Chapter 36

“Yes, a few years ago. What…?

Jason thought Ben was going to pass out. Shit, was this one shock too many?

“Your Jason got in touch with us.”

“You…you don’t mind?”

“Oh, Benjie, never.”

“But you threw me out.”

“Because of Richard. We hoped it would make you see he was no good for you, but we didn’t realize you were so in love with him. That phone call…He could have just hung up and you could have said it was an obscene phone call. Instead he left you no choice but to defend him.”

“Ma, he was my friend…my boyfriend.”

“You’re too loyal. He took you away from us, and when we called to tell you it didn’t matter, that as long as you were happy, we were happy…it was too late.”

“What do you mean ‘you called’? When?”

“About a year after you moved to Greenedale,” Ben’s dad said.

“We kept pestering Richard’s aunt and uncle until they gave us your home phone number,” his mom continued.

“But my cell phone…”