EMMY and Gage didn't know how to tell their son that the person he was dating might not be sincere. The fact that Reas had confided in them about this relationship spoke volus—he wouldn't have brought it up if it were just a passing fling. That made it even harder for them. They knew how serious he was, and they were afraid of hurting him, but they couldn't shake the feeling that he was being taken advantage of. Finding the right words to warn him without crushing his feelings seed almost impossible.
The two exchanged a glance, silently communicating their shared worries.
Emmy: What do we do?
Gage: We have to tell him. You should start.
Emmy: Why ? You're his father—this is your job.
Gage: But you're better with words. You'll make it easier for him to hear. If I start, I'll probably ss it up and make things worse.
Before they could decide what to do next, Reas suddenly spoke, breaking their quiet tension.
"Please don't do that silent thing where you talk with just your eyes. I can tell you have sothing to say, so just lay it on . I promise, I will listen."
Emmy and Gage froze, exchanging another glance. This ti, there was no ti for silent conversation. Reas was looking at them expectantly, his expression serious but calm, waiting for whatever they had to say.
Gage cleared his throat. But it was Emmy who finally spoke. "Reas... we're just worried about you. About this relationship."
Reas raised an eyebrow. What was there to be worried about? It wasn't like Lauren was anything like the general. So what problem could his parents have with him? He looked at them in confusion, then a sudden thought crossed his mind.
Could it be...? No, that couldn't be it.
Right?
But he needed to be sure. Reas hesitated for a mont before asking, "Are you worried that he's just toying with my feelings because of those rumors about him being a playboy?"
Gage and Emmy almost said "yes" instinctively, but then paused. If Reas was asking so directly, maybe he wasn't being played after all. Would he be this confident if Lauren really were toying with him? Could they have misjudged the situation?
Reas looked at his parents with a helpless expression. If Lauren knew they were thinking this way about him, he'd definitely be upset and might even tear up in frustration.
As his boyfriend, it was his responsibility to clear up this misunderstanding. He couldn't let his parents continue with a bad impression of Lauren, could he?
"Mom, Dad, those are just rumors. They only started because Lauren is overly friendly," Reas said, though he privately wished Lauren would tone that down a bit. "If you asked Aster, he'd tell you those rumors are nonsense. Besides, hasn't Aster already told you how he beca friends with Lauren? Do you really think Aster would be close to him if he were so insatiable playboy?"
Hearing that, Emmy and Gage both paused, realizing, 'That actually makes sense.' But was Lauren Watts really close with Astrid? As they thought back, fragnts of conversations with Astrid ca to mind—stories about the friends he'd made in the capital. And now it clicked: yes, Astrid had definitely ntioned Lauren Watts before.
Both of them felt a wave of awkwardness. In the shock of learning that Reas was dating soone, they had pushed aside what Astrid had told them and imdiately assud the worst. It was just how parents tended to worry about their children, but now that they realized they'd overreacted, it was more than a little embarrassing.
Still, they needed to be certain and clear things up properly.
"Are those rumors really just rumors?" Emmy asked, her voice filled with concern.
Gage also nodded, showing that he shared the sa concern.
Seeing their concern, Reas let out a quiet sigh. "Yes, I'm sure the rumors aren't true. Like I ntioned, Lauren's just overly friendly, and the dia simply misinterpreted his actions. That's how those rumors started."
Emmy frowned. Overly friendly—those words again. If it was just part of Lauren's nature and not sothing he could control, would Reas really be okay with that? Having your partner be so familiar with others could easily lead to jealousy. Would her son be able to handle it?
Gage seed to be thinking the sa thing, because he spoke up, "Are you sure you'll be alright with that? If his friendliness can easily be mistaken for flirting, it's probably more than just casual. Are you certain you won't get overwheld by jealousy?"
Reas knew his father ant well and was only concerned for him, but the words still struck a nerve. Because deep down, he knew his father had a point. Lauren's overly friendly nature was exactly the kind of thing that could easily make him jealous.
He had already been thinking about bringing this up with Lauren, but he knew he couldn't just demand him to change. Aside from the fact that it wouldn't be fair, Lauren's friendliness was part of who he was. Trying to change that would feel like trying to change a core part of him, and Reas didn't want that.
Experience more tales on m v|l e'-
So, he should be the one to adjust.
"I can handle it," he said in response to his father's question. "Besides..." He couldn't help but smile, rembering the look on Lauren's face the day he confessed. "Even if he's friendly with others, I'm confident I'm the only one who could make his heart flutter."
Both Emmy and Gage were caught off guard by Reas's confident declaration. Emmy couldn't resist stepping closer to her son and pinching his cheeks.
"Who is this charr, and what did you do to my son?" Emmy said. "Where did you even learn to be a smooth talker like that?"
Gage cleared his throat. "Ahem. I think we both know where he got it from."
Emmy shot him a look, rolling her eyes. "If I rember correctly, you were pretty rude to when we first t."
"Only at first," Gage replied with a grin. "But I turned on the charm soon enough. Isn't that why you fell for ?"
Reas could only shake his head, watching his parents banter. At least it seed like things with Lauren were finally cleared up.
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