Behind the Secrets (Behind the Lives #4) (9 page)

“There’s no need to shout, it’s a reasonable
question. After all, you were with Ash not so long ago.”

“The baby’s Dante’s, we didn’t use protection.”

“Did you use protection with Ash?”

“Mum! I can’t talk about this with you,
it’s not right.”

“Of course you can, that’s what mothers
and daughters do in situations like this, and how could you not use protection?
You should’ve known better, Beth. I really can’t believe you would be so
careless.”

Beth grimaced. “When it comes to Dante I
lose all sense. You don’t understand what it’s like to be around him. He’s
totally enthralling, captivating...”

“...and a player.”

“He is not!”

Her mother shook her head. “Unfortunately,
he is, and what is it with you kids and the Ratas? You all have dated at least
one of them.”

“Only Ash and Dante.”

“And Juliet and Sledge.”

“I haven’t dated Sledge, and who went
with Juliet? Corey or Naf?” Beth asked, realising a second later she shouldn’t
have mentioned Naf.

Her mother’s face fell, her lips
beginning to quiver.

“Oh, Mum, I’m sorry,” Beth said, hugging
her. “I’m sure Naf will be back soon,”
at least I pray he will.

“It’s been almost two months and we
haven’t heard a word from him. I’m so scared.”

Beth hugged her tighter. “Me too.”

Her mother pulled away from Beth and
wiped her eyes, in that moment looking as scared as Corey had, their fine
features so similar.

“Trust me, Mum, he’ll be all right,” Beth
added. “He’s pro’bly just blowing off steam over what happened with his
girlfriend.” Her mind went to the bitch who’d broken Naf’s heart. Beth hoped
that Aroha was suffering in prison. Although Aroha had been jailed for
assisting in Ash’s kidnapping, Beth wanted her to suffer even more for using
Naf.

Beth’s mother nodded. “I would know if
my baby was hurt, and he’s not,” she said, looking like she was trying to convince
herself.

“I believe you, and again, he’s just
blowing off steam, and when he gets back you can tell him off and send him to
his room.”

Her mother laughed, giving her eyes a
wipe. “I will.”

“Now,” Beth said, wanting to distract
her mum from Naf’s disappearance. “If you wanna come with me to the doctor’s,
we should leave a bit earlier so we can take Corey to see Sledge. He can stay
there while we’re at my appointment.”

“Good idea.” Her mother pulled a face.
“But please let me tell your father about the pregnancy. I’ll work on him
before he sees you. You know what he’s like, he yells before he thinks.”

“Okay, Mum,” Beth said, relieved.
Although she’d been nervous about telling her mother, she knew her mum would
accept it. Her mother was the type that was more concerned with her kids’
welfare than her own beliefs. But her dad was a hothead, lovely, but still a
hothead.

“Good. Now let’s help Corey out.” Her
mother headed into his room.

Beth followed her, feeling like a weight
had been lifted off her shoulders ... for the meantime, because without a doubt
her father wouldn’t take the news so well, the prospect of him finding out a
thousand times scarier.

Her mother stopped in front of Corey. “We’re
taking you to see Sledge, sweetheart.”

Corey’s face lit up. “Can I stay there
the night?” he said, grabbing his crutches.

“No, baby, Sledge is in a busier ward
now.”

“We can pull the curtains.”

“Corey! You shouldn’t be doing that sort
of thing in a public place.”

Corey’s face fell. “I didn’t mean that,
Mum!”

“Good, because if you got caught doing
the unmentionable in hospital, you’d be in a lot of trouble. Also, I hope
you’re using protection, because I don’t want you catching an STD.”

“Mum! Don’t say that! It’s wrong coming
from you.”

“Don’t be silly, you should be able to talk
to me about anything.”

“I can’t do that, you’re my mum.”

“Which is all the more reason why you
should be able to. If children talked to their parents more they wouldn’t get
themselves into such bad predicaments.”

