Chapter 35

“I can ring Maggie if you want,” Aunt Kerry offered again, and he shook his head. “Or Ellen? Her clinic won’t have closed, you know.”

“No,” Anton mumbled, his voice hoarse. “I just…I meant to tell him today. I wanted to tell him today, and then Lily went and said that, and his face…”

“I think his face was somewhat set off by your face, honey,” Aunt Kerry said soothingly. “You looked like you’d seen a ghost, and I don’t think your Jude knows what to think right now.”

“S’not my Jude anymore.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Who’d want a fucking tranny boyf—”

“Stop it!” Aunt Kerry’s voice was suddenly firm. “You stop that right now, young man. Plenty of trans people have boyfriends and girlfriends, and you know it. So you stop that nonsense right there, and think for a minute.”

“I—”