"Rhys and I are together. It’s not that surprising." Duncan says with a squeeze of my palm.
"Yes it is." Bryson states. "But, well, is Rhys considered a HAB?"
"A what?" I ask.
"Husband and boyfriend." Bryson clarifies. "I’m the world’s best for Jojo here."
"Don’t call me that." Jo rolls her eyes.
"Yes, by the nature of the fact he is my boyfriend, he’s considered a HAB." Duncan sits back down and throws his arm across the back of my chair. Leaning back like a king on a throne.
"We’ll get you a jacket!" Harper grins.
"We have to clinch the playoffs first." Aiden presses a kiss to her temple.
"And, we’re not really going public yet." I hedge with a tentative look at Duncan. "My PR team is working on it so, we’re excited for you all to know but it doesn’t leave this room."
"Can I tell Crosby?" Duncan asks me quickly.
"Of course, babe."
"Babe." Harper swoons.
Duncan throws a wink in her direction.
Conversation continues, Emmett’s grandmother mentions something about the physics of the pie filling. It feels natural to be here, easy, inevitable.
I’m less and less worried about how we’ll announce our relationship publicly with each passing moment.
Duncan finishes his pie and then swipes a piece of mine. I swat his hand away playfully and he pouts.
"ButbabeI’m hungry."
"Unbelievable." I shake my head as I slide the plate in front of him.
"I’m not worried about Duncan contending for the world’s best HAB title. I’m worried about Rhys." Bryson complains.
"You should be very worried about me." Duncan points his fork at his teammate. "I’m going to support my rockstar boyfriend way better than you support your soccer star fiancée."
Bryson stands. "Oh yeah?"
"Yeah!" Duncan stands.
The two face off across the table.
Jo and I just shake our heads with each other.
"You’re both the best okay?" I try to reason and pull Duncan back down into his seat.
"That’s not possible." Bryson complains. "One of us has to be better than the other."
"Can we come up with divisions?" Jo suggests.
"What do you mean?" Duncan narrows his eyes at her.
"Well, HABs can be the best in different categories. Like it wouldn’t be fair to compare supporting my soccer career with supporting Rhys’s music."
Bryson’s arms are crossed over his chest and he runs his tongue across his teeth behind his lip.
