“Wake up, asshole!” Eric shouted as he tried pulling the covers off Kayden.

“Five more minutes,” Kayden mumbled, gripping the blanket and yanking it out of Eric’s hands.

“Kayden. Your mom has already been in here six times. She says you have an important guest today.” He ran a hand through his hair and flopped onto the floor, frustrated. Asking nicely didn’t work, as he soon discovered after the fourth attempt. “Get up already.”

Kayden raised his head, yawning. “I wasn’t aware I had an engagement. I was hoping we could do a little bit of baking today since I don’t have anything planned.”

Heat rose to Eric’s cheeks. He dropped Kayden’s gaze. He wasn’t used to people being considerate towards him. “We can do that after.”

“Okay,” Kayden grinned, jumping out of bed. He walked outside to his office without even brushing his hair. It sat in a wild disarray, sticking up at odd angles.

Eric raised his eyebrows as he followed Kayden, both still in their pajamas. “What about your guest? Don’t you have to be dressed fancy to meet them?”

Kayden shrugged. “It probably isn’t important seeing as I didn’t know about it until now. All my employees and contacts know and understand I don’t do last minute meetings unless it’s an emergency.” He glanced at his phone and smiled. “I don’t have any missed calls. It’s not an emergency.”

Eric shook his head, amused. He wished he had that kind of confidence whenever he got in trouble at school. It might’ve made a difference if he wasn’t shaking with injustice every time. Mrs. Laje probably would have believed him if he looked more confident.

He followed Kayden down the stairs and to the kitchen.

Eric nearly screamed with fright when they rounded the doorway and entered.

“KAYDEN! WHAT ON EARTH IS WRONG WITH YOU?” Susan screeched. Her cheeks were flushed and she was rushing around with a lint roller. “YOUR CLOTHES! GO CHANGE INTO A SUIT!”

Kayden rolled his eyes, opting to grab a packet of poptarts. He tossed one to Eric and offered the milk to him once he finished pouring his own glass. “Who is this mysterious guest, Mom?” he asked around a bite, “I don’t have a schedule until—”

“It’s not related to work. Stop eating and put on proper clothes. This meeting could change your life for the better.”

“Mom, who is it? My life is already changed for the better. I doubt—”

“Don’t argue with me, Kayden. Go change. Now.”

Kayden leaned against the kitchen counter, taking his time chewing each bite of his poptart. “I will argue with you because you haven’t told me who’s coming. I don’t do last minute meetings like this. It’s rude and unprofessional. I’ve also told you to stop meddling. I don’t like it.”

“Kayden—”

“Just tell me who it is, Mom. Why are you being so secretive?”

“Why aren’t you listening? I told you to change—”

“Mom—”

“Your guest will be here any—”

“MOM—!”

The doorbell rang.

Eric gasped at the sound, choking on his poptart. “Why did that scare me?”

“Are you okay?” Kayden asked.

“Yeah, I’m fi—”

Susan let out an irritated huff. “Go change into a suit. And you,” she pointed at Eric, “don’t say anything. We need to make a good impression. In fact, why don’t you go up and change into something nice. The both of you look like something the cat dragged in.”

Eric looked at her, shocked at how intense she was acting. It was just a doorbell. He opened his mouth to point this out, and was thankful Kayden beat him to it because what he was about to say wouldn’t have made any sense.

“Mom, you’re refusing to tell me who it is, so I can only assume you’ve gone and done something you know I wouldn’t approve of. Why else would you spring this on me without any warning? And Eric can say whatever he wants. This is his home, too.”

Eric would have put that up to debate had he said the doorbell thought out loud.

Kayden took a drink of milk, waiting for his mom to answer.

The doorbell rang again, causing Eric to jump and Susan to rush to the front door, throwing Kayden a disappointed look as she went.

“Jumpy?”

“A bit,” Eric confessed. “Who knew doorbells were so scary?”

Kayden almost snorted milk up his nose.

“Why didn’t you change? Wouldn’t it be easier instead of arguing?”

“Easier, yes,” Kayden answered, doing his best to recover from his near miss with the milk, “but if I’ve learned anything about my mom in the past eight years, it’s that nothing is as simple as she makes it out to be. Boundaries are important. My work and private life will always remain separate. I’ve no patience for last minute meetings unless it’s family or friends. Whoever has come isn’t family or a friend. It isn’t work related either. She knows I don’t like being put in this type of position.”

