AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Liam had taken him under his wing, sticking close and introducing Bryce to everyone. The conversation flowed, the trays of food were demolished, and tea, coffee, and juices were drunk, and Bryce was jumping with excitement. There was a healthy dose of nerves too.
Cole and Ava, together with King and Adelaide, were waiting in the audience. The team was going to line up along the back wall, standing behind the table he and Coach would sit at. Hayden would be at the lectern, directing questions to each of them.
Every single player and all the staff he’d met had expressed their support, even though quite a few had no idea what the right terminology was. It was a weight lifted off his shoulders. He’d never been so open before—Bryce had always expected his sexuality to be a secret—but he’d had no idea how much it had weighed on him. This was the first time he’d walked into a room and everyone knew the piece of himself that he had kept under wraps. The best thing was that everyone had accepted him for it too. It only made Bryce smile wider, his cheeks hurting from the grin he didn’t want to lose.
“You good, mate?” Liam asked as Bryce reached inside his pocket and blew out a breath at the text from Levi:Podcast just hit the first thousand downloads. It’s blowing up. You’re definitely gonna get questions from the media.Levi had been right. Both his agent and the team wanted to approve the podcast before it went live. Recording it the night before had come in handy—he’d forwarded a link to the raw recording and by morning, both had sent their requirements to Levi, who was only too happy to edit it as necessary.
Bryce showed Liam the message. “Shiiit. You aren’t alone, okay? We’re all here to back you up.”
“Yeah.” His smile came even easier now, from deeper inside. It wasn’t just excitement, but contentment too. “As long as I have them, I’m good. But thank you for being here. This team….” He looked around the room, at the easy laughter and playfulness. The Lightning had the same sort of vibe, and he’d loved it there too. Knowing he wouldn’t be back there was a bitter pill to swallow, but having a place on the Gold Coast team was worth it. “I know I’ll be happy here.”
Cole and Ava would be happy too. They had the business and each other. He could come and go, visiting them whenever his time allowed it. He could handle living alone—he would have to—because as Bryce stood there, basking in the acceptance of a team who he’d only just met but immediately knew he fit into, he desperately wanted to make it work. All of it.
“Time’s up, gents. Let’s get into position,” Hayden announced. “Bryce, if you’d like to wait with me while everyone gets into place.” Liam slapped him on the back, grinned and nodded, then filed out of the room with the others. “Do you have any other last-minute questions?”
“No, but just got a message from my cousin. He said that the podcast has already had a thousand downloads.”
Hayden nodded. “The press release is already on the website. We’re expecting it and are prepared. Only answer the questions you feel comfortable addressing. If you want me to field any of them, just look my way and nod.”
“Will do.”
Bryce walked through the door and swallowed, his smile dipping a little as his mouth went dry and his heart thudded in his chest. His forehead prickled with sweat as nerves hit him. The room was packed. A horde of media was seated at the ready, some taking photos and a few doing quick video clips in anticipation of the cross.
Three chairs were pushed in against a long table, a microphone in front of each seat. Coach pulled out the chair next to him and Bryce slipped into it, leaning in close when Coach rested a hand on his shoulder and murmured, “We’ve got your back. Literally.”
Bryce nodded, a mixture of relief and excitement breaking through in his grin as he cast a glance over his shoulder at the team lined up against the wall. Liam gave him a thumbs-up and a couple of the other blokes gave him a chin-up nod.
Bryce guessed that the spare seat next to him was so Hayden could join them after he’d done the official opening at the lectern, but until then, he used it as an armrest, faking a relaxed pose. His eyes were drawn to the back of the room where Cole and Ava sat next to King and Addy. All four of them wore team jerseys, and Bryce laughed as Ava blew him a kiss and Cole pretended to snatch it out of the air and pocket it against his chest.
“Thanks for joining us, everyone,” Hayden began, the room immediately silencing. “We have some exciting news to share with our fans. As you’re aware, the team has been searching for the perfect prop to fill Rogers’s sizeable shoes since his retirement. That search has taken us longer than expected, but we’re very happy to announce Bryce Flaharty’s appointment to the team. Bryce was an asset to the Lightning in his first year playing, and we’re excited to have been fortunate enough to secure his agreement to return home to the Gold Coast. The Lightning agreed this morning to release Bryce from his contract. Please welcome the Gold Coast’s newest team member.”
The team cheered and clapped, a few of the players reaching forward to pat his shoulder. Bryce couldn’t help the colour rising in his cheeks. He flicked his gaze to Ava and Cole. They were clapping and cheering the loudest, their smiles aimed solely at him.
He grinned happily and laughed when Coach nudged him with his elbow and pointed to the team. They were doing the wave, stepping forward, raising their arms and stepping back again back and forth.
Questions were fired at all three of them, Hayden and Coach fielding some of them and Bryce fumbling through answers as his nerves exploded. Cole mimed taking off his shirt and Bryce took a breath, collecting himself and looked around the room, remembering Cole’s advice. Pretend everyone’s naked. Amazingly enough, it helped.
But then it happened. “Bryce, did you leave the Lightning because they weren’t supportive of your sexuality?”
The room silenced, a collective pause while Bryce absorbed the journalist’s words. He flicked his gaze to Cole and Ava. They were holding hands, leaning forward as if hanging off his every word. A hand landed on his shoulder, squeezing tight in the way that Liam often did.
“I’d prefer not to talk about the Lightning’s willingness to release me from their contract. The Gold Coast has welcomed me with open arms. That’s what I’m going to focus on.” There. He’d done it. Given the canned answer Hayden had coached him on. He didn’t want to risk bad-mouthing the Lightning, but he wouldn’t lie for them either.
“So you’re confirming you’re gay?”
This was what the Lightning were worried about—his sexuality overshadowing his playing achievements, distracting the team and getting their highly religious players offside. But the squeeze to his shoulder gave him strength, as did Coach leaning forward, prepared to answer for him.
“No, I’m not gay. I’m pansexual.” Bryce smiled, closed his eyes, and basked in the feeling of being able to shout it from the rooftops. He was out. Officially and undeniably out. The momentary lull didn’t last long though, the ruckus from shouted questions deafening. Liam slipped into the chair next to him, not taking his hand from Bryce’s shoulder.
“Ladies and gentlemen, let’s keep this press conference civil, please. One at a time,” Hayden directed, pointing to a reporter sitting only a few seats away from Ava.
“Are you cheating on your girlfriend, Bryce?”
“No.” He shook his head and flicked his gaze to Ava, giving her a small smile. “No, I’d never cheat on her.”
“How do you explain the photos released by News and Views?”
Bryce blinked and Cole’s face drained of colour. He’d naïvely thought that by coming out and announcing his transfer that News and Views would have their story trumped and the images would be buried. But apparently not.
