The Bad Boy's Dirty Little Secret BL Chapter 74: Cat’s Out of the Bag

Kai’s P.O.V

Night patted Kia’s back. “You were very brave tonight,” he spoke softly, his voice like a cooling balm to the soul. “It takes a lot of courage to break away from such toxicity, and you did just that. I really admire your strength.”

“Thank you, Night.” Kia’s expression softened and I watched her reach out to give him a hug. “You and Kai helped me so much. I don’t even know how to repay you for this.”

“You don’t have to,” Night offered a smile, patting her back comfortingly. “You did a good job fixing me up too. Thank you.”

Seeing him interact with my sister brought out this feeling in my gut that I couldn’t really explain. I felt grateful for Night’s empathy. This whole scenario had been so full of anger and charged with tension, that Night’s gentle affirmation was like a burst of cool wind in the fiery depths of hell.

Even after the house became quieter, I could still feel the tension between my parents and me. Of course, I was thankful that my father had finally seen reason and stood up for his daughter against her abuser. No matter how much I hated him, even I could admit that it was a monumental move on his part.

But it was still a small step compared to how much I had suffered because of this stupid family. In other words, it wasn’t enough to make me see him in a different light—I still couldn’t see eye-to-eye with him.

I turned to Night and took his hand. “We should go,” I said, and though he pursed his lips disapprovingly, he nodded anyway. I tapped my sister’s shoulder. “Are you coming with us?”

Before she could answer, my father spoke up. “Where are you going?”

I shrugged. “Back to my home; where else?”

It was a small act of defiance, insinuating that this house we shared since my sister and I were born was no longer one that I considered my home. And I was fully prepared for another round of scolding and berating from my parents, telling me how they were the ones who saved my sorry ass from going to jail and that I should be grateful for it. However…what happened next wasn’t something I had been expecting at all.

My father shook his head, taking a step towards me, but this time, his expression was gentle, almost apologetic. “I was wrong about taking Rick’s side first before protecting my daughter. I was wrong about wanting to preserve their engagement first more than keeping her safe. And I am sorry for disappointing you and Kiara all your lives. I admit it, I  was never present during your most important achievements and no amount of excuses could make up for that. But I do want to let you know that I regret not being able to be a part of your lives in that way.”

“Dad…” Kia whispered, her voice trembling with emotions. It was clear that just with that little speech, he had managed to melt her fragile heart.

I tried to tamp down my irritation. If he thought it was that easy to win me over, he needed a reality check. “This one incident won’t make up for your years’ worth of absence. So you stood up for Kia, big deal. Should I give you an award? As if that’s not the bare minimum of your responsibilities as a father.” I scoffed. “I don’t want to hear anymore of this. Let’s go, Night.”

“Kai…” my father tried again, suddenly the epitome of patience. “As a grown adult, I had the courage to admit my mistakes and rectify them. I think you should do the same as my son.”

I turned away from him, pulling on Night’s hand, but he seemed glued on his feet. “Night?”

He did not let go of my hand but looked me in the eye as he gently coaxed me back in. “Kai, I think you have all the right to be angry at your father,” he began. “But I also think you still need to thank him anyway. Both can be true, you know. If your dad hadn’t stepped in, who knows what would have happened?”

He squeezed my hand gently. “You could have ended up in jail for how badly you hurt Rick. They could have accused you of attempting to murder him. You’re always quick to anger, I know that; but look what happened…what could’ve happened if your dad hadn't stepped in. Don’t make the same mistakes that I did, Kai. Please…”

I blinked, his words ringing in my ears. He was right. While it was true that my father’s act of defense in Kia’s name was the bare minimum, it still basically saved our lives. While on the other hand, Night had to walk out of his own house because of his father’s homophobia. I guess that what my father had done for me…it did warrant some gratitude on my side. And saying thank you and sorry never lessened anyone’s value.

With a sigh, I turned to my father whose look of surprise I tried to ignore. “I… I’m sorry for what I did. I let my anger get the best of me when I should’ve been more level headed. From now on, I will do my best to keep my anger in check and avoid acting irrationally.”

Neither of my parents spoke; my mother’s mouth was slightly agape, and my father didn’t seem to be blinking.

“What?” I asked, looking from one parent to another.

My mother recovered first. “I… it’s just…” she sputtered. “You are a very stubborn boy, my son, and this may just be the first time you have openly apologized for doing something wrong.”

“Eh…?” This time, it was my turn to be surprised. Was I really that prideful of a person to warrant such a reaction when I admit my mistake?

“If I had been the one to tell you to apologize, I’m sure that you never would have done it,” she marveled, looking Night up and down, like she was trying to figure out if he had poisoned me or something. “And… my son has had many friends in the past but I think this is the first time I’ve seen someone so willing to risk their life and take a hit for Kai. You…”

An astute observation. My mom truly had the knack of making me nervous. Night sent me a panicked glance, one that I reciprocated. My mother was getting dangerously close to the truth with her keen sense of observation.

However, it wasn’t my mother who asked the million dollar question. It was my father instead. “I agree with you dear,” my father nodded to my mother’s previous observations. “Kai, wouldn’t just give in to any of his friends this easily. Son, what is your real relationship with this young man?”

Well, shit. There it was.

Should I tell him the truth? What should I do?

I once assured Night that when the right time comes, I won’t hesitate to tell my parents about us. But how can I tell if this even was the right time? Was this it? Was this the moment that I had been dreading all this time?

Maybe I should. Maybe there wouldn’t be another chance like this. And no matter the consequences…I knew that I would always have Night by my side…even if my parents chose to give up on me.

It’s now or never.

Even though this was a sudden turn of events, I can no longer deny the truth about myself and hide my relationship with Night from my parents.

So, with a deep breath, I tugged Night toward me until we were standing side by side and laced out fingers together, holding our hands up for my parents to see.

I closed my eyes, squeezing Night’s hand for comfort. “Mom…dad…the truth is that…we aren’t just friends, “ I said shakily. “Night…he’s my boyfriend.”