CHAPTER 269: MICAH’S BLURTED CONFESSION

Micah and Clyde sat in the car, still deep in conversation.

Micah lowered his head. "I helped Darcy... because if I were in his shoes... I’d want someone to help me, too."

Hearing the words, Clyde’s heart trembled. If souls had colour, he thought, Micah’s would be pure white.

With a softened gaze, Clyde reached out and ruffled Micah’s hair roughly. "Do whatever you want," he said with a small sigh. "I’ll take care of everything else. I’ll deal with that doctor."

Micah looked up at him, eyes wide, a bit touched. His expression melted into something gentle. "So, don’t be mad at Darcy. He’s a victim," he said, hoping to shift Clyde’s opinion.

Clyde raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly. "Why are you so worried about him? Why are you defending him like this? You didn’t even think that maybe he had attacked me first?"

"Yeah, right." Micah snorted. "Darcy would never be one to start a fight." He waved a hand dismissively.

"You," Clyde mumbled and reached out in a flash, pinching Micah’s ear.

"Hey! Ow... what was that for?" Micah rubbed his ear, glaring.

"You think I’m the kind of guy who beats up a kid?" Clyde asked, exasperated.

"Well," Micah grinned. "You looked so scary at the hospital. I thought you caught your lover cheating or something."

Clyde froze. "What lover?" he asked flatly. "I don’t have one."

"Oh, so you are a single dog just like me," Micah said, his voice a bit cheerful without him realising.

Clyde shook his head. "Half the time, I’m dealing with your messes. Do you think I have time to date?" he mumbled to himself.

But Micah missed it. He was too busy texting Darcy, telling him not to be angry, because he had given Clyde a beating in his stead.

Of course, he exaggerated a bit. He was not an opponent of Clyde. He knew that if it ever came to a real fight with Clyde, he would lose in seconds. But well... even though he was still a bit annoyed at him for being unfair to Darcy, his heart warmed knowing Clyde cared about him. His gaze flickered to the man sitting beside him, his eyes landed on the big hand resting on the gear. His mind flashed with a scene.

Micah’s ears turned red, and he got out of the car hastily, finding the small space a bit stuffy. He glanced around with a puzzled look, his eyes taking in the lush surroundings, the green expanse of open fields, a trimmed orchard in the distance, and the sunlight catching on a sparkling lake not far off. The place was beautiful, secluded, and far from the usual city noise. "Where is this place?" he asked, slowly turning back to Clyde, who also had followed him out. "Why did you bring me here?"

Clyde shoved his hands casually into his coat pockets as the wind brushed through his hair.

"Oh... this is Du Pont private property," he said, gesturing around them. "There’s a farm, an orchard, some horses, and even a lake if you want to fish. Lin Heye and others suggested bringing you here as a birthday gift. They should be here before noon, too. We’re going to have a barbecue."

Micah’s face brightened like a light had flicked on. "Really?" His voice lifted with excitement. "Will Georgina also come?"

"Yeah. She is. And others too. Most of them you know," Clyde replied.

"Terrific! The more the merrier." Micah said, grinning. He liked Lin Heye and Dylon well enough, but the real cherry on top was Georgina. He was excited to see how she behaved outside of the class. But then he paused, biting his lower lip thoughtfully. "Wait. Would your family be there too?"

Clyde nodded.

Micah shifted on his feet and finally asked. "Do you know Emile Collins? He is my roommate."

A flicker of hesitation crossed Clyde’s face. He had been meaning to have this conversation. He was about to say who he was. Give Micah a small clue that he knew. That he had seen past the surface, seen through the crossdressing. To let him know he had caught on to it. He didn’t want any misunderstanding lingering between them, not when they had come this far. One less secret between them was better.

"Yeah. He is my nephew," Clyde finally said.

Micah’s eyes widened like saucers. "What?" he pointed an accusatory finger at Clyde, mouth falling open. "Wait... you mean Dean Du Pont is also your nephew?"

Clyde’s lips twitched. What was with Micah and his obsession with Dean?

"You know Dean?" Clyde asked, arching a brow. He wanted to find out what the deal was between Micah and his damn nephew.

"Yeah," Micah said quickly. "I saw him at the dormitory, then the banquet..." his voice trailed off, and guilt flashed across his face. He lowered his head and kicked at the stone with his shoe. "Sorry, I didn’t invite you..." he muttered, barely above a whisper.

But then he snapped his head back up, waving his hands frantically in front of him. "Don’t get the wrong idea. It’s not like I forgot you or anything... I just hate those kinda of parties. And the real reason was... well, my family."

"Your family?" Clyde asked through gritted teeth. He really loathed them. Just saying it irritated him.

"Yeah," Micah sighed. "After that online post... the forum one... They saw stuff about you. They teased me nonstop, asking a million questions. I told them you were helping me. But, man, they just wouldn’t stop."

He raised his hands, fingers fluttering like birds. "And I’m telling you they are so noisy. If I had invited you, they would have cornered you, trying to figure out your family tree. You don’t know how intense they are."

Clyde watched him silently, listening.

Micah let out a sigh again. "It would be really embarrassing if you saw that... You know about my WeChat moment, right? The cake photo? Do you know my mum was planning a wedding with my sisters after seeing that? And my relatives, too! They all poked fun at me, asking where my girlfriend or boyfriend was. I was dying inside. I couldn’t even tell my relatives it was Darcy’s in fear that they would label him as my boyfriend. Anyway, in the end, I begged my mum, telling her it was just Darcy, making her tell everyone it was a bet I had lost."

Clyde was silent for a moment. Watching Micah’s expression, he felt both happy and sad. Happy because even though Micah clearly was embarrassed, he was trying his best to explain why he had left him out. Sad because Micah could easily talk with his parents about Darcy, but not about him.

Moreover, Micah was covering up how bad his position was in the family. He could picture Micah being criticised because of his action, damaging the Ramsy’s reputation, and still had to defend them in front of him.

"Okay. I was a bit sad at first, honestly, I thought you were ashamed to show people you are friends with me..." Clyde teased him.

"Hey. Why would I be ashamed? You are a kind, good-looking, attractive..." Micah blurted out.

He froze as the words escaped his mouth, his face turning red.

Clyde blinked once, then stepped forward, leaning. "Oh," he said, his voice low and teasing. "You think I’m good-looking?"

He leaned in even closer, placing his face right in front of Micah, flustering him.

Micah panicked, pushing Clyde’s face away with both palms. "I misspoke. You are just an average man. Okay? Average!"

Clyde laughed under his breath, the sound warm and deep. He leaned back, clearly enjoying himself.

Micah, cheeks burning, shifted his gaze away and tried to focus on anything else, the trees, the lake, the mountain. But he couldn’t glance back at Clyde, who now wore the faintest smug face. Even though he was drowning in embarrassment from what he had said, he was secretly glad. Clyde seemed like himself again.