Page 35

SILAS

M ARRIED?

The word pinged repeatedly in my brain, sounding off loudly, like a slot machine winner in Vegas.

Ding, ding, ding, you’ve won the jackpot!

It was a brilliant improvisation on Damien’s part, and one that might salvage my epic fuck-up.

I should’ve known better than to grab him in the hallway, but it was too late for regrets. What was more surprising than the suggestion we were married? I more than liked the sound of being Damien’s husband, fake or not.

Do you take Damien to be your husband?

I do. I do. I do.

“Married?” the reporter scoffed. “You two are claiming to be husbands? Seriously?”

“Yes,” I replied, amazed at how calm I sounded, and how easily the lie slid off my tongue. My heart was racing faster than ever. “We are.”

The reporter’s widened gaze bounced between me and Damien.

“How old are you again?” he asked me.

“I’m twenty-two. And as my husband stated, we’re none of your business.”

The reporter narrowed his eyes at Damien. “How come no one said anything about this when I arrived today?”

“It didn’t apply,” Damien replied calmly.

“A college coach is married to one of his players and that’s not important enough to mention? Right. I’m going to Dean Chancer to verify this information.”

“Go for it,” Damien bit out. “Now I’m telling you again, it’s time for you to leave.”

The guy shoved the camera in his carrying case and stomped off down the hallway. I waited and watched until he exited the building.

I turned to Damien. “I’m so fucking sorry.”

“It was only a matter of time, right? We knew that,” Damien whispered. “Still, what the fuck did I do?”

“You solved our problem.”

“Or, I made it ten times worse. Because now everyone’s going to want proof. The only thing left is for us to do is to actually?—”

“Get married?” I offered.

“Jesus.”

“I’m in.”

“Silas—”

“You heard me, Damien. Let’s get married. For real.”

He stared at me. “Baby, this is crazy.”

“Not as crazy as things will get when Dave finds out about us.”

“Fuck! I have to warn Dave?—”

Damien pulled out his phone, tapped it, and held it up to his ear. He paced the floor.

“Hey, are you at home?... Oh, okay… I need to talk to you… No, it can’t wait until tomorrow…

Your place, at nine? Yes, that works. But listen, whatever you do, do not take any calls from that reporter that was here today, okay?

... Why? Just don’t, not before I talk to you. Promise me? … Okay, thanks, bye.”

Damien shoved his phone back in his pocket. “He’s going to rip me a new one.”

“You’re not going alone. I’m going with you,” I stated.

“Probably best that I go see him alone.”

“No, baby. I got us in this mess. I’m not letting you take the heat.”

Damien sighed, his eyes filled with resignation. “I’d say we’re both to blame. I’m so sorry. I don’t know why the fuck I blurted out that we’re married. I thought it was the only way to protect you. But I’ll have to come clean with Dave. I know what I have to do.”

“No! There’s no blame. And I’m sick of feeling like we’ve done something wrong. You and I are not wrong. And you’re not falling on your sword or some other dramatic bullshit.”

Damien finally smiled and reached for me, silencing my words with a soft kiss.

“Tell me how you really feel,” he teased.

Despite the drama that was about to unfold, I was steady, centered. I reached for his wrists, holding on tight.

Damien was my rock, my home. He hadn’t lied. We were in love, and we were committed to each other.

“I love you, and I want to be with you openly,” I whispered before giving him another kiss. “So, let’s make a stop before we head to see the dean.”

“Where?” Damien asked.

“Come on, husband , you’re a smart man,” I quipped. “You can figure it out.”

I didn’t need to say anything else. Awareness dawned in Damien’s vivid blues.

“Silas—”

“You know I’m right,” I insisted. “I’ve got your heart now, remember? And I’m gonna take good care of it. Always.”

“This is crazy—” Damien paused, licking his lips.

“This is us. It feels right. Doesn’t it?”

Damien stared at me and nodded. That was all I needed.

