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“Sometimes?” I interrupt with a smirk.

He shoots me a halfhearted glare before continuing. “—but that doesn’t mean I don’t care. Alex is a brother to me, and I’d do anything to protect him. The same goes for you now, by extension.”

“Wow. Who knew the hockey team’s resident Grumpy Cat has a heart of gold underneath all that snark?”

He shrugs, but I can see the hint of a smile forming. “Yeah, well, us gays gotta stick together, right? Especially in the face of adversity and all that bullshit.”

I laugh and bump my shoulder against his. And then it hits me.Us gays?“Wait, you’re gay?”

Kyle pins me with an expression that says I’m the biggest idiot on the planet. “Uh, yeah? Did you think I was just an extremely passionate ally or something?”

I sputter, trying to wrap my head around this revelation. “But…but you’re so…I mean, you don’t seem…”

“What, I don’t fit your stereotypes of how a gay guy should act? Newsflash, Elliot, we don’t all prance around in pink and glitter.”

“No, that’s not what I meant! I just—I had no idea. Does Gerard know?”

Kyle snorts derisively. “Of course, Gerard knows. The whole team knows. Alex, too.”

My jaw drops open. “Even Alex knows? Wow. I think I’m the last one to get the memo.”

“Maybe if you pulled your head out of your books once in a while, you’d pick up on these things.” He says it jokingly, but there’s an undercurrent of truth that bites.

“I’m observant!” I protest weakly. “I notice…stuff.”

“Uh-huh. Sure you do.” Kyle picks up his pace, his long legs effortlessly carrying him ahead of me.

I have to do an awkward little half jog to keep up with him. “Hey, wait! I have so many questions! Like, how did you know? And when did you come out? Do your parents know?”

Kyle groans and walks even faster, leaving me trailing behind him. “God, you’re annoying. This isn’t Twenty Questions, Elliot. I’m not going to spill my entire life story simply because we happen to play for the same team.”

“But—”

“No buts!” He whirls around suddenly and jabs a finger at my chest. “Listen up, pipsqueak. Just because we’re both gay doesn’t mean we’re going to be besties now, braiding each other’s hair and talking about boys. I’m still the same sarcastic asshole I’ve always been.”

I hold my hands up in surrender. “Okay, okay! Message received. No heart-to-hearts.”

He eyes me warily for a moment before giving a curt nod. “Good. Glad we got that straight. Or, well, not straight, but you know what I mean.”

I can’t help but laugh at that, and after a beat, Kyle joins in, albeit reluctantly. It isn’t until I get to my class that I realize letting that little truth bomb slip was Kyle’s plan all along. I’ve completely forgotten about being the talk of the campus.

A nice warmcup of coffee would do wonders for me right now. But I don’t want to walk into The Brew. Not after the day I’ve been having. It’s only a few days before Thanksgiving, and I had hoped the rumors about Gerard and I being an item would have blown over by now.

If anything, they’ve only gotten worse.

What were once whispers and subtly snide remarks have escalated into outright comments to my face that Gerard deserves to be with someone better, cooler, and more attractive. I don’t know if it’s because they want Gerard themselves or if it’s more aboutthem seeing me as a threat to his chances of winning another Frozen Four. Either way, it’s been wearing me down.

Gerard, bless his heart, has been doing everything he can to make me smile. Date nights, movie nights, even reading my favorite books aloud and blushing at the steamy parts. He’s been the best boyfriend I could have ever asked for and puts all the men in my favorite romance novels to shame.

As I continue hovering outside The Brew, debating whether to brave the storm of judgmental stares and snide remarks inside, another member of the Hockey House seeks me out.

This time, it’s Drew Larney in all his cocky, flirtatious glory. He’s wearing a backward baseball cap, a pair of black joggers, and a smirk that says he knows exactly how good he looks. “Well, well, well. If it isn’t Elliot Montgomery, one-half of the campus’s It couple.” He stops in front of me and places his hands on his hips. “What are you doing loitering out here like a lost kitten?”

“I’m not loitering. I’m…contemplating.”

“Contemplating what? Whether to grace The Brew with your adorable presence? I’m sure they’re dying to coo all over you in there.”

“More like dying to serve me a piece of their mind.”