Disclaimer: All characters depicted are 18 or above. This story contains themes of incest and reluctance / dubious consent.
Trigger warning: Suicide
.
.
.
Chapter 3: Free
.
.
.
"There's something I need to tell you," Yahir said. "Can I come in?"
Emmett hesitated for a moment, shocked by the sudden visit. "Yeah, yeah, of course. Come in," he finally said, opening the door to let Yahir in.
"Wow, nice place," Yahir scanned the space as Emmett closed the door.
"Yeah, my Dad got a really good designer to help him," Emmett said as he stood awkwardly at the door, trying to fathom why Yahir could possibly have come.
"So, um," Yahir turned his back to look at Emmett, his eyes serious, but tinged with something that Emmett felt like sadness. "You might wanna sit down for this."
"Okay... you're scaring me, not gonna lie. How did you know where I live anyway? It's been years since we last talked." Emmett said. They both sat down in the living room, Emmett sitting on the sofa and Yahir in a separate armchair across from him.
"I... uh, hired someone to find out," Yahir answered and looked down at the carpet.
"You mean like a PI?" Emmett asked.
"Yeah," Yahir sighed. "But that's not important. I came to tell you what happened. The real reason I broke up with you back then."
Emmett inhaled sharply. He hadn't thought about their breakup for a long time, but now that Yahir was mentioning it, he realized that the way Yahir ended their relationship was weird. Too sudden, he thought.
"So it was back in winter break, right? And one day, I was just walking down the street when your Dad appeared," Yahir said.
"Wait, in San Diego?"
"Yeah. He said he was on a business trip or something, but I think that was a lie. He," Yahir stared into Emmett's eyes, "forced me to break up with you."
"What?" Emmett scrunched his eyebrows. "What are you talking about?"
"I don't get it either, okay? What happened was I got into your Dad's car, and suddenly he told me that I had to break up with you. He even offered me fifty thousand dollars for it. And when I still refused to, he threatened to deport my sister back to Mexico," Yahir said. "Well, she wasn't my sister. She was my niece that my parents helped my aunt smuggle in across the border, but still, your Dad threatened to call ICE on her if I didn't break up with you."
Emmett's jaw was on the floor. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. There was no way this was true, he thought.
"He told me that if I told anyone outside my family about the deal, he'd report her too. But," Yahir sighed, "ICE found out on their own a few weeks ago, and she got deported anyway. So I thought I should come and tell you what happened. So that you know the truth."
"Wh...what?" Emmett said, still confused. "What are you talking about? You're lying. Tell me you're lying."
"I'm not. I swear," Yahir said, looking like he was on the verge of tears. "I just want you to know, Emmett, that all the stuff I said about not loving you anymore and not feeling it anymore was just shit that your Dad told me to say. I did love you, Emmett. I really did. You need to know that."
Emmett couldn't even think of words to say. He convinced himself that Yahir was lying, that Hugh would never do something like that. His father loved him. His father was a good person. He would never go so far as to threaten to ruin a family. He would never strip Emmett of his first love. Would he?
"Emmett, are you... okay?" Yahir asked. Emmett blinked and Yahir's face came into clear view. He found Yahir's eyes, the tender look that he fell in love with, and a weird, ugly feeling took shape in his stomach.
"But... but why would he even do that?" Emmett said. His face felt hot.
"I don't know," Yahir bit his lips. "But I think maybe it was part of his plan to get you to move back to Michigan with him."
"What?"
"That's what he told me. That I'd only have to see you on campus for one more semester because you'd go back to Michigan. And... you did. So I guess maybe he was trying to cut you off, like, emotionally from Wisconsin? I don't know. That's the best I could come up with."
Emmett tried to compose himself, but the ugly feeling in his stomach was getting stronger and stronger, making his blood boil. A part of him, an increasingly large part of him, was starting to believe Yahir. And he hated it.
"You swear? That you're telling the truth?" Emmett looked Yahir dead in the eyes.
"Yes," Yahir nodded. "I swear, Emmett."
"Okay," Emmett said, quietly. "Thanks for telling me, but I think you should go now."
"Oh, uh, okay," Yahir stood up, looking at Emmett with worried eyes, and reluctantly walked away. Emmett sat still as Yahir opened the door.
"It's good to see you again," Yahir turned to look at Emmett and said. "And if you ever need someone to talk to, I, uh, unblocked you on Instagram and stuff. Sorry about that, by the way, I was too scared to even interact with you after... all of that."
Emmett nodded, but he said nothing. His mind was still overflowing with emotions about Hugh. Emotions that combusted into rage after Yahir left.
.
.
.
Emmett sat at the dinner table. He was on his third glass of whiskey, the same kind that Hugh drank the night their relationship changed for good. He needed some liquid courage for what he was about to do. As soon as he heard Hugh's car in the driveway, he chugged the alcohol, feeling it burn. He stared at the front door, and then his father opened it.
"Hey, Dad," Emmett said, nonchalantly.
"What the..." Hugh glared at Emmett and started shouting. "Where the FUCK have you been?"
"Just busy studying," Emmett shrugged, shooting Hugh a defiant look.
"Studying?" Hugh scoffed. "You could have studied at home, for fuck's sake. But you went off to god knows where for four fucking days and didn't tell me shit. Where the FUCK were you?"
"At a hotel nearby."
"What? Why the fuck did you have to go to a hotel? You have this big fucking house I bought you! What the fuck is up with you, Emmett?"
"Geez, Dad, calm down," Emmett smirked. "Got blue balls or something?"
"Very funny, buddy," Hugh said, glowering at Emmett. "I'm gonna need a good fucking explanation from you or I'm going to-"
"To what? Fuck me? What a punishment that would be." Emmett said.
"You-," Hugh walked towards Emmett with hands on his hips. "Listen, buddy. I don't know what game you're playing here. I'm your Dad, and you're gonna tell me why the fuck you disappeared for days without answering any of my calls."
Emmett stood up and faced his father, realizing that he was taller and bigger than Hugh. He wasn't scared.
"Well, if honesty is so important," Emmett folded his arms against his chest, showing off how his biceps bulged against the short sleeves. "Then tell me why you forced Yahir to break up with me."
Hugh's eyes widened. "What?"
"I said, tell me why you threatened to deport Yahir's niece if he didn't break up with me."
"I don't know what you're fucking talking about, buddy," Hugh said. "If I remember correctly, he broke up with you because he didn't feel it anymore."
"This playing dumb thing really doesn't look good on you, Dad," Emmett scoffed. "Yahir told me everything. And don't worry, she got deported anyways so you won't get your chance for payback."
Hugh clenched his jaw. His nostrils flared. "Listen, I don't know what bullshit Yahir told you, but he's fucking lying," he said. "I'm disappointed, Emmett. That you'd believe some guy over your own father. I raised you better than this."
"Wow, you're just a total piece of shit, aren't you?" Emmett said as he pulled out his phone from his pocket and showed it to Hugh. "I'm not dumb. I asked Yahir for evidence and he sent me proof that you transferred money to his family three years ago."
Hugh squinted his eyes at the screen and looked back at Emmett. He couldn't say anything.
"What? Cat got your tongue, Dad?" Emmett said and put the phone away.
"You're right. I did do it," Hugh nodded. "But it was because I love you, Emmett. I didn't want you dating someone with an illegal immigrant in his family. You would've-"
"Oh, shut the FUCK up!" Emmett shouted. At once, he pushed Hugh against the wall and grabbed the collar of his shirt. "Just admit it. You didn't like me being away from you and having a boyfriend so you did everything you could to have me back with you like a little fucking pet."