BR - In the Open Part 1

Outing someone for any reason is objectively wrong. You rationalize doing it in this case because if you were in exactly Beth’s position, you would want her to tell you what she had seen. It still doesn’t feel great, but you’ve made up your mind.

“Babe,” you murmur. “I have to tell you something.”

“You touch yourself and think about Ingrid from Blue Team. I know,” she murmurs back.

You pinch her.

“Ow!”

“Listen. Be serious for a second. I was just in your house.”

“Yes.”

“Your mom was there.”

“Yes.”

“She wasn’t alone.”

Beth sits bolt upright, knocking you aside. For fuck’s sake. You sit up as well. You don’t bother with the lamp; you just look at her in the dark.

“What was he like?” Beth asks, eyes wide.

“It was Edna.”

“What?”

You decide to skip a few steps and grab her shoulders.

“I’m not fucking around,” you tell her, looking her in the face. “It was Edna.”

She searches your face. She blinks several times.

“The same Edna that wanted to shag you while I watched,” she replies.

“She didn’t want to do that. She wanted to bait us into being here so she could get a night with your mom,” you say.

“No.”

“Yes.”

Seconds go by.

“I’m going over there,” she says, throwing the covers off.

“No!” You tackle her to the bed. “Let her be.”

“What? You’re mad. That’s my mum. That witch can’t have her.”

“OK, you’re still drunk. You need to make the connection here. Your mom might be in the closet, but she’ll be OK with us. Maybe Edna’s already told her. Maybe she already knows. We don’t have to be weird about it,” you tell her, holding her down.

She stares up at you.

“You don’t know my mum,” she says.

“What?”

“She wants grandchildren, Riley.”

She’s mentioned that before, but maybe you misunderstood. You thought this was a morality thing. A gay thing. No?

Beth sits back up. She’s naked. You’re in your underwear. You both sit cross-legged on Edna’s bed in the dark, like kids at a slumber party.

“Believe, babe,” she says.

“I believe you,” you reply, frowning. Then you shrug. “I wasn’t thinking about that. I mean, we haven’t been together that long, Beth. I love you. I would love to have kids with you.”

Beth cringes. “Some random bloke’s wank, though? You don’t know my mum, Riley. Maybe if it was Henry Cavill’s wank.”

You laugh. “Well, no. Um. Did we never talk about this? I guess we wouldn’t…” Embarrassed, you blush and scratch your nose with a fingertip. “Beth, I, uh… I don’t mind, um, impregnating you myself.”

“You wot?” Her expression turns strange and she tilts her head. “I thought you couldn’t do that.” She glances downward in panic.

“No,” you say quickly, throwing out your hand. “I can’t. But I can if I have an operation. It’s a thing.”

Her eyes are not glued to the bulge in your underwear.

“Oh,” she says. You aren’t sure you like the sound of that.