“Come on, bro,” I said. “You know that’s not true.”
“Isn’t it?”
“I would’ve gotten to it eventually.”
“No, you wouldn’t have.”
“Yes, I would.”
“Give me a break, Kayden.”
“I’m doing it now, aren’t I?”
And then he smiled hugely, like he’d only argued with me to piss me off. That was so Erik De Ruiter.
“You guys don’t act like you’re dating, though,” Ryan Detenbeck said.
“We don’t?” I asked.
“No, you act like you’re already married.”
We couldn’t help laughing at that too.
“That’s all really cool, though,” he said. “Good for you.”
When I thought back on the conversation I’d had with him at Tully’s, I found it hard to believe that he thought it was so cool now. Maybe he’d changed now that he’d been confronted with it. Our relationship wasn’t just a theory. Or he could’ve just been saying stupid shit. Everyone on the team had done their fair share of that.
“Yeah, good for you guys,” Braxton said. “Just do me a favor and don’t check me out in the shower, okay?”
Now Detenbeck and Coach Hardison both shook their fists at Braxton, and he backed off. Erik and I shook our heads, knowing that our teammate would always be a knucklehead. What I found most interesting about it all was that no one said they accepted or supported us. They didn’t have to say it. We already knew.
But the reaction from our teammates wasn’t all. I couldn’t believe the response we faced in the following days.
51
ERIK
For the next few days, the kiss Kayden had planted on me in front of the entire arena played again and again on ESPN. Commentators still had plenty to say about it. I couldn’t turn on the TV without seeing Kayden Preston’s lips attached to mine. I didn’t actually see this, but Braxton Wilson told me the women onThe Vieweven mentioned it. They called it an “important step forward.” For those few days, we were America’s couple, with everyone talking about us and our huge win, but mostly importantly, the kiss.
And yeah, there were some haters. Those people would always exist. Kayden and I wouldn’t have had to hide who we were all that time if they didn’t exist. Here’s the thing: they were just trolls that would emerge from under their bridges to complain about any beautiful moment. I did the smart thing and just ignored them.
Besides, I couldn’t deny the heap-loads of positivity we’d received around campus. Students, professors, and even coaches congratulated us not just for the win but for our boldness in being ourselves. Somehow, I thought they’d been commenting on our win just as an aside. With them, it seemed like the kisshad been the real victory. Our newfound ability to live our lives as our true selves was the real glory.
For the first time since I’d been with Kayden, I really believed that. In the beginning, acting on our desires and urges had been a thrill. Well, a thrill stemming from our complete and utter loss of control. At first, the secret didn’t seem so bad. It enhanced the thrill, but soon I understood we would need whatever we were doing to become something more. God, just seven months ago, I never would’ve expected us to be a real couple. I wouldn’t have dreamed of us being open about everything.
I felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Only then did I realize the weight of the baggage I’d been carrying all that time. That one kiss relieved me of that baggage forever and for always.
Of course, it opened the door to other things, like my parents in Canada knowing what we’d been up to.
And how they’d found out by watching the game like everyone else.
I told them that I wasn’t gay. I wasn’t bisexual per se either. Honestly, I didn’t know what I was, and labels meant nothing to me. All that mattered was that I was in love with Kayden Preston and the whole world knew it. Deep down, I knew my parents would understand. They balanced their life of rural conservatism with a genuine love for people, especially their own son.
My dad told me that they would always love and accept me and Kayden. He added that I was welcome to bring Kayden to the farm with me anytime I wanted. That was all I needed to know.
Kayden’s parents weren’t cold, seeming more surprised than anything. He said things were fine and they would warm up to the idea of him sharing his life with a guy soon enough.
Back at my place, Kayden and I had enjoyed a fine meal of La Nova Pizza and wings. Yes, my boyfriend ate the wings the only way he knew how, which I would have to live with. What we ate wouldn’t matter, at least for a little while. Besides, we deserved to spoil ourselves a little after winning the championship. As we ate, it felt like nothing bad had ever happened between us. The gentle feeling of peace I’d felt at that moment convinced me we’d gone back to old times.
