He smiles—small, relieved. “So…you’ll come?”
I look at him—really look. The way his hair is falling into his eyes, the faint freckles across his nose that only show up in good light, the way he’s holding my hand now as though it’s something precious. This man, who has every reason to keep me at arm’s length, is asking me to step into his world. All of it.
“Yeah,” I say finally. “I’ll come.”
His whole face lights up. He lunges forward, tackling me back against the couch cushions in a messy hug. I laugh—surprised, breathless—as he peppers kisses across my jaw, my cheek, my mouth.
“You’re gonna love it,” he promises between kisses. “Ty will lose at everything, Will will pretend he’s above it all but secretly keep score, Micah will talk shit, Colton will try to mediate, Daniel will adopt you on sight, Eli will hug you toohard, and I’ll be right there the whole time making sure you know you belong.”
I catch his face between my hands, kiss him slow and deep until he melts against me.
“I already belong,” I murmur against his lips. “I belong with you.”
He pulls back just enough to look at me—eyes soft, shining.
“Yeah,” he whispers. “You do.”
We stay like that for a long time—tangled on the couch, kissing lazy and sweet, the TV forgotten, the future suddenly feeling a lot less terrifying.
Next Saturday I’ll walk into a room full of people who used to call me Coach. But I won’t be going as Coach. I’ll be going as Silas. As Luke’s boyfriend.
I stareat my reflection in the bathroom mirror, adjusting the collar of my button-down for the third time. It’s just a shirt—simple, dark blue, nothing flashy. But everything about tonight feels like it’s under a microscope. Luke’s friend group. A casual hangout at his place. Beers, pizza, whatever. No big deal, he said.
Except it is. To me, at least.
These aren’t just his friends. Half of them are guys I used to coach—Ty, Will, Colton, Micah. Kids I yelled at on the field, pushed through drills, watched grow into players. And now? Now I’m the guy who dated one of their teammates in secret, got fired for it, broke his heart, and somehow convinced him to give me another shot.
Awkward doesn’t even cover it.
Luke pokes his head into the bathroom, already dressed in jeans and a faded band tee that clings in all the right places. He’s got that easy grin on his face, the one that makes my chest tighten.
“You look hot,” he says, stepping in and wrapping his arms around my waist from behind. His chin rests on my shoulder, eyes meeting mine in the mirror. “Stop overthinking.”
“I’m not,” I lie.
He snorts. “Liar. You’re doing that thing where you fiddle with your collar like it’s trying to choke you.”
I drop my hands with a sigh. “Fine. Maybe a little. These are your people, Luke. What if they hate me? What if they think I’m?—”
“Too old? Too serious? Too much of a daddy?” He waggles his eyebrows, voice dropping to a tease.
I roll my eyes, but a reluctant smile tugs at my mouth. “All of the above.”
He spins me around to face him, hands on my hips. “They won’t. They know me. They know how happy I am right now. And they know you—from before. You were a good coach, Silas. Strict, yeah. But fair. They respected you.”
“Respected the coach,” I mutter. “Not the guy who’s dating their friend.”
He cups my face, thumbs stroking my jaw. “It’s gonna be fine. Trust me. They’re my family. They want me happy. And you make me happy.” He leans in, kisses me soft and quick. “Plus, if anyone gives you shit, I’ll kick their ass.”
I huff a laugh. “My hero.”
“Damn right.” He pulls back, grin wicked. “Now come on. We’re late, and Ty’s already blowing up my phone with memes about old men and curfews.”
I groan but let him tug me out the door. The drive to his place is short—too short for my liking. My mind races the whole way: What if they bring up the scandal? What if they think I’m using him? What if?—
Luke’s hand squeezes my knee at a red light. “Breathe, Silas.”
I exhale. “Trying.”
