“Oh wow, that’s cool.”
The bartender placed our drinks in front of us, and I reached for my wallet.
“I got it,” Coop stated. “Add them to my tab.”
The bartender nodded, and I said, “Thanks. You didn’t need to do that.”
“Not a problem.”
I took a sip of the herby cocktail. “What about you? I have to admit I haven’t been keeping up with hockey as much since—” I took a breath and continued. “I’ve been covering basketball and baseball instead.”
He gave a tight smile as though he understood. “Things are good. Made captain this season when Umstatt was traded to the Stars.”
“I saw you sporting that C on your jersey last night. Congrats.”
“Thanks. So”—he rubbed the back of his neck nervously—“there’s something I need to pick your brain about.”
I cocked my head slightly. “Okay?”
He looked around and said, “Not here.”
I was taken aback more. “All right …?”
“You still don’t smoke?”
“What?” I blinked.
“Just go with it and follow me outside, okay?”
“All right.” I wasn’t sure what was going on, but I trusted Coop, so we downed our drinks in a hurry and then walked back to the table where his friends were.
“Hayden needs a smoke. We’ll be back.”
I what?
Continuing to follow Coop, we made our way through the restaurant and into the chilly outdoors. Snow had started to fall in the short time I’d been catching up with my friend.
“I’ll make this quick since it’s freezing out here.” He motioned for me to move down the sidewalk a little and away from the door. “I didn’t think I’d do this tonight, but it’s been eating at me for a long time and I just …”
I waited a few moments for him to keep going but he didn’t. “Everything okay?”
He looked up at the inky sky. “I’ve never told anyone this.”
“Whatever it is, I’m here for you, man.”
Coop took a deep breath and then met my stare. “I’m gay.”
“Oh.” My eyes widened in surprise, not having any clue he was going to drop a bomb like that. For as long as I’d known Emmett Cooper, I never suspected he was anything except straight. I wasn’t exactly sure why, other than my own assumptions and the fact he never mentioned it to Jonah and me when we were together. Thinking back on all the times I’d hung out with him, he had never once indicated any sort of attachment to anyone. He was always by himself and I thought it was because he was focused on his career.
“I’m sorry to just blurt it out like—”
Without another word, I engulfed him in a powerful hug. “It’s okay.
We pulled apart, and he blew out a breath, as though some sort of weight had been lifted. “I think I just needed to tell someone.”
“I’m here for you anytime you need to talk or if there’s anything you need from me.”
“Thank you,” he said again. “As I get closer to the end of my career, I’ve been thinking a lot about my future and how I’d like to settle down some day. It’s been consuming my thoughts and affecting my game. I figured you were a good person to come to since you witnessed how Jonah struggled with everything.”
