Surprise! Early Update!

Aiden stood next to the giant window, a steaming cup of coffee in his grasp. He watched out over the city. He had to fight the feeling in his gut that reminded him that he was afraid of heights. He had his phone balanced between his ear and shoulder. "I'm not kidding you," he whispered into the phone.

"I can't believe that he's a Fletcher!" Chase replied. Chase's voice was filled with shock. "A Fletcher is dating my best friend."

Aiden placed his coffee down on the bookshelf that was pushed up against the wall. He held the phone to his ear. "I can't believe it either."

"What were they like?" Chase asked. Chase seemed to think about his question. "They can't be that great if Oliver doesn't really associate with them."

"They are....interesting." Aiden really wasn't sure what to think of Oliver' family.

"What does that mean?"

"They seem like nice people, mostly. They have a lot of issues, though."

"On screen they look so put together, don't they?"

Aiden nodded into the phone. "You wouldn't believe how much of an act that is."

"I'm guessing that the dinner didn't go well?"

Aiden sat on the edge of the couch, still facing the window. He watched the sun rising over the edges of the buildings. "Oliver's brother was passive aggressive and his father picked fights with him every two seconds but his mother was nice. Eden was lovely. Surprisingly, Rosie was very quiet."

"I feel so sorry for Oliver," Chase said.

Aiden glanced at the hallway. He knew that Oliver was fast asleep in the bedroom. "Me too."

"No wonder he hides his family from everyone," Chase muttered. "Were they nice to you, at least?"

Aiden thought about that. Adelaide seemed to like him, but Orson and Pierce, not so much. "They were nice enough. I think Orson has a problem with me, though."

"What did you do?"

"I don't know if it's a question of what I did, more a question of who I am."

"Who you are?"

"A man."

Chase sighed. "I didn't even think about that. You don't think his family is..." Chase struggled to say the word, "homophobic?"

Aiden didn't want to admit it. "Everyone but Orson seemed fine with me being there. His father seemed to look at us funny when we touched."

"Did Oliver notice?"

Aiden remembered the way Oliver withdrew his arm after a scowl from his father. "He noticed."

"No wonder he hasn't seen them in years. Do you think that you'll see them much the rest of the trip?"

Aiden sighed. "We don't really have a choice. His mother has planned breakfast this morning and a few other actives over the next few days."

"You don't have to participate," Chase reminded him, "this isn't your family, remember."

Aiden thought the way Oliver squeezed his hand under the table last night. "I need to be here for Oliver. I want to be here for him. If I was with my family right now, I'd need Oliver by my side."

"You're a good boyfriend."

Aiden heard a few noises coming from down the hallway. Oliver must have woken up. "He'd do the same for me, anyway, how's Emerson?"

"She's great. We are going to some fitness class in the park that her friend runs, today."

Aiden smiled. "You two are so perfect for each other."

"Aiden?" Aiden heard Oliver's sleepy voice call out for him.

"Oliver's awake, can I call you tonight?"

"Of course, have fun at breakfast!"

After hanging up, Aiden grabbed his coffee and made his way to the bedroom. He had expected to find Oliver in bed, but the door to the ensuite was open and the shower was running. Aiden lent against the doorframe, coffee in his grasp.

"Yes?" he called out to the person in the shower. Aiden could just make out Oliver's silhouette through the opaque shower door.

"I have to skip breakfast," Oliver called out of him over the noise of the running water. He sounded stressed.

"Why?" Aiden asked.

"My brother just called me, he wants me to come out with he and our father."

Aiden's brows furrowed. "Is that a good idea?"

Oliver turned the water off. "I don't know, honestly, but I have to try and make things work between us all." Oliver stepped out of the shower and tied a towel around his waist.

Aiden suddenly decided that he wanted to lock he and Oliver up in the hotel room all day so he could have Oliver just for himself. He crossed the distance between he and Oliver, trying not to think about how sexy Oliver looked with water running down his skin. "Do you want me to come with you?"

Oliver shook his head. "I think I need to do this alone. Why don't you go to breakfast with my mother?"

Aiden's eyes widened. "Alone?"