I was done hiding.

I took Damien’s hand and pulled him towards the exit.

There were no cars remaining in the parking lot, save for my truck and Damien’s SUV.

I guided him to my pickup, and he got in, no hesitation.

I floored it out of the campus parking lot, turned down Main Street, and drove another seven blocks, until I spotted city hall.

Neither of us said a word as I parked.

We got out of the truck, and as soon as I rounded the hood, Damien reached for my hand. In public. There was no fear, no trepidation, no question.

We stalked into the building as a couple. I’d never been prouder or surer of anything in my life.

An hour later, we emerged, still hand in hand. But now, it was official.

Damien Banning was my husband.

Fucking hell, this was beyond wild. Hockey players don’t do anything by half measure, and we were no exception. We stood for a moment on the steps and locked eyes, then both of us burst out laughing.

“All or nothing, baby,” I said as I squeezed his hand.

“Our worlds are about to implode, you know that?” Damien replied. “What’s your family going to think?”

“They’ll be happy for me. You’ve already charmed them. What about yours?”

“They’ll be… surprised. I haven’t even told them I’m bi yet,” Damien added.

“Is that going to be an issue?”

“No.” Damien paused. “At least, I don’t think so.”

“What about your ex-wife?”

“Ugh, don’t even mention her.” Damien sighed. “She’ll be fine. Except, she’ll probably accuse me of stealing her wedding spotlight.”

“And Dave?”

“He’s going to be more than pissed.”

We arrived at Dave’s around nine, and yes, Damien was right. As we stood on the porch, Damien wouldn’t let go of my hand, and even though we didn’t have rings yet, there was no mistaking the possessive way we held onto each other.

Damien didn’t have to say anything as his friend ushered us inside and completely lost it.

Dave was angry. More than angry. Thank fuck we were in his house and not on campus…

“No, no, no!” Dave shouted as he looked between us. “Are you shitting me? Damien, what the fuck is going on here?”

“I think it’s obvious what’s going on with me and Silas. I was going to tell you sooner but?—”

“You’re sleeping with one of your players? Have you totally lost your mind?! Throwing away your career for a fuck?” Dave yelled.

“Calm down, Dave,” Damien warned, his glare in full effect. “Silas is my husband, so watch your mouth.”

I didn’t think Dave’s jaw could drop any lower, but it did.

“This is a joke, right? You can’t be serious?”

Damien shook his head. “Not a joke. Not at all. And we’re coming out. That reporter who was on sight today? He caught me and Silas kissing in the hallway?—”

Dave made a strangled sound, like he was choking.

“Anyway,” Damien continued. “I wanted to warn you. The reporter wants to verify my claim that Silas and I are married.”

“For real?”

Damien nodded.

“I can’t believe you’ve done this,” Dave repeated, his voice hoarse. “It’s like I don’t know you at all.”

“Dave, listen to me,” Damien insisted, letting go of my hand to step in front of his friend. “Silas and I are married, okay? This is not a fling. We’re both adults and we chose each other. We’re in love.”

Dave started walking back, until he slumped against the wall.

“How do you want me to react to this, D? As your friend, I’m upset you didn’t confide in me. I mean, I didn’t even know you were queer.” Dave sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “And as your boss, I have no choice but to put you on administrative leave as of right now.”

“No!” I shouted. “That’s bullshit.”

“You don’t get a say in this, Silas, and don’t think you’re off the hook either,” Dave warned, pointing at me. “You’re also going to face disciplinary action for your behavior.”

“For what? Being married?” I spat out. “I don’t think so.”

“This is such a clusterfuck,” Dave muttered. “I have to inform Nora, our media team?—”

“Do what you need to do,” Damien bit out. “I’m sorry you had to find out like this, but how was I going to tell you? I knew how you’d react. But I won’t apologize for how I feel. Whether you like it or not, Silas is a permanent part of my life.”

