Page 68 of Broken
Aaron is sitting at the bar in the kitchen when I come around the corner, eating something that looks like a veggie omelet, I’m sure, since he went out and bought a ton of food not long after we got here. The dude is meticulous about his diet.
He looks up from his phone, his fork halfway to his mouth when he puts it back down.
“Hey, man.” He nods, watching me carefully with tension suddenly tightening his shoulders.
“What?” I turn to face him instead of getting coffee first.
“The entire team knows about Eli.”
Fuck.
That was not the way I want it to come out, but fuck it, it’s done now. I don’t know how to feel or what to think. I’m relieved it’s out and I don’t have to do it, but what now? How did everyone handle it? Am I going to get traded? Is it public now or just the locker room knows?
I lean against the counter and pinch the bridge of my nose while I try to wrap my head around it. I’ve hidden this part of who I am from everyone except Eli for my entire life. Now, just like that, it’s out, and I can’t get it back. Do I want to? No, I don’t think so. I want Eli, and if this is what needs to happen for me to keep him, then so fucking be it. But will it be the end of my career?
Is this a life raft offering me safety, or an anchor coming to drown me?
“And? What now?” I finally ask in the silence of the room.
“It’s hot news, but I expect it to die down soon. From what I’ve seen, there have been a few jokes that weren’t really okay, but they got shut down quickly.” He shrugs like my life isn’t on the line and he doesn’t have a front-row seat.
“Let me guess. Marshall and Collins?” Dudes are assholes who will try to exploit anything they deem as a weakness. We’ve gone at it a few times over the years.
He nods and picks his fork back up to shove food into his face.
“Where’s the boyfriend?” he asks around a mouthful of food.
The term makes me smile, helps ease the stress of everyone knowing.
“He’s asleep. Does just the team know or was there something posted online?” I turn to grab a mug from the cupboard and fill it with coffee.
“Just the team as far as I can tell, though I’m not sure Tweedledee and Tweedledum will keep a lid on it for long.”
That’s a damn good point.
“Dude, did you sleep in your suit?” He eyes me with disgust. “How was that comfortable?”
“It wasn’t.” Eli’s sleep-rough voice comes from the doorway, and we both turn to look at him. His curls are sticking up like he stuck his finger in a light socket, eyes puffy from crying, and wearing a rumpled suit. He’s fucking beautiful, and he’s mine.
“Coffee?” I ask as I grab a cup and fill it, leaving room for creamer.
He grumbles an unintelligible sound and shuffles toward me, only pausing to look in the fridge.
“What kind of monster doesn’t have creamer? Not even half and half,” he whines, which makes me chuckle.
“Hang on, I know a trick.” In the pantry I dig around until I find a can of sweetened condensed milk and a can opener. Eli eyes me suspiciously as I come back and spoon some into his cup before stirring it around to dissolve. “You may want a splash of milk, but that should work.”
He doesn’t look convinced but wraps both hands around the mug and lifts it to his lips. Once the hot brew has hit his tongue, he pulls it away and looks at it with surprise and confusion.
“How did you know about this?” he asks, still inspecting his cup like I’ve performed magic and he’s trying to figure it out.
I shrug. “It was something Mom used to do sometimes. I haven’t thought about it until I came back here.”
Aaron flicks his gaze back and forth between us, trying not to be obvious that he’s watching us but failing.
Eli sets his mug down and looks up at me. “When are you going back to San Diego?”
Aaron freezes mid-chew, his eyes meeting mine.