Oliver shook his head, water flying around him. "Not just my mother, Eden will be there too. Don't feel pressured though, you don't have to go if that makes you uncomfortable."

It did make Aiden feel a little weird. He hadn't expected to be hanging out with Oliver's family without Oliver by his side. He considered saying no, but he honestly did want to get to know Adelaide a bit better. He would be lying if he said that he didn't wanted Oliver's mother to like him.  "It's fine, I'll go."

"You don't have to, Aid-"

"I want to," Aiden cut in.

Oliver lent down. Aiden copped a face full of water droplets as Oliver kissed him, but he didn't mind. "You'll be fine. My mother really is a lovely person, it's just hard for her sometimes. She loves my father, and he can be quite the handful."

"I can tell. He was really .... hostile last night."

Oliver shrugged. "That's him. He's always been like that."

"Does he have a problem with me?" Aiden asked. He couldn't help the vulnerability in his voice. "Does he have a problem with you dating men?"

"He's not a fan of it," Oliver put simply.

"He's homophobic," Aiden corrected. He wasn't going to act like it was okay. Oliver deserved better.

Oliver shook his head quickly. "No, I wouldn't say that." Oliver was quiet for a moment as he searched for the words. "I just think he's not used to it."

"It's not like this is new for you," Aiden reminded him. "Oh god, you didn't come out to them yesterday, did you?" Aiden felt his heart beat speeding up. "Did they only find ou-"

Oliver placed his hands on Aiden's arms. "No, they've known for a long time. Don't freak out."

"You had me worried there for a second."

Oliver shook his head. "My father met my boyfriends before, but that was before my family knew I was gay and he never knew that we were dating. He just thought we were friends. In the last few years I lived with my parents, I only brought a select few of my boyfriends around the house because of all the trouble I had with keeping friends back then and people using me to get to my family. This is new for my father, he's just got to get used to the idea."

Aiden nodded. He understood why Orson was so weird around him. Yet, he wasn't going to accept newness as an excuse for treating Oliver badly. Aiden wondered if he should just leave it and trust Oliver to handle his father on his own. He was going to, but something deep inside of him needed to protect Oliver. "If he says anything today like he said last night, I want you to call me and I'll come and get you."

Oliver shook his head again. "That won't be necessary."

Aiden looked him straight in the eye. "Your father doesn't have the right to say hurtful things to you, just because he's your father." 

"I know that," Oliver assured him.

Aiden wasn't so sure. He knew that Oliver was willing to stand up for himself, like he had at dinner, but today was different. He didn't have everyone around him. Adelaide wasn't there to silence Orson. Aiden suddenly felt the need to protect his boyfriend. "Oliver, I know what it's like to be bullied by your own family. You deserve so much better than that."

It took Aiden a moment to realise that Oliver was crying. He turned away from him and picked up a second towel. Oliver dried his face. "I need to make things work with my family," was all Oliver said around the towel.

Aiden placed his coffee cup down next to the sink. He crossed the space between them. "Not at the expense of your own sanity."

"I've left them once, I don't want to do it again. I thought this trip might be a new start between us all."

Aiden didn't want to tell him that his family was unlikely to change. Instead he wrapped his arms around Oliver. He didn't care that water ran into his shirt and Oliver's wet skin was pressed against his cheek. Oliver hugged him back just as hard.

When they separated, there was no evidence of tears on Oliver's face or pain in his expression. "I need to get ready," Oliver said. "My brother is probably already waiting for me in the lobby."

Aiden nodded. He didn't say anything. As he left the bathroom, Oliver called out to him, "I'll call you if anything happens."

Aiden wanted to hug Oliver again, but he held back. Instead, he nodded at Oliver and walked out of the room. Aiden hoped that today went well. He knew that he would be spending the entire breakfast worrying about Oliver. He wondered how the breakfast would go. Would Oliver's mother really be nice or was he about to step into the fire?

AUTHORS NOTE: I am really passionate about the message of this chapter. I, myself, have experienced bullying by family members and I want all of you to know that if you are struggling with this, you deserve so much more and never, EVER, believe that their words are true.

I am always here for anyone who needs to talk <3