“Then why would she do it?”

“Same reason as all the moms in the world. She loves me and wants what she thinks is best.”

Eric didn’t know what to make of the situation. His past experiences taught him it was easier to give in and do what was asked instead of arguing.

Kayden reached out and ruffled his hair. “Relax. The worst that’ll happen to me is getting the silent treatment for a few hours. She’s usually okay talking it out once she’s calmed down.”

Eric ducked away, swallowing his angry retort.

“I’m sorry,” Kayden set his empty glass in the sink, “I won’t do that again. Let me know if I do anything you don’t like. You don’t have to put up with things, Eric. You can say no. I won’t get angry and neither will the rest of the family. We’re used to playing around like this, but if it makes you uncomfortable, you don’t have to put up with it.”

Disbelief stole Eric’s ability to speak. No one had ever told him it was okay to say no, that he didn’t have to endure the way he was treated. His sudden anger subsided. “It’s fine. I don’t mind.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.”

Kayden wanted to say more, but a woman was led into the kitchen by his mom before he could. He should have known better.

The woman was gorgeous. She had beautiful, chocolate brown hair and captivating sea green eyes. Her complexion was clear and she looked to be a few inches shorter than Kayden and much taller than Eric. Expensive, designer clothes draped across her body, highlighting her figure and accentuating her natural beauty. Diamonds glittered from her ears and neck.

“Kayden, this is Shandra, your fiancée.” Susan’s eyes were sparkling.

Kayden arched an eyebrow, setting the last of his poptart down on the counter. “She’s my what?”

“Your fiancée. We talked about this months ago. Don’t you remember? She’s my boss’ daughter.” Susan explained, voice coated in sugar.

Kayden frowned at Shandra, annoyed. He vaguely remembered his mom mentioning someone’s daughter from work. How it turned into him being engaged was a mystery. His impression of the woman soured when he realized she would have had to agree to this arrangement without his knowledge. It took a special kind of person to do something so deceitful. “We never talked about this, Shandra. Despite what my mom may have told you, we will never marry. Besides, I’m not interested in women.”

“I’ve decided to move out.” Kayden continued as if he didn’t just shock Shandra and his mom into silence. “I don’t know why you’ve suddenly changed, Mom, but I’m not the key to your promotion. I don’t appreciate being used. This is my life, not yours. I will decide who I marry, if I marry. Don’t do this again.”

“You can’t do that.” Susan shot back, anger clouding her face. “You can’t move out. Think of me and your father! You can’t leave!”

Eric looked between the two.

This could not be happening.

“I am a successful, upcoming businessman. The only reason I stayed was to enjoy my family’s company. But you seem set on destroying that. I don’t know what made you change. I have no desire to marry a stranger and you can’t force me into anything. You should have come to me first. Think of Shandra and how this affects her. How could you assume I wouldn’t say no? Is your promotion worth so much that you’d pawn off your own son?”

Eric met Shandra’s piercing gaze and shrank closer to Kayden, feeling comforted when Kayden’s arm wrapped around his shoulders.

“It’s not like that! This isn’t for a silly promotion. We talked about this multiple times. I asked you to schedule this meeting in advance three months ago. Kayden, you can’t say no! At least speak to her!”

“Mom, I’m gay. All the speaking in the world won’t change that. You should have considered my feelings before promising me away to a woman I don’t know. We’ve had this same conversation year after year. I don’t like women romantically. I never have.”

“Kayden—”

“No, Mom, stop. This is ridiculous. You’re acting like I never told you my sexually before today. What’s going on? Why do you keep pretending like I haven’t told you and Dad?”

“Listen, dear, I—”

“Let’s go, Eric.”

“ROTH! COME DOWN HERE AND DEAL WITH YOUR SON!”

Eric complied, eager to leave behind this stressful conversation. It was a wonder at how composed Kayden was during the entire thing. If it had been himself versus Mrs. Laje in this situation, he’s not so sure he’d leave until she was good and done with her lecture. Then again, romance wasn’t part of his life, so maybe him and Mrs. Laje would never end up in this predicament.

He was also beginning to realize he wholeheartedly trusted Kayden. Ignoring their childhood friendship was much harder than he thought it’d be.