I jumped from the bench and turned to face Gabe. What the hell was he doing? “Why would I go out with you?”
“ ’Cause I have a crush on you and I happen to be bi too,” Gabe replied matter-of-factly.
“He’s being an asshole.” Troy stepped between us and shot a warning look at Gabe before turning to me. “Don’t listen to him. Hey, gay, straight, white, black, any color in between, including polka dot…you’re one of us. We got your back, man.”
“I do too.” Gabe pushed Troy aside and moved in front of me. He’d changed into a pair of sweats that hung low on his hips. His abs were a thing of beauty. Fuck…he was gorgeous. He gave me a wicked nervous smile, then pulled a white T-shirt over his head and smoothed it over his chest so I could clearly see “Out and Proud” emblazoned in rainbow lettering on the front. “I couldn’t find the cock shirt but I figured this’ll do. Hey, I may be an asshole sometimes, but I’m one hundred percent serious. I’m with you, Der. We’re not waiting for the right time. We’re going to make it right. And if you’re diving into the deep end, I’m coming with you.”
I grinned and pulled him into a hug. I kept it brief. I’d said what I’d needed to say. It was time to go. The room broke into a flurry of gasps and hoots followed by a round of raucous cheering when Gabe followed me out of the locker room.
We walked side by side onto the pool deck and out the gate. Gabe grabbed my wrist when we reached a tall hedge. It wasn’t much but it provided a modicum of privacy between the parking lot and the aquatics center.
“Did we just come out?” he asked in an awed tone.
I nodded, smiling at the wonderment in his voice before pulling him against me and crashing my mouth over his. I held him close, reveling in his nearness. When we broke for air, I rested my forehead against his for a moment.
“You weren’t supposed to do that, Gabe.”
“But it felt right. I was thinking about it last night and…being out scares the shit out of me, but being without you…that sounds like hell. I can’t do that.”
“What about the national team and going to the Olympics and your family?”
“My mom will be fine. My dad won’t be, but that’s his problem. I seriously doubt I’ll lose my place on the team. They need me. But I’m willing to work harder than ever to prove myself. Because truth matters. We matter. But if I never get a shot at gold, I’d still be a winner. Nothing else matters if I can’t have you, Der.”
“That’s so…goofy,” I said, unable to keep the emotion from my voice.
Gabe laughed and brushed a tear from the corner of my eye. “It’s true, though. In a way, I’ve been thinking about it my whole life, plotting and planning the right time and the right way to deliver my message. It’s no one’s business, and it pisses me off that we’re put in a position of having to explain ourselves. But you…you didn’t hesitate. That’s so fucking brave. I don’t know anyone else like you. You’re a quiet, courageous leader with a big heart, and I’m loud and cocky and I like things done my way. But somehow we fit. And I knew from the moment we met, you were special. I didn’t know you’d be mine but you are. I can’t let you go now.”
“I love you,” I whispered as I tilted my head and fused my lips against his.
We clung to each other in the shadows for a long moment. Then he slipped his hand into mine, and we headed for the parking lot. No one looked our way. No one seemed to care about the two guys holding hands. For most people, this was an average Wednesday. For me, it was the biggest day of my life. Sure, I was nervous as hell. Neither of us knew what the future held. We hadn’t solved any major problems or conquered the world…yet. But we were in this together. And this felt like a promising place to begin.
Epilogue
“There is no greatness where simplicity, goodness, and truth are absent.”—Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace
The great lawn outside the aquatics center was a beautiful venue for graduation. The weather forecast called for warmer than average spring temperatures and clear skies. But sitting outside on an eighty-degree day for a two-plus hour ceremony was brutal. Thankfully, I’d lucked out. The university divided matriculation by majors, and my class scored a nine a.m. start time. If all went according to plan, Gabe and I would have a couple of hours alone after brunch with my parents and before the real parties began tonight.