Darian and I sat in my apartment, passing the joint back and forth. He sighed. "I need this."

"Still pissed at Kenji?"

He sent me a look. "He's been crushing on a girl this whole time."

"Not the whole time."

He took the joint from me. "I don't give a damn. He likes someone else."

"But he loves you," I said before grabbing the joint from him. "Give the guy a break."

He frowned. "Whose side are you on?"

"I'm not on anyone's side," I said. "I'm being objective."

"He kept it from me," Darian said. "If it was nothing, why wouldn't he tell me?"

"Because you may have reacted like this." Darian finished the last of the joint. "He told you now."

"After I confessed about me and you."

"Are you pissed that he slept with her or that he has feelings for her?" I asked.

"Both," he answered, "but I have no right to be pissed he fucked her. We had sex."

"How do you even know he still likes her?"

"Feelings don't just go away."

"He loves you," I said. "He's not leaving you. You're the one he wants to marry. Isn't that enough?"

"What if we get married, and he leaves me for a girl?"

I perked a brow. "Are you pissed that he likes someone else? Or are you pissed that he likes a girl?"

He didn't speak at first. "Both," he said. "There are things a girl can give him that I can't. They can have kids together. Society approves. His life will be easier."

"But he's choosing to be with you."

"At least if he was gay, I'll know that there's no chance of him leaving me for a girl. But he likes both. He'll be better off with a girl."

"I'm sure people who go both ways follow their heart, not what society approves of."

"Most bi people end up with someone of the opposite sex."

"Probably because it's easier to find someone of the opposite sex," I said. "Not because they want approval."

"It's hard to not feel insecure sometimes," he said, "so it hurts that he likes a girl. I don't want him to like anyone, but I'll rather him like a guy. So, I wouldn't feel so inadequate to Jessica."

"Dude." I clasped a hand on his shoulder. "You're not inadequate. I know that. Your friends and family know that. Kenji knows that." He smiled. "There's nothing to be insecure about."

"I'm still pissed," he said.

"Just don't let it ruin your engagement."

"I'm still not moving back in."

"Darian."

"I'm going to stay with Gavin and Aaron for a little longer," he said. "If we're going to make up, he has to come to me."

"What if he doesn't?"

He shrugged. "I don't know."

He would. Kenji would not give up like that. He loved Darian too much to let their engagement end like this.

I rolled another joint, knowing we both needed more. I was meeting up with my father today. It was nerve-wracking as hell, but I had to do it.

After Darian left, I made it to my parents' house and into my father's office. He grinned. "Beta." He pulled me into a hug, his smile intact. "What brings you here?"

I placed my hands into my pocket. "I don't want to work at Appeto."

His face fell. After talking to Gabriel, I realized he was right. I had to take back some autonomy. I couldn't do a job I hated for the rest of my life. I deserved to be happy.

My father frowned. "Where's this coming from?"

"I never wanted to work at Appeto," I said. "That's your dream, not mine."

"You're going to be in charge one day," he said. "Everything is set. Do you know how many people want this?"

"Then give it to Nila," I told him.

He rubbed his forehead. "Gyan."

"She wants it," I said. "She's been working there longer. She knows the job better than me. She's the eldest child. It's her rightful place."

"You're all entitled and ungrateful," my father snarled. "I give you everything, and you're still not happy."

"Working at Appeto doesn't make me happy," I said. "You're forcing all of this on me, but I don't want it. I don't want to marry Anushka." He narrowed his eyes. "I don't want to work at Appeto."

"What are you going to do then?" he said. "Do you even have a plan?"

"I'll figure it out."

"You're twenty-six," he said. "You don't have time to start all over, especially when you have all these prospects waiting at your beck and call."

"I don't want this," I said. "Any of it."

He shook his head. "Like I said, ungrateful."

"I appreciate everything you've done for me, Papa," I said. "I really do, but just because you think something is best for me doesn't mean it is."

"It's not going to be the same," he said. "Working for your family's company is different from working for people you don't know."