“Your life is about to unravel,” Dave hit back. “You hit rock bottom before, Damien. You know how hard it is to get back up. But I don’t know that your career can survive this. What then?”

An overwhelming sense of panic, a fear I hadn’t felt in two years, not since Jo’s surgery, suddenly washed over me. If Damien lost his coaching career, lost hockey for good, what would happen? It was the one constant in his life.

This was all my fault. All of it.

“Damien—” I started, feeling like I was going to throw up.

He turned and recognized the look on my face. I didn’t need to say a word.

“I’ll take my leave,” he said and turned back to Dave. “You can find someone else to run the camp or cancel it.”

I thought about my teammates, and how all of this was going to impact them.

Fuck. Too late.

“Give me your work phone and the keys to your office,” Dave requested as he held out his hand.

I watched as Damien passed over his stuff, his hand visibly trembling. Then he reached for me.

“Let’s go.”

I took his hand again, both of us shaking, and we headed back outside.

“Baby, are you okay?” I asked.

“I was going to ask you the same thing.”

“Did I ruin your life?” I whispered, my voice cracking. “Your job, the team, your friendship with Dave?—”

Damien shook his head, his lips pressed together.

“No. It’s going to be all right. Dave will come around once the shock wears off.

It might take another apology, or several, but personally, he’ll forgive me.

Professionally, I don’t know what’s going to happen.

But the camp and the team will continue on, and so will you, whether I’m on leave or not.

As to my job, I don’t know. Right now, I’m more concerned about you. ”

“You say that now, but?—”

“We made a promise to each other, and I meant every word. Did you?”

“Of course I did.” I cupped his face and brought him in to seal my words with a kiss. “Baby, I did. I do.”

“Then whatever happens next, we figure it out. Together.”

He kissed me soundly, and my fears subsided.

“We need to talk to your family, and I need to call mine,” Damien added. “Then I’ll get on the phone with my lawyer.”

Jo was finishing his shift at the driving range, so I called him to let him know I was on the way to pick him up. Damien, meanwhile, texted his brother and sister to arrange a video call for tonight. He also texted Selwin to tell him what happened since they were due to meet up in town for dinner.

We broke the news to Jo on the ride to the nursing home to see Dad. My brother wasn’t surprised. Well, being married, yes. At me and Damien as a couple, no. Apparently, I was shit at hiding from him too.

“What’s going to happen next?” Jo asked. “I mean, where are we going to live?”

I glanced at Damien. Just before we’d said our vows, I’d reminded him that me and Josiah were a package deal.

“I’d like us to move in with Damien, but we have time to work it out. We can either keep the house and rent it or sell it. I think I’d be more comfortable renting it for now.”

“Cool,” Jo replied and patted my shoulder. “Now I can relax about heading off to college in a year.”

“What?”

“I was worried about you, Si. You’re always at school, or working, and you never let anyone help you. I always worry, who’s going to look after you? Now, with Damien, I don’t have to.”

“Jo—”

“Plus, when you go pro, Damien can help you navigate all that. And best of all, he makes you smile.”

I got choked up and couldn’t speak for a moment. Damien reached for my thigh and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

Despite Jo’s approval, I was worried.

“It’s not going to be easy, Jo. A lot of people will talk when word of my relationship with Damien gets out.”

“So what?” Jo shrugged. “After losing mom and almost losing dad, I know what’s important. If you’re happy, I’m good. I don’t give a crap what other people think.”

“Spoken like your brother.” Damien chuckled.

“I thought of something else, Si. You need to change the name on your jersey,” Jo continued. “Given that you’re Silas Banning now.”

“I like the sound of that,” Damien replied and leaned over to kiss my cheek. “What do you say, husband?”

I glanced at Damien.

“I think it’s more than changing my jersey. I need a new tattoo to celebrate.”

“Maybe we could both get one?” Damien offered.

“What would yours say?” I quipped.

Damien’s grin was lethal.

“Taken.”