“He’s going to want to murder me. I can’t wait.” He’s giddy, and it makes me happy. As long as I don’t think about it too hard, and what it means in the long term.
“You know most people wouldn’t think that’s getting over someone, but for you, this is good.” I feel so much lighter.
“Can you imagine his face? Please do not let him find out before.” He opens the door for me, and we walk into the crisp air.
I glance over. “My sister won’t tell him.”
She’s too prideful.
“We are going to kick their ass this season with their goalie that mad. Please tell me the wedding is before the Frozen Four.”
I shake my head. “It’s not.”
“Still. I’m going to enjoy saying it to his face.”
“I can’t even be mad if it wins us the game.” I hate the Monsters.
We all do.
“When’s the wedding?” he asks as we settle into a booth at our favorite sports bar.
“In May.” I pick up my beer, relaxing some.
“That’s fast to plan a wedding. Is she pregnant?” How does he know all this? Straight men don’t know about planning weddings.
“I don’t think so. It’s not that fast—” I cut myself off, realizing what I’m giving away.
He pops a brow, and I know I fucked up. “So they’ve been engaged a little while.”
“Since the end of the summer.” It’s only been a couple of months.
Wolfe doesn’t touch his beer. He leans forward with his elbows on the table. “So you’ve known a while.”
“No, not really. You know I don’t speak to my family a lot. You know how they’ve been with everything. I had no idea when they were having the wedding.” I down my shot and then pick up my beer, shuddering. “That’s why my mom called, she was basically telling me I had to come to the wedding or else.”
“They still being dicks?” Wolfe’s entire mood changes. He turns into the big teddy bear I love.
“Yep. That’s why I don’t want to go. Especially if they expect me not to be myself.”
“You can’t do that to your grandfather. He’ll want to see you.” Wolfe’s right.
My grandfather is the only reason I still go back and I don’t go back and see him enough.
“That’s what my mother said too.” I sat back, drinking half my glass. “I’d be a real jackass if I didn’t show up, but I can’t deal with all those assholes.” I sink lower in the booth.
“What are they going to do at a wedding?” He comes with me when I go home sometimes, because he never had anywhere else to go, but I know he doesn’t like to be there.
My family treats him like a son, even if he and my sister didn’t end up together.
“They don’t behave themselves at Thanksgiving. You’ve seen it. They get drunk and stupid. What do you think a wedding in Georgia is going to be like?”
“What will they do?” Wolfe is thinking about my words too hard.
“The same stuff they’ve been doing for years. Calling me a fucking sissy. A fem boy. Whispering and laughing any time I’m near. Asking me if I’m the girl in the relationship. They think all gay guys are feminine.”
“Feminine?” He looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. “How do they figure? You’ve got more muscle than all of them combined and play the manliest sport ever.”
I lift my shoulders. “They just see me differently.”
