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“That’s right,” he confirms.
“Did my fight turn you on,” Zander asks me later. After we’ve spent the afternoon lazily watching a movie, had pizza delivered for dinner, and Callie passed out like the dead.
“No, it scared the shit out of me,” I admit, crawling up into the middle of the bed.
“I can handle a few drunks.”
“Your hockey bravado is hot as fuck, but I’d prefer your fights be one on one and on the ice.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” He grunts as he gets comfortable in bed, adjusting pillows until he’s at an angle that makes his injuries tolerable.
“Besides, you’re out of commission for awhile anyway,” I remind him.
“I’m not,” Damian reminds me with a sly smile.
“Me either,” I tease. “But we wouldn’t want the big guy to get worked up and then not be able to take care of him.”
“I was told no sex,” Zander grumbles. “Not that I couldn’t watch.”
I scoot to one side of him, Damian takes position on the other, and our hands meet over Zander’s chest.
“We can wait a couple of days,” Damian says. “We have the rest of our lives.”
Zander brings our entwined hands to his lips and kisses them before closing his eyes. He’s content. Happy. No matter where we go from here, we go together, the three of us and Callie. The family Damian has always wanted, the one Zander has always wanted to protect. The one I’ll fight tooth and nail for every day of my life.
27
Zander
Three days after returning home from Houston and I’ve never been more confident in the decisions I’ve made.
Callie is lighter than she’s been since moving to Seattle. Not only has she bonded with Willa in a purely sisterly way, but she has been gravitating to Damian more and more as well. She’s charmed by him, like everyone is, now that she sees that the love we all share isn’t shameful. We’ve spent more time at his house, and she is enjoying having her own space again. And the freedom he gives her in it. He’s nurturing in a way that is so unexpected in a man that grew up the way he did. You’d never know he came from a cold home when he’s made his so welcoming and warm.
She saw the three of us hug each other before Willa left for classes yesterday and there was a genuine smile on her face. We didn’t grow up in a loving household either. She’s experiencing it for the first time just like Damian and I are. And learning that it doesn’t have to look like she expected.
Willa has been something like a nursemaid to me. Hockey is in her blood as much as mine, she understands what I need to heal, but also doesn’t coddle me. After I worked out for the first time this morning, she assessed my cuts and bruises, applying some ointment her dad recommended without commentary on the fact that I’d re-opened one of the gashes on my left hand.
It’ll heal and it felt amazing to get back into a routine.
I’ve spent a lot of time talking to Coach, the GM, the PR team. My decision is firm. I’m certain it’s the right move as I step into the press room and take center stage. The team has been very supportive, not just management but the players too. Many have reached out to check on me and offer kind words. We truly define the word team.
Whether I’m walking into a total shit storm, and let’s be honest, I probably am, I know they have my back. If the league forces me out at some point for this, I’ll still have made friends. Coach takes a seat on one side of me, Cillian on the other. He didn’t need to be here, but as team captain, he wanted to be. It’s a show of support and I appreciate it more than I can say.
“Fane is going to make a statement about the incident from the other night in Houston, then we’ll open it up to some questions,” Coach says, nodding his head at me.
Crash and burn or fly free; it’s now or never. I scan the room and see Willa and Damian standing in the back, both smiling proudly at me.
“After our last game in Houston, leaving the arena, I was attacked by a group of men. While it may have been partially due to my performance in the game, I believe it was more than that, based off the slurs they yelled. The truth is, I’m bisexual. A fact I will no longer hide, nor will I stand for any ill treatment because of it. What happened in Houston was a hate crime. I was targeted because of rumors about my sexuality. I’m putting that to rest today.
“My personal life is nobody’s business and is off-limits. I will not entertain any questions asked about my personal life that you wouldn’t also ask of any other member in this league. I’m not a sideshow, my love life is not fodder for anyone’s entertainment or ire,” I say clearly and directly. “I’ve known little of life outside of this sport. Hockey is my life, it’s my first love. I won’t be giving it up because some people are more preoccupied by my personal life. I work hard, I take my position and profession seriously. This team and the opportunities it’s given me mean the world to me. I don’t take it for granted and I promise to always work as hard for them and the fans, as they have for me.”
Cillian pats me on the back as I finish up and hands raise in the small crowd of press gathered in the room. The first few questions are softballs asking about injuries and if the men had all been arrested.
“Are you saying you have a boyfriend,” one reporter asks.
“He already told you yahoos his personal life is off limits,” Blom says from the side of the room where he leans against a wall. “Next question.”
Most other reporters laugh, and I shoot him a smile.
