“Is that what you’re doing? Using dating apps?”
I shook my head. “No. I have a boyfriend.”
“Oh, cool. I hadn’t necessarily planned on telling Coop I was dating someone, but then again, it had been over three years since Jonah passed away. Maybe if Coop and I had stayed in touch more throughout the years it would have shocked him, but he didn’t seem surprised, probably because he didn’t know I had harbored the guilt of Jonah’s car accident for so long.
His phone buzzed on the table. “Butcher and Sexton are in for the softball game.”
“Awesome.” I picked up my phone and texted Tyler again.
Got you 3 hockey players for the game
TS: You’re the best! I owe you.
Me: I’m sure I can think of a way for you to repay me ??
19
Tyler
Wakingup next to Hayden was easily one of my favorite things. Since returning from San Diego a month ago, we’d tried to spend as much time together as we could, which resulted in me staying at his place a few nights a week. We were growing closer, and every day that passed, I fell a little harder for him.
I snuggled next to my man, trying to soak up every possible second with him before we had to get up. “I wish I could stay here all day.”
He trailed his fingers up and down my arm. “Me too. What time are you meeting your parents?”
“They got an early check-in at their hotel, and I’m supposed to meet them for lunch at noon.”
“And after that?”
“They mentioned walking around the city for a bit before I have to get back to the house to finish some stuff for tomorrow’s game.”
“I’m guessing that means you won’t be able to spend the night here?”
I shook my head. “Probably not. Fallon expects the entire frat to be there, and we’ll likely be working until pretty late.”
“Guess we better make good use of the time we have this morning then,” Hayden said right before he pushed me onto my back and covered my mouth with his.
* * *
After spendinga couple of hours with my dads doing the typical tourist stuff, I’d headed back to the Sigma house. Around eight, we ordered pizza for everyone and took a short break, but once we were done eating, everyone continued to work. We’d been fortunate to receive donations from several companies and organizations, so a group of guys sat around the table in the chapter room, stuffing swag bags for the players and VIPs while others organized dozens of raffle baskets.
Around midnight, I finally finished the schedule for the meet and greet session, where all the players would take pictures and sign autographs for those who bought special admission tickets. Thanks to Hayden, I’d gotten in contact with Emmett Cooper earlier in the week, and he, along with his two teammates, agreed to take part in the pregame festivities as well.
As I was wrapping up, I saw Preston and Ford talking in the hallway. Preston and I would work together closely during the event, and I wanted to chat with him before we called it a night. However, I wasn’t going to approach him until he finished his conversation. Ever since Ford’s confession that he missed me and wanted us to give our relationship another chance, I’d tried to avoid him as much as possible. The last time we talked was on the drive up to the ski resort, but that didn’t mean I didn’t notice the occasional longing glances he aimed in my direction whenever our paths crossed. It made me uncomfortable, but I didn’t want to hurt him either, so ignoring him was the best course of action.
As I continued waiting, Fallon sat beside me and asked, “You all set for tomorrow?”
I nodded. “I think so. I’m going to head over to the field early in the morning to make sure the maintenance crew has everything set up for the meet and greet. Once that’s done, we should be good to go.”
“You’ve done a great job with everything, man. I doubt the game would have been sold-out if you didn’t get all those celebrities to agree to play.”
Fallon’s compliment meant a lot to me. I’d worked my ass off to make the event a success since it would help fund programs for youth who might be struggling with their sexuality and identity, and I couldn’t be happier with how it was coming together.
“Thanks. I can’t wait to see how much money we’ve raised.”
I’d been distracted by my conversation with Fallon, so when he muttered, “Incoming,” I had no idea what he was talking about. I looked up just in time to see Preston and Ford heading our way.
Preston sat in the open chair beside me. “Hey, Tyler. Good news. Ford offered to help us during the meet and greet tomorrow. I know you wanted an additional person there to get the players rotated through for their sessions, so now we’re set.”
