EPOV

Family occasions had become something of a task rather than anything of actual enjoyment. Being careful with my wording and giving a polite smile when being asked if I had 'found a girl yet'. I knew that they had no reason to rephrase the question but now that I found someone that I was crazy about it was going to be slightly more difficult to hold back. I smoothed my hand over my freshly shaven face as I climbed out of my car heading straight into my parents house. My childhood home was something right out of a storybook. The house stood tall and painted a bright white to match the pastel pink rose bushes which framed the pebbled driveway, I had a grown up in a perfect family which only added to the frustration of telling them my secret. My Father was a pediatrician and my Mother owned a bakery where she specialised in making some of the most grand wedding cakes in the state.

"I'm home" I called through the house hearing the laughter and wild chatter of my family out on the deck with my dads famous boozy pink lemonade in hand. I was instantly wrapped in a bone crushing hug from my mother as she jumped out of her lounger.

"Hi, baby! Look at you all buff" She laughed pulling back to look at me with nothing but warmth in her eyes. In my twenty five years on this earth I was yet to find someone more loving than my Mother. It didn't matter what I had thrown at her in my difficult teen years she never lost the love in her eyes and that was what scared me most. What if when she finally found out that I was going to be spending the rest of my life with another man the sparkle faded away? I knew that the prospect of me not giving her a grandchild would kill her.

"You look great, Mom" I offered her a smile kissing her cheek before going to take a seat beside my brother on the porch swing. "Long time no see, bro" I nodded to Emmett giving his muscular shoulder a punch.

"Tell me about it. We need to get a beer or something next time I'm in the city" Emmett nodded in agreement taking a dainty sip of the bubbly pink liquid which was topped off with a strawberry. My Brother was definitely what you could call a 'man's man', he enjoyed all things masculine from football or gulping down jugs of beer and chasing it with a rare ribeye steak.

"Sounds like a plan.." I agreed running my fingers through my hair seeing Alice eyeing me through her oversized Ray Bans as she chewed the end of her curly straw. My sister was always one to dress for every occasion and I liked to think that my gayness had been absorbed from her. Being the baby brother meant that I had endured hours of having my hair tied up in ribbons while she painted my lips with fuschia lipstick and forced pearls around my neck. She relaxed back on the lounger in pure elegance fixing her flowing floral dress.

"I think this party need cheese. Edward, come help me?" Alice gave me a smile which made it clear that I had no choice. She linked her arm through mine and pulled me through to the large kitchen before taking a seat on the marble island bringing us eye to eye. "I want to talk to you about something because I don't want you to be alone"

"I don't really know what you mean…" I laughed nervously feeling my throat getting dry. She had seen me with Jasper at the bar I just knew it. I turned my attention back to taking out the fancy cheese from the fridge trying to focus on anything but her interrogation. "I see you all the time"

"And that is exactly why I don't understand why you wouldn't tell me" She shrugged watching me as I started to make up the cheese board. "You know that I love you so much. You are my brother"

"It isn't you that I was worried about. What if when I bring him home they all just go crazy? They could hate me, Alice"

"Personally I love that I have a gay brother" She teased quietly hitting my shoulder playfully. "He was so cute too and so stylish"

"Yeah..Alice, please just keep this to yourself for now? I just want some time with him to work out our own relationship before adding anyone else into the mix"

"You have my word" She nodded confidently leaning in kissing my cheek. "I love you so much"

"I love you too, Al" I let out a deep breath letting some of the tension from my body watching her skip back outside. "Hey! You wanted the cheese!"

"Bring it out please. Love you" She sang back with an evil chuckle leaving me to lay out the crackers. I spent the rest of the evening with my family trying my best to leave my phone alone while we played Pictionary and ate our weight in cheese and crackers. I sat back on the couch gulping down the rest of my gin and lemonade watching my siblings rolling around on the carpet as they wrestled like when we were kids. Alice had always felt the need to prove that just because she was the size of a small child she could still kick our asses.

"I'll be right back" I pushed myself up from the cream fabric couch going to jog upstairs to my old bedroom. I yanked my phone out of my pocket quickly making a call to Jasper as I dropped back to lay in the middle of my bed.

"Southern Sex Hotline, how can I make your dreams come true?" He answered in a cocky voice making me chuckle.

"I only have $4 what does that get me?" I put on a gravelly voice trying to stay serious as he made noises in the other end of the phone to indicate he was in deep thought.

"Just a quick fumble and a little dirty talk?" He laughed a little. "How are you? How's the family party?"

"It's good I just wish you were here that's all. I told Alice today…"

"And she didn't chase you with a pitch fork? Astounding" His tone with thick with sarcasm but I knew that he was in a much more difficult position than I was. "Does this mean that we can have lunch or something?"

"Are you really prepared for her questions?" I propped my head up with my arm as I looked out of the window onto the darkness of the street through slightly blurry eyes.

"Listen, my friends bought me this trip when I opened the deli and I haven't had time to use it yet. How about we use it? It's in Miami at this hotel and it is kinda...gay? I think they meant it as a joke but I think we could use some time out"

"It's going to be drag queen central isn't it?" I couldn't help but laugh hearing the defeated tone in his voice.

"Totally. We are going to be finding glitter in our asses for a month" He shot back with a laugh but stopping silent. "Oh my god...I...that totally isn't what I meant"

"Are you going to take me to the beach and take advantage?"

"I meant like sand! I am mortified right now...text me your answer please. I'm just going to go drown myself in a bucket of Pinot"

"I cant wait to find glitter in my ass and dance to Cher with you" I almost purred with a smirk before hanging up the phone seeing Emmett standing in the doorway. I whipped around with wide eyes dropping my phone on the floor. "...you are like a phantom"

"Who the hell was that?" Emmett asked with a wrinkled nose leaning against the door frame folding his arms over his chest making his muscles almost burst out of his sleeves. "That was the weirdest thing I have ever heard in my life"

I opened my mouth to just blurt out the truth to my big brother. Why the hell should I hide who I really was? What difference would it make to him if I spent my days with another guy? I pushed myself up off the bed clearing my throat as I cracked my knuckles as a nervous habit. "Oh just some girl I met while I was out...she's into the dirty shit" I nodded putting on my most masculine voice as I stepped around my bear of a brother to escape the bedroom.

"...you let her do stuff to your ass?" He questioned following me down the hallway so closely that I could almost feel his breath on the back of my neck. On any other occasion it would be nice having another man so close but this time I felt like a zebra being stalked by a hungry lion. "Ugh, I could never let anyone touch my butt" He shuddered following me down the stairs to the kitchen.

"Oh yeah it's pretty terrible" I said blankly grabbing a beer from the fridge. "I don't know how gay guys do it…" I eyed him carefully waiting for any kind of reaction to show on his face.

"They deserve an award because I couldn't do it" He let out his booming laugh taking the beer heading into the living room. I rested back against the counter watching him disappear through the door before I took my phone from my pocket.

"Let's do it xx"-E

"Cher, baby! Xx'-J

"Edward, honey. Could you bring the whipped cream?" My Mom called from the couch as she set up another game.

"I'll be right there"

The cat is out of the bag...kinda! I hope you are still enjoying and I just wanted to thank you all for reading and reviewing :) Lauren xx