When we parted, Asher’s entire face looked different. He wasn’t scared anymore. He was sure. Ready.
The next few lines, he said with much more confidence. “We’d never do anything to make anyone feel uncomfortable. That moment was the first and last time we did something like that. We’d kept our relationship private so as not to disrupt the team dynamic. It wasn’t meant to cause harm.” Asher spoke with his whole chest, and I was gushing. My man was doing it, and I couldn’t be prouder of him. “We never have and never would ask our teammates to participate in the intimate moments that Theo and I share. We were overjoyed by the win, and truly thought we were alone.”
I was still staring at him lovingly when I remembered it was my turn to speak. I shook my head, snapping out of my adoration and back into the task at hand. “We regret that the picture was taken. We regret that the picture got out, and we apologize if it caused anyone who saw it any discomfort.”
The next line was Asher’s, and hedelivered.“But we do not apologize for being together. We do not apologize for being in love. I’m done hiding who I am. The man sitting next to me is the love of my life, and I am not ashamed to say that anymore.” Then, Asher looked at me and said, “I love you, Theo.”
“I love you too, Asher.”
We kissed again, and I finished us out. “So, we understand why the picture was so scandalous. It’s not surprising that it became a big story once it was leaked, but we can assure you that it never happened before that moment, and will never happen again. It’s in the past, and we want to get back on the ice and focus on winning the PCSHL Championship, and wehope you will let us do that.”
That was it. Asher leaned in and stopped recording.
The two of us sat there, looking at the phone. We’d done it. The video was recorded. The only thing left to do was post it to the joint account we created.
“Do you want me to post it, babe?” I asked.
“Would you?”
I kissed his forehead and said, “Sure. I am so proud of you, Red.”
“I’m proud of you, too, Big Boy.”
Asher
Once the video was out, I wanted nothing to do with it. Reggie and Roxy said they’d send it to all of the hockey blogs that had printed something about the picture.
I just wanted to move on. Turning on my phone after everything went down was one of the most cringeworthy experiences of my life. As predicted, pretty much all of our former teammates on the Vipers and everyone at Callahan texted me. The messages ranged from horrendous to sheer elation. It was wild to see the different responses from folks. People who had always been friendly to me were telling me I was disgusting. Some even said I was going to burn in hell.
Others were surprisingly sweet. In fact, several guys from the Bobcats at Callahan wrote messages of support, but I didn’t see any messages or emails from the Head Coach of the Bobcats. It made me nervous, but I wouldn’t let myself think about it.
One step at a time.
The Warriors’ Head Coachdidreach out to both Theo and me to send his support. I was genuinely touched by howsupportive he was being, and it made me wonder why. Was Coach Wilson gay? Perhaps he had a child who was a member of the LGBTQIA+ community? Or maybe he was just a decent guy. Whatever the reason, I was incredibly grateful to have his support.
It was our first day back from the suspension, and I was dreading practice. Never had I been someone who wanted to skip practice, but I wanted to that day. Sure, I’d get the jitters now and then, but I truly didn’t want to go, and that was new for me.
Should I quit? Is this a sign that it’s over for me?
No. I wouldn’t quit. I didn’t actually know who leaked the picture, though I was pretty damn sure it was Mason, but whoever did it wanted me out of the way. Quitting would give them what they wanted, and I wouldn’t do that.
Theo parked the car and turned to me. “You ready?” he asked.
Hell no!“Yeah. Let’s do this.”
We left the car and made our way to the rink. My body was stiffer than a block of wood until Theo wrapped his arm around my shoulder. The tension instantly released, and I felt like I was soaring.
I am not alone.
We’d arrived a little early so we could get dressed in peace, but a few of our teammates were already there. Quincy is one of them.
Thank God.
“Oh my God!” Quincy cried out. “It’s the celebrity couple!” He ran over and gave us both a hug. “We’ve missed you, boys.Truly.” Quincy had texted me that the Warriors lost all three games we missed.
Two other teammates welcomed us back, with one asking, “Are you guys like, inundated with sponsorship deals and stuff?”
“Yeah, have any athletic wear companies reached out to you yet?” another asked. “That would be freaking unreal!”
