“Um… Thank you all so much. This has been a…” I wanted to say it had been a real doozy of a season with everything that happened, but I landed on “an interesting season.”
There was audible laughter in the stands.Making people laugh is good, right?
“I wouldn’t be here without my team. They played like hell tonight. You’re all the best. We wouldn’t be here without Coach Wilson. Thank you for everything, and I meaneverything.”
Coach gave me a warm smile and nodded.
“And…”
Then it hit me. There was really only one reason I was there. There was only one reason I was alive, if I was being honest. Who knows what would have happened that night if Theohadn’t broken into that apartment?
“I wouldn’t be here without Theo Moretti. Theo, I love you so much.” I reached my hand out to him, urging him to join me. He did, reluctantly, but he did. “And, I want to thank Maria, Anthony, Roxanne, and Regina Moretti. You—”
Hold it together, Asher.
“You took me in. You’re the family I always wanted, and you welcomed me into your home and showed me so much love. You mean so much to me—”
Don’t do it! Don’t cry. Hold it together.
“If it weren’t for Theo and his family, I wouldn’t be here.” I turned to Theo, the flashing cameras catching his eyes, brimming with tears. “You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me, Big Boy,” I said, swearing my hearing would never be the same with all the cheering that was happening.
Theo pulled me in and wrapped his arm around me. The commissioner stepped toward us and retrieved his microphone.
“Let’s hear it once more, for this year’s MVP.”
We are the ChampionsbyQueenbegan as the crowd cheered. The Warriors began spilling onto the ice, each player taking a turn skating with the trophy.
“You wanna take a spin with the big-ass cup?” Theo asked.
“Nah. I wanna take a spin with my big-ass boyfriend.” I replied.
“I’ll give you spin, Pretty Boy.”
Things were about to get heated between Theo and me when I remembered that I should have thanked the league for the fee waiver.
“One minute,” I told Theo.
I caught the commissioner just as he was about to leave the ice. “Commissioner Raul. I just wanted to thank you. I was ableto play because of the league’s need-based player fee waivers. Thank you.”
The commissioner looked at me, puzzled, then said, “Mr. Lachlan, I’m afraid that’s not possible. It’s a strict rule that the player’s fee is never waived. That was a policy decided upon many moons ago. Someone had to have paid the fee for you.”
I was dumbstruck, standing there not knowing what to say. Commissioner Raul congratulated me once more, then left.
What the heck? How can this—
“Theo!” I turned to see him standing there with a sheepish look on his face. “You paid my fee?”
“Maybe…”
I closed the distance between us, my mouth in a fake frown that I knew Theo was buying. He looked genuinely worried. “You’re in trouble, Mr. Moretti, and the only punishment that fits that crime is me sucking all of the cum out of your body.”
Theo smirked, then bowed his head in solemn silence. “I accept my fate.”
“Let’s get out of here so I can punish you properly.”
We walked side-by-side off the ice as the Warriors skated around us. I knew that the night would be one endless party, but I didn’t care to participate.
I just wanted to be with Theo.