Corey scowled. “There’s nuthin’ bad
’bout my relationship.”

“Of course not; I was referring to your
brother and sister.”

Beth grimaced, not happy her mother had
mentioned her. “Who’s Corey in a relationship with? Is it Juliet?”

Their mother glanced back with a
surprised expression, then refocused on Corey. “Haven’t you told Beth?”

Looking worried, he shook his head, his hazel
gaze moving to Beth.

“Well, you should,” their mother said. “All
of the Ratas already know, so Beth will find out sooner or later, and in this
case, it’ll be better coming from you.”

“It’s none of her business.”

“
Corey
.”

“No, she’s just like Dad.”

“Why am I like Dad?” Beth asked.

“You’re not very tolerant of
differences, love,” their mother said.

“What are you talkin’ ’bout? Juliet’s
nice.”

“It isn’t Sledge’s sister Corey’s in a
relationship with, it’s—”

“Mum!” Corey yelled. “You promised you
wouldn’t tell her.”

“I was just going to say
someone else
,
and I really think you should tell Beth. If anything, she should know already.
I guessed years ago, it was pretty obvious.”

“Why was it obvious?”

“The way you looked at—”

“Don’t say it! And I’m still not telling
her, so quit bugging me.”

“Watch your tone, son! I don’t
appreciate it.”

Corey shrank a little. “Sorry, but I
still can’t tell her.”

Their mother sighed. “We’ll discuss it later,
then.”

“No,” Beth cut in. “I wanna know what’s
happening now.”

“It’s none of your biz,” Corey snapped.

Beth crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m
pregnant with Dante’s baby, so whatever you hafta say can’t top that.”

Corey’s eyes widened. “You serious?”

“Yes.”

“Wow!”

“Now, tell me your secret.”

Corey shook his head. “You won’t like
it.”

“I’m not liking bein’ left in the dark
either, so spit it out or I’ll ask Sledge if he knows what you’re hiding.”

Corey grimaced. “I’m gay and Sledge is
my boyfriend. Now, top that.”

She stared at him for a moment, then
burst out laughing. “This is a joke, isn’t it?”

Using the crutches, Corey pushed to his
feet. “My relationship with Sledge is
not
a joke.”

“No, sweetheart,” their mother said, “I
don’t think she meant it like that.”

Corey’s face started turning red. “No,
she did, and she shouldn’t be making fun of my relationship when hers is the
real joke. She’s pregnant to a guy that fucks anything and everything.”

“Dante does not!” Beth snapped.

“Oh, yes, he does, I’ve seen him fucking
Kara.”

“Corey!” their mother gasped.

“And he wuzn’t wearing a condom, so
she’s pro’bly pregnant too.”

Beth covered her mouth, horrified by his
words, the thought that Kara could be pregnant never crossing her mind, and if
the woman was, she could lose Dante to her.

“Corey, that was cruel,” their mother said.

“But it’s true, and at least Sledge is
faithful to me. And it’s unfair that I can’t hug and kiss him without people
staring at us like we’re a freak show, but Beth can do whatever the hell she
likes with a guy who can’t keep his dick in his pants.”

“Corey, you better stop now,” their
mother growled, “or I won’t take you to see Sledge.”

He went to open his mouth, then clamped
it shut, his glare still on Beth. She stared back, what he’d said cutting her,
but instead of yelling, she turned and headed for the door.

Their mother ran after her. “I’m sorry,
Beth. He’s just upset; he didn’t mean to be so cruel.”

Beth continued walking.

Her mother grabbed her arm as she
reached the front door. “Wait, Beth, I want to take you to your appointment.”

Beth pulled her arm free. “I’m not
sharing a car with Corey.”

“Just ignore him and sit up front with
me. I’ll make sure he keeps quiet, or I won’t take him to see Sledge.”

“No! I don’t wanna be anywhere near him!
He has no right to insult my relationship when his is so wrong.”

Her mother frowned. “His relationship
with Sledge isn’t wrong.”

