“Really? You? It must be bad for that to happen.”
I wave him off. “Insert argument here. But for real. After Coach told us we’re being watched, I went online, and I think he’s understating how much attention we’re drawing.”
Anton’s face falls. “Oh, fuck, are there photos?”
“No, nothing like that. There’s … speculation.” I fish my phone out of my pocket and show him. “If you want out or whatever, I’m cool.” I’m not really because I’m nowhere near done with him, but I’m not going to be the asshole who makes him take a step he’s not ready to. The thought of pushing this and having Anton resent me for it doesn’t sit right.
“Eh. It’s more bullshit. Like our rivalry and bromance. They’re trying to sell a story.”
“Yeah, except our rivalry and this”—I point to my phone—“is damn near close to the truth. If we’re going to keep doing this, you should probably be okay with the possibility of it getting out. Which would mean coming out or being outed.”
Anton scrolls through the article again. “Well, now that we’re being roomed together, it’ll be a lot easier to hide, but you’re right. I’ve always had the notion in the back of my head that if I do something risky, I have to be okay with the fallout, and this is no different. Hell, this might even help me. When I come out, it won’t be a complete shock to everyone. And it’s not like I’m holding back for any particular reason. So, yeah, this is fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“Is that concern for me I hear in your voice?”
I want to say the expected—Of course not—but the smartass reply doesn’t come. “I don’t want to be the reason the world as you know it unravels.”
“That … might be the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
“I mean it.” And I do, which is so far beyond my realm of experience when it comes to men. I … want to put Anton first. The only other person I’ve ever tried that with before was West, and I still messed that up.
With Anton, I want to do better.
“In that case, I appreciate it.” He kisses me. “Now, stop being sincere. Your pretty head will explode.”
I chuckle. “Okay, sorry. Back to all the sex. We should get to it. We have a game to win tomorrow night.”
Anton strips off his shirt. “Who’s bottoming tonight?”
“Flip you for it?” I grab my wallet and take out a quarter.
“I call heads.”
“Being given tails has to be an omen.” I toss the coin in the air and catch it, placing it on the top of my hand and covering it with the other.
It takes a moment to realize I don’t even care what the result is.
Kosik and I are a solid wall on the ice tonight. Nothing is getting by us.
Anton’s having the game of his life and has scored four fucking goals on his own.
It’s the first game of the regular season where we’ve had synergy as a team. Sure, we’ve taken out two wins, but they were hard-fought wins. Tonight, we’re back in preseason ass-kicking mode, and even though we still have nine minutes left on the clock in the third period, the score is 7-2 to us. We’d have to majorly fuck up to lose when we’re this far ahead.
It’s not impossible though, so we keep pushing. We keep scoring. Our plays are smooth, and we’re clicking. It’s one of those games where it comes easy, and we’ll walk away tonight on a high.
The games where we have to fight tooth and nail and get by in a pinch might have an indescribable accomplished feeling attached to them, but when they’re like this one? It feels historic.
We’re half trying to run out the clock, half wanting to see how far we can really take this. Diedrich wins a face-off and passes the puck back to me.
I chill in our defending zone, faking a couple of moves like I’m going for it when I’m not, and skate circles around the puck a couple of times like I don’t have a care in the world.
When I do finally pass, it’s to Kosik, and then he passes it right back. Colorado has all my bases covered, though Anton and Larsen are trying to skate their way out of their mess.
The second Anton is open, I pass to him. He spins and almost gets clipped by a D-man, so he passes off to Diedrich.
Play moves down the ice into the attack zone, and Diedrich circles around the back of the net and passes off to Anton, who shoots through the five-hole.
When the lamp lights up, the crowd screams so loud over the goal horn I can barely hear it.
The look of pure shock on Anton’s face is going to be all over the media tonight. That goal is going to be on highlight reels for the rest of the season. Anton Hayes has made the very short list of players who have pulled off five goals in one game.