Liam’s pov: The struggle

I felt my eyes widen as I looked at my dad, standing right there, his face twisted in rage. My lips were still pressed against Jayden’s, and for a moment, everything froze. What was happening? Why was this happening?

The shock hit me harder than anything else. Dad’s hand shot out, grabbing me by the ear, dragging me away from Jayden with all his strength. “What the heck have you done to me?!” he shouted, his voice rough with anger. “I knew this would happen. I knew it! You were getting too close to him!”

He yanked me into the living room, and before I could even think, he had his belt out, ready to strike. The sting of fear shot through my chest. “How dare you do this? I warned you!” Dad’s voice cracked with fury. “I did my homework on him. I found out his mom is a single mother. They never raise kids right. And look what you’ve become! A gay! And now, you’re trying to teach my son to be gay too?”

His words cut through me, sharp like a knife. I wanted to shout back, to tell him it wasn’t true, that I didn’t choose this. But before I could open my mouth, Jayden’s mom stormed into the room.

“You will not talk about my son like that in my house,” she snapped, her voice full of authority. “If you want to discipline him, do it somewhere else. Don’t bring your hate into my home. And if you want to keep acting like this, don’t even think about it. I’ll make sure the police are called before you can even get a chance.”

Dad stepped back, eyes wide with shock. He was clearly not used to being talked to like that. But before he could say anything else, Jayden bolted from the room.

“Please, don’t do this. Don’t hurt him!” Jayden’s voice trembled with panic. “I don’t know what’s happening, but I can’t stop how I feel. This... this is just who I am!”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. He wasn’t trying to hurt me. But this feeling—it was real. I didn’t want to fight it anymore. I didn’t want to hurt him either.

“Stupid feelings? What do you even mean?” Dad sneered, still gripping me by the arm. “You kissed him! You kissed him! Do you even know what that is?”

Jayden’s mom was still there, glaring at my dad. “Don’t you dare. My son won’t be your punching bag. You want to punish him for being who he is, go ahead. But you will not do that here.”

Dad glared at her for a moment, then turned to me. His grip tightened around my arm as he shoved me toward the door. “Let’s go. You’re getting in the car. I’m taking you out of here.”

I tried to break free, to move, to do something. But it was useless. Dad was too strong. I didn’t have a chance to say anything to Jayden, didn’t have a chance to explain. He was already shouting for me, calling out my name.

“Liam! Liam, wait!” Jayden was running after us. I could hear his voice behind me, but I couldn’t turn around. I couldn’t stop. The car was already starting to roll down the street. Jayden was still running, faster now, trying to catch up, but he wasn’t fast enough.

“Please, stop! This is dangerous!” I yelled back, but I didn’t think he heard me. I was helpless, trapped in my dad’s grip as the car sped away.

The whole time, I couldn’t stop thinking about Jayden. I could feel the tug in my chest. The kiss was still fresh on my lips. But how could this happen? How could I let it happen? Why did everything feel so wrong, yet so right at the same time?

We finally pulled up to our house. Dad didn’t waste any time. He yanked me out of the car and shoved me inside, pushing me toward the room where he usually dealt out his “punishments.” My heart was pounding. I wanted to run, to escape, but there was no way out. My feet felt heavy as I was dragged across the floor.

But then, something happened.

The door burst open, and there was Jayden. His face was red with determination, his eyes fierce with something I couldn’t read. He was standing in front of my father, blocking the door.

“How—how are you doing this?” I whispered, stunned. Jayden wasn’t strong enough to fight my father. How was he standing there, holding the door shut?

“I won’t let him hurt you,” Jayden said, his voice unwavering. His hands gripped the door tighter, and I saw the muscles in his arms tense.

Dad’s face twisted in disbelief. “Move out of the way, kid. I’m going to teach my son a lesson. You’re not stopping me.”

But Jayden didn’t budge. He held the door with everything he had, his body tense, every muscle straining. “I’m not moving. You’re not hurting him.”

Dad let out a growl of frustration, his hands grabbing the door handle, trying to force it open. The struggle between them was fierce. I watched in awe as Jayden, who seemed so fragile before, now stood tall, his strength unshakable.

How could this be happening? My mind was spinning. How was Jayden able to stand up to my father like this? It didn’t make sense. He wasn’t just a regular guy. He couldn’t be.

I looked at Jayden, and for the first time, I saw something in his eyes that made my stomach twist. It wasn’t just determination. There was something more, something... powerful.

And then, just as quickly as it had started, everything stopped. The room fell silent. My heart was racing, my breath shallow. What was going to happen next? How was this going to end?

I didn’t know. But I was scared. But why? 

Was I really turning gay? I couldn't believe it.