Tobias’ laugh came out stuttered and wet. He was so happy to have his sister home. Her confidence had always been his buoy, keeping him afloat when he didn’t have the energy to do it himself.
Chase was worth fighting for. He was everything Tobias had ever wanted in a partner. And what did Tobias do? He told him he was too scared to take the plunge with him. Too scared to live openly in love with such an amazing man.
Fuck. I love him.
How had he not figured it out before? He didn’t want to be someone who was too scared to fight for the man he loved. Chase had shown him how brave he was every day, walking away from his father, living openly, reconnecting with his brother, and being there for Tobias.
He needed to fix it. And with his family by his side, he knew exactly what he needed to do. Public scrutiny be damned.
“I need your help,” he said to Grace and Natalie, his voice cracking. “To get him back. To show him how much he means to me.”
Wide smiles bloomed on Natalie and Grace’s faces.
With their help, he only had to hope he hadn’t lost Chase completely. And that it wasn’t too late.
26
CHASE’S NERVES WERE ON aFinal Destination-style roller coaster.
With Madison in the seat next to him and Natalie and Grace on her other side, he did his best to walk the line between supportive and heartbroken.
He considered skipping the alumni game entirely, but he didn’t want to back out on his promise to Tobias and Madison.
Everything in him wished he could be there as a proud partner of one of the guys on the ice, but he couldn’t do that by being pushed back into the closet. The idea of keeping Tobias a secret felt wrong on a visceral level.
When Tobias told him he wanted to stay a secret for an undetermined amount of time following the alumni game, Chase’s stomach sank and he was overcome withdizziness that had nothing to do with the blow job he’d just received.
After spending years hiding himself from his father, the idea of going back in the closet for a relationship made him sick. Chase always thought he was over it, but the trauma lingered. He was still repairing his relationship with the brother who outed him to his dad and changed his life forever.
He was grateful for the bracelet Madison made for him, and he used it as a fidget toy to settle his nerves during the game, spinning its beads over and over.
Since being outed, Chase had done his best to be honest with everyone in his life, but something had been holding him back from Tobias. A relationship would be a big deal for him, especially a public one, so he’d ignored his growing feelings. But he couldn’t deny them any longer.
As he watched Tobias stretch on the ice during the pregame warmup, he could only think one thing.
I’m in love with Tobias.
The truth had stared him in the face for so long.
Chase knew better than to think it started before he’d ever met him. Sure, he had always been a fan, but that didn’t mean he knew Tobias well enough to truly love him.
Idolatry turned into mutual respect, and Chase fell harder every day, that much was obvious.
“There’s Oby!” Madison squealed, dragging Chase out of his depressing thoughts. “What’s he doing?”
Chase cleared his throat to remove the lump before he answered. “He’s stretching so he doesn’t get hurt when the game starts.”
Typically, he would have been squirming in his seat watching Tobias do his extensive goalie stretches, but now it only made him want to hug the man, to make sure he was ready for the game, to tell him no matter how well he played, Chase was proud of him for stepping onto the ice in the first place.
He only wished Tobias was brave enough for a real relationship.
Chase understood why he wasn’t, but that didn’t make it hurt any less.
Instead of wearing his Moyer jersey—the one Tobias didn’t know existed—Chase wore a black long-sleeved Inferno shirt featuring Phil the Phoenix.
The mascot was always a safe choice, and he giggled with Madison when they spotted the bird in question messing with some Boston fans in the crowd.
Philadelphia was known for its unhinged mascots, and that included Phil. His wide eyes were haunting, and Chase always tried to avoid his gaze. Madison, on the other hand, managed to sleep with a stuffed Phil on a nightly basis. She was made of stronger stuff than him.
