Could Vasily and I do that?
Because I’d worried before that we would struggle with what would effectively be a long-distance relationship if I was in the minors while he was in the NAPH. But it looked like we were both going to land on the Rainiers sooner than later. Instead of being long-distance, we’d be functionally inseparable—unable to get away from each other even if we needed or wanted to.
Theo and Christian had made that work.
What if Vasily and I couldn’t? What if he felt stuck with me the way he’d felt stuck with his ex back in Vegas?
Right then, he nudged me gently. “Hey. Where did you go?”
I shook myself. “I… nowhere. Nowhere.” He was far too intuitive to believe that, though, and the way he arched his eyebrow said he saw right through me. So, I shrugged and sighed. “Well, look at them.” I gestured at the grooms.
Vasily did, then looked back at me. “What about them?”
“I mean, for all intents and purposes, they’re on the same team.” I studied my boyfriend. “They’ve made it work. So, like… that means we could too. Right?”
His eyebrows shot up. Panic surged through me as I realized what I was inadvertently implying.
“I don’t mean we have to get married!” I said quickly. “I was just so worried this would be a bad idea if we were teammates. Especially since it didn’t work out for you before.” I tipped my head toward Theo and Christian. “But there’s the evidence that itcanwork, you know?”
Vasily’s expression was unreadable for a moment, and I was kicking myself as I waited for him to speak. I just had to go and say something stupid, didn’t I? Things had been goingfinebetween us. Sure, it was still the off season and we weren’t both on the Rainiers’ roster yet, but it had been good. It hadbeen relatively easy, even with our recoveries. Now he probably thought I’d been second-guessing this the whole time and?—
He slid an arm around my waist. “I know we can make it work.”
I tensed. “Really?”
Vasily laughed softly and kissed my temple. “We’vebeenmaking it work. When we were both fucking miserable, too. Why would it be any different once we’re healed and aren’t feeling like shit anymore?”
Some of my panic died away. “Oh. Huh. Yeah, you’re right.” I swallowed. “But we’re probably both going to play in Seattle after next season. What if we’re stuck together when we don’t want to be?” I hesitated. “Like you were with Drew?”
He winced and looked away.
I touched his chest. “I’m not saying I want to be away from you. Not at all. But I’m worried this will turn into a rerun of what you went through with Drew. Where you’re stuck with me, and you feel like you can’t leave if you want to.”
Vasily was already shaking his head. “No. It won’t be like that with you.”
I chewed my lip. “How can you be sure?”
He was quiet for a moment. Then he sighed, and he gently clasped my hand on his chest. “Like I’ve said before, looking back, the red flags were all there. He and I were never going to last. With you…” He smiled as he brought my hand up to his lips. “I don’t think I have anything to worry about.” He paused, then added with a mischievous grin, “Except maybe socks by the hamper instead of in them.”
I snorted. “What? That’s my love language!”
He rolled his eyes, drew me in, and kissed me. “Brat.”
I just chuckled and wrapped my arms around him. He smoothed my hair, smiled, then kissed me again.
“To be serious,” he said, “we’ll be fine. I don’t have to walk on eggshells with you. If we need some time alone, we can ask to room separately on the road or something. Drew and I—we could never talk about things. I couldn’t ask him for space without it blowing up. But you’ve understood from the beginning that these things take work and they aren’t always perfect. Look at how we got started—you were pissed at me, and then after we talked, everything was fine. And that was when we were strangers. Before we were this invested in each other.”
As his words sank in, the tension in my neck and shoulders unwound. He had a point. We hadn’t started out on a great foot at all, but once we’d talked it through, things had been fine.
Exhaling, I rolled my shoulders. “You’re right. You’re—yeah. You’re right.” I laughed nervously. “I’m just overthinking.”
He reeled me back in and kissed me lightly. “You overthink everything.”
“Hey. Shut up.”
He just elbowed me. Then he gestured at Theo and Christian. “Do you think you’ll ever want to…?”
I gulped, sobering in an instant. “I mean, I’d like to?”