I wasn't sure about that. People at Appeto were cutthroat.

"Let me do this."

He watched me for a second. "No." I ran a hand through my hair. "I'm not going to let my only son become a useless person."

"Why don't you think I can succeed outside of Appeto?"

"You're not going to be in charge anywhere else."

"You don't know that," I said. "I could become a CEO somewhere else."

"Be the CEO at Appeto," he said. "Why would you leave the comfort of our family's business for something you don't have a plan for?"

"I've been wanting to do this for a while."

"No," he repeated. "I'm not letting you do this." He returned to his chair. "You'll thank me later."

"Papa, please."

"No, Gyan," he said. "If you leave Appeto, I'm cutting you off."

"You're not serious."

"I am," he said. "You'll get the chance to know what it's like in the real world without everything I give you, including a job at Appeto."

He couldn't cut me off. If I left Appeto, it would take some time to find a new job. I couldn't be jobless and money-less for weeks to months. I refused to depend on Gabriel's income to support us.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked.

"I'm looking out for you."

We watched each other for a couple seconds before I turned around and walked off, done with the conversation. "Fuck," I said once I entered the Sequoia.

He thought we were ungrateful, but he didn't know how much he was affecting our lives. How unhappy he made us. I couldn't deal with being cut off, too, especially with Arush still in the picture. I had to be very careful, making sure no one saw me or suspected anything. I was just scared that not paying the taxes would build up enough to get the IRS involved. But my family couldn't know I was gay either. I groaned as I leaned back in the seat. This was so fucked up.

Then Nila called me. "Hey," I answered.

"Hey," she greeted. "Is everything okay?"

"I just told Papa that I don't want to work at Appeto." She went silent. "It didn't go so well."

"I bet," she said. "He was probably pissed."

"He called us ungrateful."

"He tries his best," she said. "He doesn't go about it the right way, but he tries."

"I don't want to do this."

"We don't want to do a lot of things."

"It's our life."

"He's our dad," she said. "He thinks he's helping us. Doing what's best."

I scoffed. "I don't want his help."

Yet, here I was, afraid to be cut off. I never realized how much I depended on my father. I guess we all did.

"How are you?" I moved the attention to her. "Everything been good?"

"Okay," she replied. "Other than Ishaan. He's been spending a lot of time away. Me and the kids don't see him much."

Son of a bitch.

"Where is he now?"

"I don't know," she said. "Maybe a pizzeria? He likes those."

       Angel's Pizzeria.

"I'll talk to you later."

"Gyan, what are you going to do?" The panic was clear in her voice.

"Something I should have done a long time ago," I said. "Bye."

"Gyan—"

I hung up and headed to the pizzeria. I was so pissed that I sped the whole way there. I just hoped I wouldn't get pulled over. That was the last thing I needed on top of everything else. When I reached my destination, I spotted him instantly.

With the same Indian woman I saw him with before.

Anger boiled in me. I marched over to him, and he could barely see me before I lifted him by his collar.

"Hey—"

He didn't finished his sentence before my fist collided with his jaw. Ishaan fell back as the woman screamed.

"You good for nothing bastard," I said. "That's for Nila."

The woman knelt by his side as Ishaan cupped his jaw. That was all I needed to turn around and walk away. I got in the Sequoia and drove off fast before anyone called the cops. I chuckled as I made it home. A little of the tension and stress went away. It felt good.

If only I could do the same to Arush.

When I made it to the apartment, I pulled Gabriel into a hug. He snickered before we pulled away. "What's that for?"

"I'll do it eventually," I told him. "I'll call off the wedding. I'll quit Appeto. I just need a plan."

He nodded.

My father was right about that. It was time I took initiative. I needed to be proactive. I told him everything I wanted him to know. Now, I just had to go through with what was best for me.

Gabriel hugged me again. "I know you will."

My father wasn't going to control my life anymore.

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* What do you guys think? Gyan confronting his dad? Darian pissed at Kenji?