much my split with my ex had made me feel like my entire life was under a microscope. My relationship, my sex life, my breakup, my sexuality—it had suddenly been up for public debate and discussion. I couldn’t sneeze in public without someone starting a rumor.
Last night would have given people fodder for months if they’d noticed. But they hadn’t. No one knew. No one cared. One of the most amazing and defining nights of my life had happened in complete privacy. The next day, I stepped out into the light, put on my skates, and aside from my teammates ribbing me about getting laid, nothing happened.
I not only knew who I was—for the first time in a long time, I could be that person, and no one else knew or cared except the man who’d woken up in my bed this morning. And who was now sitting in the stands, looking as gorgeous as ever and not wearing Jase Kelly Fucked Me on a T-shirt or some shit.
Grinning to myself, I headed off the ice with the rest of the guys to let the crew shovel off the snow. Maybe I could have a private life after all. Maybe Devin and I really could do this without ending up with a bunch of cameras in our faces. Even if my teammates figured it out, there was an unwritten rule that no one gossiped outside the locker room. We could give each other hell, and there was always a certain amount of gossip floating around between us, but it didn’t leave the locker room because no one liked the press getting in our business. I trusted them just like they trusted me.
I wasn’t sure what I’d expected after last night. If I’d really thought the whole world would feel different and everyone would know, or if I’d just been wound up and paranoid because that was the way I was. About everything.
Play resumed, and my focus held on to hockey instead of worrying about anything happening off-ice. As I skated behind our net after Gagnon had successfully fended off a shot on goal, I glanced up at Devin. We only made eye contact for a split second. No one but us knew that flicker-fast smile was meant for me, or that mine was meant for him.
Even as I continued up the ice, zeroing in on the puck as Maddox deftly kept it away from the player trying to swipe it from him, a small part of my mind stayed back there with Devin. I wasn’t distracted, though. In fact, I was less distracted now.
No one had a clue that Devin and I were hooking up. Of course no one knew.
But some easily agitated corner of my brain had needed that reassurance, and now it was quiet so the rest of me could focus on hockey.
No one was going to find out unless we wanted them to.
No one was going to tell Dallas.
No one was going to out me to my parents.
As long as we kept it platonic in public and didn’t do anything to draw attention to us, then we could keep right on flying under the radar.
If we decided this had some staying power, then we could come out. I’d figure out a way to tell my parents and hope they accepted me. And us.
But at least for tonight, Devin was here as a hockey fan, I was here as a hockey player, and no one in the world needed to know why he’d be joining me and the team after the game.
Yeah, we could do this.
Chapter 16
Devin
The puck dropped, and the second period started
As everyone around us roared, Eric took advantage of the noise to lean over and say under his breath, “You nailed him, didn’t you?”
“What?” I shot him a glare. “What the hell are you talking about?”
He countered with an exasperated look as he dropped back into his seat. “Really? I was born at night, but it wasn’t last night.”
I rolled my eyes. “Shut up.”
“Am I wrong?”
The color in my face had undoubtedly answered for me, so I just muttered, “No.”
My brother barked a laugh and smacked my arm. “I knew it! Man, I should’ve bet money on that.”
“Bet—what?” I eyed him. “What the fuck?”
“Please.” Lowering his voice again, he muttered, “Don’t act like you two weren’t eye-fucking each other that night we went out with the team.”
“I… I did…” I sputtered, then blew out an exasperated breath. “Just keep your mouth shut about it, okay?”