Erin's Secret

This is a true story of two people I met. Thought I would give it a shot and make my own story. Erin Jacob woke up early Friday morning to get ready for his day. As he was gathering his clothes, he noticed that he had missed 10 urgent calls. He sat down on the armchair across from the bed and checked every message. They were all the same question: “where are you?”, “why aren’t you answering your phone?”, “Are you okay?” His fiancée, Vera, had sent ten texts, too. He looked at his sleeping companion. As he was deep into his own thoughts, he completely missed his alarm clock going off, and his sleeping companion, Dallas Rogers. He saw how completely spaced out Erin was from everything, even his phone ringing. Dallas managed to snap Erin out of it so we would answer the phone. It was Vera, his fiancée of six months.

“Hey, Vera. Good morning.” Erin said softly.

“I’ve been trying to reach you all night! What happened to you?” Vera yelled.

“I was out with Dallas and some of the guys. We went to the movies...I had put my phone on silence. I’m sorry, sweetie.” Erin said.

“You’re forgiven this time, but I want you at our wedding party on time! My parents are really excited about it!” Vera cheered.

“I’m excited too, V. I’ll call you when you get off work. Bye, love you.” Erin said happily before ending the call. Dallas could only roll his eyes at how phony Erin sounding. Erin noticed this and went to pull Dallas into him, but Dallas pushed him away.

Dallas was prepared to give Erin an ultimatum today. Erin has been living a double life for eight years and Dallas has been apart it for three years. Erin is gay, but what will his family might say or do to him. The older members of Erin’s family are extremely stuck on their old traditions in their family when it comes to any type of relationship. Erin has other family members who have come out, but was immediately exiled from any family gathering and events. The gay life style was disgusting to them entirely. Dallas has been out since he graduated high school in 2006. His family and him were distant for a while, but later reconciled and accepted Dallas sexuality. He hoped that Erin would eventually tell his own family, but nothing. Erin always wished for the courage to tell his parents who true identity, but he’s always been too afraid. Three years of no change, accept Erin’s parents forcing him into a relationship with a family friend a year ago, Vera Knight. Erin’s parents practically force him to ask Vera to marry him six months ago and he did it. The wedding is in three days and Erin is still keeping Dallas as his dirty secret. Dallas wants a real open relationship with Erin, without shame or secrets.

“We have been doing this for three years, Erin. How much longer are you going to keep me as one of your skeletons in your closet?” Dallas said walking out the bedroom into the bathroom.

“I wish you would stop being so afraid to stand up for yourself and what you really want! Using that poor girl to hid the fact that you’re gay is wrong and then to sleep with me the night before your damn wedding party! Maybe I should tell them the truth since you can’t admit it” Dallas said leaving the bathroom, dressed in the clothes he was in last night.

“You wouldn’t do that…would you?” Erin asked shockingly

Dallas said nothing. He made his way downstairs and out Erin’s home hail a taxi. The entire conversation and the thoughts that came after drained him of the little energy he had left. He had to talk to someone, his cousin Jean. The only one in his family who knew about the entire bizarre love triangle. He called him around noon to meet for lunch to talk about Dallas’s ultimatum. They met at a small café not too far from where Jean worked. Erin explained everything that happened this morning and was hoping for some guidance, but Jean could no longer feel sympathetic for his cousin’s situation. He gave him a dose of tough love.

“I warned you of this day the years you met Vera and the day you thought proposing to her at Christmas was a brilliant idea. The day will come when your double life will be revealed and you’ll have to choose. Well, the day has come and it’s decision time: Vera or Dallas?” Jean said coldly.

“What about the wedding?” Erin whined.

“To hell with the wedding!” Jean yelled. “You’re doing this because you’re afraid to stand up for yourself. You’re afraid of your parents, you’re afraid of Vera and her family, but you can’t be anymore. You’re not yourself, you’re not free. They may be hurt with the news, but it will pass. Don’t trap yourself.” Jean said softly.

After their lunch, Jean went back to work, leaving Erin with his thoughts all day. Erin has a very important choice to make before it’s really too late. Later in the evening, Erin and Vera’s wedding party was starting. Everyone they knew was there, including Dallas. Erin made several attempts to talk to him, but Dallas ignored him. He knew he was hurt from this morning’s fight. Usually when they would do this to one another, Erin would wander off alone somewhere, but he couldn’t leave his wedding party and there was nowhere for him to be alone at the party.

Jean approached him and told him Dallas was leaving after he made his trip to the restroom. Erin watched as Dallas gave him the stink eye while heading to the men’s bathroom. Erin’s father pulled Erin towards the stage and handed him a microphone to make a speech. As he took a breath in and greeted his guest he saw Dallas taking one last look at the party as he walked to the exit.

“I have to confess to something, to my family, to Vera, and to hers…”Erin stuttered in fear. Vera with concern ran to Erin’s side and held his hand, but he let go.

“I can’t do this Vera. I’m calling everything off…”Erin said to her as he saw her fight back tears.

“Why?” Vera asked in a confused tone.

“For the past year…hell even before I met you, I’ve been hiding the fact that I’m gay.” Erin finished.

The room was in silence, all you can hear was the heavy breathing coming out of Vera’s mouth. She was in shocked, the tears came falling down and the guests were filled with gasps and whispers. Vera walked off stage with her parents following behind her, but not before giving Erin a look of disgust and shame. Erin’s mother was stunned; Erin’s father was in rage and flipped the table they were sitting at before walking out the wedding party. Erin’s worse nightmare was coming true, but he just couldn’t keep living a lie.

He knew he was hurting a lot of people, but now he can cross himself off the list and focus of being who he really wants to be Jean took the microphone out of Erin’s hands and announced the party being over. Dallas and Erin were the only ones left in the venue, just staring at each other with happiness before kissing. Erin knew what he really wanted now was to be in a serious committed relationship with Dallas. What he thought was a shameful secret is now an expose truth and he couldn’t be more relieved.