“How can you say that? It’s a sin.”

“Stop talking rubbish, Beth. Sledge is a
lovely boy, and if he makes Corey happy, I’m happy. Just like if Dante makes
you happy, I will be happy too, no matter what my misgivings are.”

“Corey still can’t date a guy, and
Sledge can’t be gay, I’ve seen him with girls.”

“Sledge is bisexual, and he loves your
brother very much, so stop this now. I’ve had enough of your father going on
about it.”

Beth’s eyebrows shot up. “He already
knows?”

“Not about Sledge. He only knows that
Corey’s gay. It’s why Corey left a few months back.”

“Why didn’t anyone tell me?!” Beth
yelled, jabbing at her own chest.

“Corey didn’t want to after your father
blew up.”

“So, everyone lied to me, kept me in the
dark?”

“It wasn’t my decision to make.”

Beth looked at the passageway door as
Corey hobbled out on his crutches. Images of Corey and Sledge kissing popped
into her head, not something she’d ever seen or ever wanted to, but she thought
in pictures, and right now she wanted to throw the picture at Corey. “You’re disgusting,”
she spat.

Corey’s face darkened. “Am not!”

“The church says what you do is wrong.”

“No,
they’re
wrong.”

She turned for the door, not interested
in talking with him. She’d always thought he was sweet, that he was the good
one out of her brothers, but she’d been wrong.

“Beth, wait,” their mother said. “I want
to take you to the hospital.”

She spun around. “No, take Corey to see
his
boyfriend
, so he can sin with him.”

“Beth! Stop being a hypocrite.”

“I can get married before the baby is
born, but he can’t get married to Sledge or have babies with him.”

“No kidding, you stupid bitch!” Corey
yelled. “Two dicks don’t make a baby, only a stupid cunt who fucks man-whores
with a condom allergy.”

“Corey!” their mother yelled. “I can’t
believe you just said that!”

Corey’s face fell. “I’m sorry, Mum, I
didn’t meana say it, she just makes me so angry. I’m so sorry.”

“I’m not stupid!” Beth snapped. “You’re
the stupid one who sins with a guy. You should be with Juliet, not Sledge,”
Beth said, referring to Sledge’s twin sister.

“I like the D, okay? And even if I went
with a chick, it’s not like I could get them pregnant. I’m sterile cos of my
cancer treatment.”

“You can still have babies,” their
mother said. “Remember we got your sperm frozen.”

“Mum!” Corey yelled. “Don’t say that,
it’s not right.”

Beth shook her head. “No,
you’re
not right.”

He screwed up his face. “Piss off then,
cos I don’t wanna see you if you think I’m a freak.”

“No,” their mum said, now looking
panicked. “He doesn’t mean that.”

“Yes, he does,” Beth replied. “And right
now, I don’t wanna see him either. I almost sacrificed myself for him, all cos
I thought Ant would hurt him, but he pro’bly would’ve liked what Ant wanted.
Ant did say Corey got hard when he touched him. Now I know he’s gay, I realise
Ant wuzn’t lying.”

Corey’s face dropped. “I
hate
you.” He turned and disappeared into the passage.

“Beth!” their mother yelled. “That was a
horrid thing to say. That man tormented and hurt your brother, yet you defend
him
not Corey?”

“I didn’t defend him; I’m just sayin’ that
Corey obviously isn’t tellin’ the whole truth.”

 Her mother’s face hardened. “If you
weren’t my daughter, I would slap you.”

“So ... you would slap me, but not him?
He lied ’bout what happened with that horrible man.”

“He didn’t lie, that man tried to force
him.”

“He’s gay.”

“That doesn’t make one iota of a
difference, and I didn’t take you for a stupid girl, Beth, but right now what you’re
saying is beyond stupid. I’m very disappointed in you; I brought you up better
than this.”

“He’s the gay one.”

“I’d rather have a gay son than a
bigoted daughter!”