Baited

Chapter 22. The Dinner

The seating arrangement at the table was similar to the week prior. The only difference was we were at Coopers house this time with Jessica and Luke joining us. They had been set to sit between my two brothers, in clear eyesight of both Cooper and I.

With Jessica and Luke in attendance, conversation was plentiful. With Cooper and I not talking, neither of our friends had been by the past week and so our siblings took the time to catch up with them. Talks of the upcoming semester, how the four of us felt about starting at the local community college and other random things took us through dinner up until dessert was served.

This is when Cooper and I left last time but with our friends here, we knew we couldn't bail. After everyone complimented our mothers on the pies they cooked and other pleasantries, the awkward silence from last week's dinner crept in.

"Soooo." my brother James dragged out, cutting through the void.

"I have an announcement." Cooper abruptly spoke up.

It was like something out of a movie. Everyone froze, like they were being held at gunpoint and any sudden movement would result in utter disaster. I noticed our parents glance at one another, concerned in their gaze. I then noticed Jessica gave Cooper an encouraging look.

My heart rate increased and I felt my palms start to sweat. Fear he is going to come out as gay and all hell would break lose consumed my mind. I tried my best to catch his eyes and beg him not to. To just talk to me once more before he did. I would support him. I would. I just needed one more conversation with him to make sure this is what he wanted. If so, I would be his shield from whatever they would throw at him. I just needed to talk to him beforehand. Come up with a game plan, you know?

He swallowed and then sat up straight, commanding the attention of the room. "I-I-I'm." He cleared his throat. "I'm moving out. I found an apartment at the edge of town, near the community college."

I thought I misheard him at first. I dropped the fork in my hand and held my head low, deep in thought. I heard a few of my siblings hesitantly congratulate him and from my peripheral vision, I noticed they would glance at me right after they spoke. Then I felt like all eyes were on me.

I looked up, feeling anger course through my veins. "What?" I deadpanned.

Mama Sophia gently placed her hand on my forward. "Spencer." She spoke softly, trying to comfort me and ease the rage building inside me.

I pulled my arm away from her and stood up, slamming my fists down on the table.

"Spencer!" My father attempted to scold me.

"You knew didn't you!" I turned to look at my father, addressing him. I then turned and looked around the room to see guilt filled faces all around. "You all knew didn't you?" I spat. I felt hot all over, tears held back by the feeling of betrayal. All I felt at the moment was anger

I turned to my Mother. "Mom?" I questioned her. Then I turned to my left. "Mama Sophia?" No one said a word. "WHO KNEW?" I screamed.

My father stood from his chair, irritated. "Spencer! That's enough." He raised his voice. "If you must know. If you feel it will make any difference, yes we knew he was looking but we didn't know he found something. Your siblings knew nothing."

"I did." Robert spoke up. "He took me last night to go over the rental agreement before signing."

"You signed already?" This time I looked at Cooper and addressed him directly.

He looked up at me. A mixture of emotions in his eyes.

"Cooper!" I begged. "Please. What the fuck? How could you not tell me? Is this because-"

"STOP!" Cooper shot up from his chair. "Just shut up. You wanna talk?" He rushed around the table, grabbing me by my arm and dragging me out of the room.

As we left I heard our mothers begin to cry and the rest of the table erupt in chatter. Cooper dragged me through the living room and toward the front door. I pulled my arm out of his tight grip.

"Where are we going? TALK!"

He turned to me and grabbed my wrist this time. "Shut up, Spence. Not here."

***

"Were you about to out me, Bro?" Cooper finally spoke after dragging me out of his house all the way to mine and up to my room.

"You're not really moving out, are you?" I avoided his question and asked my own.

He dropped his head and his body went sluggish. We were both standing in my room, face to face, talking to one another for the first time in a week.

"Yes." He whispered.

The confirmation broke me. With little control over my emotions, I began to shake violently as sobs escaped my lips. The tears began to fall and I didn't care. I had one thought and one thought only, 'he couldn't leave me'.

"No. No. No. No" I was unconsolable and kept repeating myself. "You-y-you can't."

I took a step closer to him and grabbed the collar of his shirt. "Please Coop." I begged. "Pl-please, do-don't da-da-do this. I-I n-n-need you."

"Spencer, please." He spoke calmly, a glossy coating spread across his eyes. He tried to pry my hand off his collar but it just caused me to tighten my grip.

"W-W-Why?" I asked, pleading once more. "Is-Is it because you-you're g-g-gay?" I had to take a break to control my breathing. "I-I accept you. No more g-girl ta-ta-talk. Pa-pa-pleeeaaase. Cooper DON'T!" I was a sobbing screaming mess.

"Spencer, Man. Plea-please." Cooper was losing his composure.

I stopped for a moment, releasing my grip on his collar but only with one hand. I held his shirt tightly with the other and took the opportunity to wipe my tears and any snot with my free one.

"Is it?" I asked when I finished trying to clean myself. "Because of the gay thing?"

"Kind of." He confirmed.

"Then let's go back. We can tell them together. I'll be with you every step of the way." As I spoke the thoughts aloud, I released Cooper and turned to my closet.

I grabbed a bag and absentmindedly started shoving random articles of close in it. "And if they don't accept you, I'm moving out too. I'll come with. Like I said, I support you Coop. Forever!"

A hand gripped my shoulder lightly, snapping me out of my rant and packing. "Spencer, no." Cooper rejected my idea.

I was shocked. I turned to look up at him before I stood from the kneeling position I was in. Meeting his stance, face to face, I whispered a saddened, "But why?"

"I'm not ready to come out to them yet." He looked equally as sad as he spoke. "And it's not just them, Spence." I knew what, or should I say who he was referring to.

I'm not sure what came over me but the thought of him being even further away from me than he had been these last two weeks shook me to my core. I let my body take control and grabbed the collar of his shirt once more, pulling him into me. My lips landed on his with such force, it almost hurt but I didn't care. 

It didn't stop me from trying to deepen the kiss.