would he be able to continue after Jax proclaimed his darkest secret?

He certainly hoped so. There was a certain level of fear that came with telling your parents you were gay. An angry scowl twisted his reflection as he replayed the words again and again. Taking his friends' advice was a piece of cake, but actually getting the task done was another matter altogether. He wasn't sure if he was going to be able to go through with it, wanting nothing more than to remain hidden in the proverbial closet as so many had done in the past.

Jaxon knew that he had to, and he knew that his friends had his back, but he felt like he'd swallowed something vile. The medicine Ambrosia gave them when they were sick tasted better than the bile that left a bitter, acidic tang in his mouth. He turned on the faucet to hide the sound as another round of nausea hit, leaning over the toilet as he emptied his stomach once again.

Someone knocked on the door, dragging his attention from his dark thoughts and back to the issue at hand. He knew that knock he realized as he brushed his teeth and washed his face. Opening the door, he looked at his older sister. "Hey."

"What took you so long, kiddo?" She asked as she moved past him to grab the silver hairbrush from the container on the counter. Noting the pastiness of his skin and the way he seemed to be struggling with something, she asked, "Are you okay?"

He shook his head, "It's my anxiety acting up again. I got it under control, sis."

"Have you thought about what you're going to do? About Dad, I mean?" She asked as she ran the brush through her shoulder-length brown waves. "It's better if it comes from you, Jaxon. I know that it's stressful, but you're still my little brother. No matter what anyone else thinks, I still love you – quirks and all. If Daddy gives you flack, tell Auntie Amber, and she'll kick his ass."

Laughing despite himself, Jaxon leaned against the wall and sighed. "It's been on my mind for a while now, I just don't want to get disowned or anything. I mean, the reaction to Mark’s news was enough. His dad was pretty accepting of it, but our dad kind of scares me more than Trace ever will."

"That's because Trace is a dunce, namdongsaeng. There's no other way to describe him," Skylar giggled. Suddenly, her brush caught on a knot hidden in her hair. "Ow, oh damn."

Taking his hands from his jean pockets, Jaxon gently helped her untangle the brush from her hair. "Here, let me get it for you. Hand me that little bottle of Argan oil, would you?"

"What for?" Sky eyed the bottle suspiciously. Her thoughts going back to the first time he and Lukas tried to play hairdresser.

He scowled, "Can you just trust me?"

She laughed, handing him the container of golden liquid, "The last time you said that my hair got set on fire."

"I said I was sorry, what more do you want? One experiment goes wrong, and I'm paying for it for the rest of my life." He muttered as he worked the oil into her thick brown hair. "Have you ever thought about getting this mop of yours thinned out?"

She glared at him through the mirror, "Do you have a death wish, baby bro?"

His dark brown eyes widened slightly. Shaking his head, he ran the brush through her hair and listened as she moaned. "Damn, girl, do I need to call Russell?"

"Speaking of, can you cover for me? I don't want Daddy to know I have a date with said man this evening." Sky replied as she took the brush from him and picked up the bottle. "Mind if I use this?"

"Have at it," Jaxon told her with a laugh. "How do you think I keep the tangles out of my hair?"

Shoving him playfully, Sky walked back to her room to change her clothes. As she disappeared behind the closed door, so did his playfulness. He glanced at himself in the mirror, taking a few deep breaths to clear his head.

"Now or never," he told himself. He walked out of the bathroom and into the kitchen where his father was making dinner for them. Sitting at his usual spot at the table, he tried to smile in a way that wouldn’t set off the man’s natural protective instincts. "Hey, Dad."

David turned his head to the sound of his son's defeated voice. Giving him a once over, he set the pot of pasta to the side and turned off the burner. "What's wrong?"

"Noth-"

"Don't feed me that bullshit, Jaxon. I can read people better than Callum and Declan put together. Something's on your mind, now spill." David said as he reached for a couple of bowls. "Don't bother lying for your sister either, Cal already gave me a heads up about training plans for tonight."

Jaxon smirked. His sister was clean out of luck, it seemed. He took a breath as he stared down at the table, his hands trembling on his knees. "Dad, um, are you open-minded about sexuality?"

"Huh? Why would that even come up? Someone catch your eye at school or something?" David questioned as he dished up two bowls of Kraft Dinner and put one in front of his son.

"Something like that," the boy said as he blew on the hot food. "I, uh, actually wanted to talk to you about your stance on the l***q community. I mean, there’s so much hate and stuff toward them, and I… don’t think it’s fair."

The request gave David pause. He stopped halfway to his chair and stared at his son in disbelief. Keeping the concern out of his voice was harder than expected as he sat down across from the almost fifteen-year-old. "Jaxon, what's really on your mind?"

Knowing that his father could see through any lie he tried to tell, the teen broke down. His shoulders sagged as his eyes started to burn with unshed tears. Burying his face in his hands, he tried not to give over to the anxiety that was eating at him. Jumping to his feet, he looked over at his father and said, "I'm gay."

David's jaw dropped. Before he could get anything out, Jaxon bolted to his room and locked the door. He could hear the muffled sobs from the kitchen, and the sound damn near shattered him. He rubbed his heart, feeling the burning ache that struck him hard.

Sky walked into the room and stood against the frame with her hands by her sides.

"He's been going crazy trying to get up the courage to tell you. The team knew, but no one else did." She said.

He looked over at his daughter and sighed, "He's got it in his head that I'm going to be mad, huh?"

"Worse," she replied. "He thinks you're going to disown him."

David paled at the thought. He was there when Sky bee-lined for the tiny seven-year-old that was playing all by himself in a corner. He knew then that the child would be his son. Three weeks later, he completed the adoption process and brought Jaxon home. Now, because the boy had suffered serious trauma as a child, he fought daily with his anxiety.

"I would never do something like that, Skylar. I know that you're going on that training mission with Russell, too. If he tries anything, you kick his ass for me." David said as he wiped his mouth and rose to his feet.

Sky stared at her father like he'd grown another head. She knew her brother wouldn’t rat her out, so someone else had gotten to their father beforehand. Seeing the distinctly concerned look on his face as he put the drying towel down, she scowled. "Dad, what are you going to do? Should I stay home instead?"

"No, Cupcake. You go get your training done, and keep in touch. Remember to keep lines of communication open and report back anything you and Russell might find out there. I need to make things right with Jaxon. Don't worry, honey, everything will be fine," he replied. He kissed her head before heading down the hall to her brother's room.

She smiled, knowing that he would never turn out a child he chose to take in. Her father wasn't that kind of person. Though she’d been scared of him in the beginning, she’d come to love the man without restraint. Unlike her mother, her father kept every promise he made to her, from giving her space to making sure she was well taken care of along with her brother.

Grabbing an apple from the fridge, she made sure she had her apartment key before heading down to the parking garage. Pulling out her phone, she sent a quick text to her friends to let them know what was going on. Her phone buzzed, Kennedy’s name appearing on the screen. “Yeah?”

“Should we be worried?” The red-head asked quietly.

Sky shook her head, “No. I’ll be fine, and Daddy’s going to deal with Jaxon. He’s got a recon mission tonight, too, so can you rally the guys to come keep Jax company?”

Snorting a laugh, Kennedy agreed to the request before hanging up.