Jonah (Chicago Blaze 7)

“Good. I’m not sure you’ll make it into your own place, but I know it makes you feel better to say that, so I’ll humor you.”

“You think I’ll live with Kai forever?” Rey asks with an amused grin.

“No, I think you’ll be living with me before long.”

Her lips part with surprise. “Oh, really?”

“Yep.”

“Well, I just moved back about five minutes ago. You might be sick of me in about a month.”

I pull her into my arms. “I doubt that, babe. You just made me the happiest man in Chicago.”

“Am I keeping you from practice? I thought about going to your place later instead of coming here, but I just couldn’t wait.”

“Fuck practice.” I glance over and see that the guys are all standing around talking. “It’s over anyway.”

“So…what now?” she asks. “Do you want to get together tonight?”

“We’re going to a holiday party at Luca and Abby’s tonight. Tell Kai he’s invited, too. I’m going to get a quick shower and then we can decide what to do this afternoon.”

“Okay. So then…we’re official? We’re doing this thing?”

I brush my thumb over her jawline. “We’re doing this thing, babe.”

“I’m so fucking happy,” she says, grinning and biting her lip.

“Get used to it. I plan to keep you that way for a very long time.”

My world just suddenly went from bleak to bright, and I realize as I look at Rey that when people say life can change in an instant, they usually mean for the worst. I’ve sure as hell been through that.

Life can also change for the better when you aren’t expecting it, though. I never saw love coming, but it found me, and I plan to enjoy every last second.EpilogueReyOne month later“Oh my god, I would pee my pants so hard,” Kai says, cringing. “Did you see the blood flying out of his nose just now? Someone needs to get him an ice pack.”

I shake my head. “They’ll go back to playing in a minute.”

“What are the refs even for? They’re just letting that guy get punched!”

“He deserves it,” I point out. “That guy checked Luca from behind, so now Knox is settling the score.”

“Okay, well…that’s kinda hot, I guess.”

Mia leans forward in her seat in the Blaze family box, where Kai is sitting in between her and me.

“You need to bring him to every game from now on. He’s a fucking stitch.”

Kai smiles at her. “Thanks, girl. It’s pretty intense seeing it in person instead of on TV.”

We’re watching a Saturday night game between Chicago and St. Louis, and I think Kai is really enjoying being out. Since I moved back, I’ve slowly gotten him to get out of the apartment. We started small, with grocery shopping and walks around the neighborhood, and lately we’ve been doing more.

Last night Jonah took me and Kai out for dinner at a new sushi restaurant, and we all had an amazing time. A couple of Kai’s followers recognized him and asked for photos, and he happily obliged them.

“Do you want some more of those nachos?” I ask Kai.

“I would die for more of those nachos. That cheese sauce is life.”

I ask the server working our booth to hook us up with more nachos and root beer, always my go-to at games. I come to every home Blaze game and have even started a pretty impressive collection of team shirts and hats.

“Oh! Go, go go!” Kai yells as Anton moves the puck down the ice.

“Go, baby!” Mia yells.

We get up from our seats as Anton battles a St. Louis player for control of the puck and then shoots it into the net, lighting up the red lamp.

Kai’s expression is joyful as we celebrate. The best part of moving here permanently has been my relationship with Jonah, but my relationship with Kai is a close second. When we’re out in public, if anyone gives him a dirty look, I stare them down until they look away.

Small-minded assholes. There really aren’t that many. Most people in this city either don’t seem to care that Kai is non-binary, or they support it. Everyone on Jonah’s team has been kind and welcoming to him.

“Are you guys going out after the game?” Mia asks us.

“Maybe for a little bit?”

She laughs. “You sound like I feel. I’m tired, but I don’t want to miss out.”

“Do you want to go out?” I ask Kai.

“Yeah, I’ll go.”

“We’re going out,” I tell Mia. “Jonah’s gonna have to suck it up if he’s tired.”

“He’s the goalie, he literally just stands there the entire game,” she says with a grin.

“Don’t make me fight you,” I say, pointing at her.

“She’s savage,” Kai tells Mia.

The news of Shields’s arrest and the charges filed against him made headlines for a couple weeks. More people have been charged for their roles in Shields’s sex trafficking ring, some of them famous and powerful.