Gavin frowned but didn’t argue.
Thad slung his bag over his shoulder and shook his head at his brother. “You know, sometimes I miss when you didn't talk to me at all."
Gavin grimaced and picked up his own bag, immaculately dressed for his day as a high-powered general manager. "Shit, did I overstep? I didn’t mean to."
Thad let out a little laugh. "Yes, but it's good to have you back, Gav.”
“What’s wrong, babe? You’ve been super distracted lately.” Madison slid her fingernails across Graham’s shoulders in a gesture he usually found soothing, but it felt like nails on a chalkboard right now, making him shudder with discomfort.
“It’s just the start of the season,” he muttered, still staring at the screen in front of him. Buffalo was playing Winnipeg.
“Okay,” she said patiently. “But there’s gotta be more than that. You’re not sleeping, you’re …”
“Can you leave it? My head is in a weird place right now,” he snapped, feeling guilty the moment the words left his mouth.
He hadn’t meant to use such a harsh tone. She didn’t deserve that.
“Sorry,” he said as she pulled away. He turned to look at her, wincing at the worried expression on her face. “Look, I mean it. I’m sorry. I know I’ve been acting strange lately and I’m sorry.”
She frowned. “But you don’t want to talk about it?”
He hesitated. “I … I don’t want to hurt you.”
She swallowed audibly. “Are you breaking up with me again?”
“No!” He protested, then winced. “At least, I don’t think so. You might want to break up with me if I tell you what’s going on in my head though.”
“Graham, what is going on? You’re—you’re acting like you did last spring and …” Her mouth made a soft, round ‘o’, then she snapped her jaw shut. “It’s about the woman you kissed then, isn’t it? You still have feelings for her.”
“There’s no woman!” he protested.
“No, that’s totally it,” she said, pulling away. “You were fine all summer when we were away from the team and now you’re actingweirdagain. Does she work for the organization? Is that it?”
The worst part was, Madison didn’t even sound jealous. She soundedworriedabout him. She was way too fucking nice for him.
“There’s no woman,” he repeated, staring down at his hands. “But, um, there might be a guy.”
There was silence for a moment before her hand returned to his back, scratching again. “Oh, Graham.”
“Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “Look, nothing’shappened. I swear. We kissed last spring andnothing’s happenedsince.”
“Okay. I believe you.”
He glanced over and there was nothing but compassion on her face. Fuck, hedefinitelydidn’t deserve her.
“So, you’re having a little bit of a hard time with your sexuality?” she asked.
Graham rubbed his face. “I dunno. That’s the thing. I don’t think it’s so much about my sexuality as … ashim. Who he is and all the reasons I shouldn’t feel like this about him, then feeling like shit for wanting him when I’m with you. I feel like I’m fucking everything up everywhere and …”
“Babe …”
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, miserable. “I didn’t want to do this.”
“I know.” She leaned her cheek against his shoulder. “Me either.”
“You’regreat,” he said.
She laughed. “I know I am.”
