gives you the right to analyze me!” he burst out. “I’m no more angry or bitter than the average person. I have nothing to be angry or bitter about!”
“Then why are you yelling?” he asked softly.
Eli’s tone and his question caught Will up short, and he found that he didn’t have a good answer for him. “Because I’m angry at your condescending attitude. You don’t know anything about me,” he said, calmly as he could.
“Your parents left you nothing except seven acres at Whitefish Point. They gave everything to your sister,” he stated. “If it were me, I would be angry and bitter.” He stepped closer and took one of Will’s hands. “Katrina received over one million dollars in cash and assets, most of which have been squandered over the past two years. How does that make you feel?”
“Shortchanged,” Will stated calmly. “Katrina has been needy her entire life, there was never any time for me. The will was the final blow. I didn’t want their money or their property,” he clarified. “At this point in my life, I really don’t care anymore about any of it.”
“You wanted to be noticed,” Eli stated softly and too knowingly.
William stared at him for a moment, wondering how he could be so accurate. How does he know what I felt? “Yes, I did, but it is too late for that now,” Will responded as his eyes searched Eli’s for the understanding that was in his words.
“Parents sometimes put too much responsibility on a child. They believe the child is capable and therefore don’t worry about them as much as they probably should. They saw Katrina as a screwup and someone who would need to be taken care of for the rest of her life. You, on the other hand, showed independence, common sense, and ambition. They didn’t need to worry about you. That doesn’t mean that they loved you any less.” He gently ran his fingers down the side of Will’s face and under his chin, forcing him to look up at him. “Did you read their will or did you just let the lawyer handle it?”
“I didn’t want to read it. I didn’t want to see what was there.” He swallowed hard but kept eye contact. “I was afraid there might be worse things than just being cut out, things I really didn’t want to know. I took the lawyer’s interpretation and let it go at that. I didn’t want to see the same contempt in the will that I did in their eyes when I came out,” Will stated sadly.
Eli stared at him for a long while then stated clearly, “You need to read it. I believe it would be more healing than harmful.” He let Will go and walked toward the door.
“I’ll think about it,” Will said flatly.
Will showered and dressed in a white, cotton T-shirt and blue jeans with his old, black Converse tennis shoes on for comfort. He was so glad that he remembered to bring them. They were the shoes he once out-ran a gay-hating jock in high school with. He cherished those shoes for their security and speed.
Mrs. Coleman was pouring him a cup of coffee as he entered and handed it to him before he sat down. Will smiled, appreciating her kindness.
“Thank you,” he said and took a seat at the table.
“You’re welcome.” She returned his smile. “Can I get you something for breakfast?”
Before he could answer her, the kitchen door swung open, and Eli entered, filling the room with his presence. “I’m taking you to breakfast, Will.”
“Why?” Will asked flatly as he took a swallow of the steaming-hot coffee. He shifted his gaze away from Eli and back to Mrs. Coleman in an attempt to ignore the statement.
Eli grabbed the back of Will’s chair and swung him around to face him. “Because I want to show you off.” Eli grinned at Will’s shocked expression. He had instinctively reached and grabbed Eli’s forearms as he was being unceremoniously thrown around. With as little effort as it would take the normal man to adjust his shirt collar, Eli had lifted Will’s chair with him still
“Then why are you yelling?” he asked softly.
Eli’s tone and his question caught Will up short, and he found that he didn’t have a good answer for him. “Because I’m angry at your condescending attitude. You don’t know anything about me,” he said, calmly as he could.
“Your parents left you nothing except seven acres at Whitefish Point. They gave everything to your sister,” he stated. “If it were me, I would be angry and bitter.” He stepped closer and took one of Will’s hands. “Katrina received over one million dollars in cash and assets, most of which have been squandered over the past two years. How does that make you feel?”
“Shortchanged,” Will stated calmly. “Katrina has been needy her entire life, there was never any time for me. The will was the final blow. I didn’t want their money or their property,” he clarified. “At this point in my life, I really don’t care anymore about any of it.”
“You wanted to be noticed,” Eli stated softly and too knowingly.
William stared at him for a moment, wondering how he could be so accurate. How does he know what I felt? “Yes, I did, but it is too late for that now,” Will responded as his eyes searched Eli’s for the understanding that was in his words.
“Parents sometimes put too much responsibility on a child. They believe the child is capable and therefore don’t worry about them as much as they probably should. They saw Katrina as a screwup and someone who would need to be taken care of for the rest of her life. You, on the other hand, showed independence, common sense, and ambition. They didn’t need to worry about you. That doesn’t mean that they loved you any less.” He gently ran his fingers down the side of Will’s face and under his chin, forcing him to look up at him. “Did you read their will or did you just let the lawyer handle it?”
“I didn’t want to read it. I didn’t want to see what was there.” He swallowed hard but kept eye contact. “I was afraid there might be worse things than just being cut out, things I really didn’t want to know. I took the lawyer’s interpretation and let it go at that. I didn’t want to see the same contempt in the will that I did in their eyes when I came out,” Will stated sadly.
Eli stared at him for a long while then stated clearly, “You need to read it. I believe it would be more healing than harmful.” He let Will go and walked toward the door.
“I’ll think about it,” Will said flatly.
Will showered and dressed in a white, cotton T-shirt and blue jeans with his old, black Converse tennis shoes on for comfort. He was so glad that he remembered to bring them. They were the shoes he once out-ran a gay-hating jock in high school with. He cherished those shoes for their security and speed.
Mrs. Coleman was pouring him a cup of coffee as he entered and handed it to him before he sat down. Will smiled, appreciating her kindness.
“Thank you,” he said and took a seat at the table.
“You’re welcome.” She returned his smile. “Can I get you something for breakfast?”
Before he could answer her, the kitchen door swung open, and Eli entered, filling the room with his presence. “I’m taking you to breakfast, Will.”
“Why?” Will asked flatly as he took a swallow of the steaming-hot coffee. He shifted his gaze away from Eli and back to Mrs. Coleman in an attempt to ignore the statement.
Eli grabbed the back of Will’s chair and swung him around to face him. “Because I want to show you off.” Eli grinned at Will’s shocked expression. He had instinctively reached and grabbed Eli’s forearms as he was being unceremoniously thrown around. With as little effort as it would take the normal man to adjust his shirt collar, Eli had lifted Will’s chair with him still
Similar Books
