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CHAPTER THIRTEEN

MYLES

T he next morning, after satisfying blow jobs in bed with Cooper, because how could we not with him holding my cock all night, I slid on some athletic shorts and met Ace in the kitchen. “What’s for breakfast?” I knew he’d be cooking something.

“Eggs, bacon and bagels?” He set a plate of fresh bagels on the counter. “Look at these bad boys. Picked them up at Costco yesterday.”

“Nice.” I hadn’t known he’d gone shopping. I padded to the coffeemaker and poured a coffee from the carafe. Ace had been busy already. “Where were you and Zoma last night?”

“Out with his friend, Nova. We hit a few bars in Scottsdale that she wanted to try.” He grabbed a frying pan from a bottom cupboard and set it on the stovetop. “How was the gay bar with Cooper?” He glanced toward the hallway leading to the bedroom.

“Good.” A smile crept over my lips as I poured creamer into my coffee and stirred. “We’re boyfriends now.” I glanced at Ace.

“Are you?” He side-hugged me and patted my back. “That’s great, Myles. You two seem so happy together.” He lifted bacon out of a package, set it in the frying pan, and it crackled .

“Is Zoma at the rink already with his kids?” I sipped my coffee, and it warmed my insides. Zoma was fast becoming the figure skating coach he’d always wanted to be.

“Yep. He left me to fend for myself again.” Ace gave me an exaggerated sigh, lifting the back of his hand to his forehead.

“Oh, no.” I rolled my eyes.

Cooper stepped out of the hallway, his black shorts hung low on his hips, his gorgeous muscles on full display and his hair a dark mop. He rubbed his eyes. “Do I smell bacon?”

“You do.” Ace set more bacon in the pan and cracked eggs over another one. “Help yourself to a bagel and I’ve got coffee made.”

“Oh, good. I’m starved after the game last night.” His gaze crept to mine, and a smirk worked over his mouth. “And the after party.” He dropped onto a stool at the kitchen island counter.

“I’ll make you some coffee.” I poured him a cup, added creamer, and handed it to him. Here we were, behaving like an old married couple again, and it felt so natural.

“Ace, I have a question for you.” Cooper blew over his coffee and then sipped it.

“Yeah? Shoot.” With a glance at Cooper, Ace flipped bacon in the pan with a fork.

“My parents want to come for Thanksgiving, and I thought it would be nice to have them.” He twisted his lips. “Is that okay? Like, what plans do you and Zoma have?”

Ace twisted around, holding up his fork, and eyed Cooper. “Do they know you’re living in sin here with Myles? Are you out?” His gaze darted between us.

“N-no, but I plan to come out to them soon.” Setting his cup down, he straightened. “I discussed this with Myles last night.”

Ace’s gaze landed on me. “Myles, are you coming out to your family?” He hooked a brow.

“I…am.” I breathed, calming the tightness in my chest. How had this become about me? “After I get signed by an agent. ”

Shaking the fork at me, Ace said, “It’s about fucking time.

” He flipped more bacon and pushed the eggs around with a spatula.

“I don’t have plans with Zoma yet. But with the hockey season starting, I’ll only have Thanksgiving Day off and I’m traveling the night before, so…

” He shook his head. “We have no plans.”

“Would you mind if I had my parents here?” Cooper held his hand out to me.

Taking his hand, I stepped next to him, and he wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me into his side. Did he realize how much affection he showed me? I edged closer to him, his body heat warming me.

“I don’t mind at all.” Ace threw me a smirk. “Especially if they have no problems with you and Myles being together.”

“I don’t think they’ll have a problem with it.” He hugged me to his side. “In fact, I think I’ll call them today.” With a grin, he drank his coffee.

I sputtered as my heart about stopped. “Today?” Holy fuck, this was coming at me at breakneck speed.

“Yeah, let’s just do it.” He planted a sloppy kiss on my belly. “Right?”

“Right.” Quirking a brow, Ace gave me a pointed look. “I like this guy, Myles.”

Following breakfast and cleaning, Cooper texted his parents to arrange a call. He thought today would work, since his mom didn’t have a shift at the hospital. As he sat at the dinette, finishing an assignment for one of his classes, his phone buzzed. He picked it up.

I glanced at him from the couch. I’d been finishing a chapter in one of my books and Ace had gone off to the gym for a workout .

After tapping his phone, he met my gaze. “Hey, Myles, my parents are ready to talk now.”

“Now?” I hopped off the couch with my book in my hand, my pulse sparking to life. “I’ll be in my room to give you some privacy.” I didn’t want to be privy to negative comments, and who knew what they’d say? No, this would be a family moment he needed to have alone with them.

“Okay, but come here first.” He held out his arm.

I strolled to him. “Yeah?”

Pulling on my arm, he bent me over to place a lingering kiss on my mouth. “You look nervous.”

“I am.” I pushed my lips together. I didn’t want to make him nervous, too. “Look, just call to me if you want me to talk to them.”

“Okay.” He freed my arm and dialed his phone. It rang a few times and picked up. “Hey, Mom.”

“Hi, Cooper. I hope everything’s all right,” she said.

Shit, he wasn’t waiting for me to leave.

I strode into my room, shut the door and rested my back against it, panting .

Okay, Myles, what’s the worst thing that could happen?

My gaze darted across my room. It’s the room where we had sex and where we slept together all night.

They could disown him as a son. But did parents do that anymore?

My breathing calmed, and I stepped away from the door, his soft voice filtering through.

I didn’t want to listen, but fuck, I wanted to hear what he was saying. I threw my book on the bed and bit my lower lip. Maybe just a little. I pressed my ear to the door.

“Yes, I’m bisexual and I have a boyfriend,” Cooper said.

“Oh, my gosh. I didn’t know.” His mother’s voice said.

A man’s voice came through. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure, Dad. You guys know him. It’s Myles from high school. The hockey player?”

“Fuck.” I jogged away from the door and threw myself on the bed on my stomach. What if they didn’t like me? They’d been nice the few times I’d been to his house, but maybe they wouldn’t even remember me. I pulled at my bangs.

“Myles?” Knocking sounded through the room. “Can you come out here?”

My breath snagged, and my heart pounded in my ears. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.” I hopped off the bed and smoothed my hair around my face and then pulled my athletic shirt over my shorts. Maybe I should have dressed better?

“Myles?” The door swung open, and Cooper gave me a warm smile. “Come on, they want to talk to you.” He waved me to him.

“Why?” I covered my mouth with my hand and stepped toward him. That was stupid.

Cocking his head, he said, “It’s cool. They were shocked, but they accepted it. Dad just wanted to be sure it wasn’t a phase.” He clicked his tongue. “You are not a phase.”

“Okay.” Following him into the kitchen, I clenched and opened my hands. What should I say to them? I’d never done this before.

Cooper grabbed my hand, leading me to the table where he’d set his phone against a napkin holder. “Mom and Dad, this is Myles.” Dropping into a chair, he patted the next one over and slid it beside him.

I sunk into the chair and forced myself to look at the screen of his phone. “Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Hayes.” I gave them a weak wave and flashed a grin.

“Hi Myles, it’s so nice to see you again.” His mother, her hazel eyes so much like her son’s, smiled at me. Her brown hair was in a ponytail. She tagged Mr. Hayes’s arm. “Jim, say something.” Her attention drew to the screen. “You can call us Caroline and Jim. No need to be so formal.”

Jim stared into the phone, his mouth gaping. “I uh…” He rubbed the top of his balding head and then pushed his dark-rimmed glasses up his nose. “Hello, Myles. Still playing hockey, I hear? ”

Taking a hard swallow, I said, “Yeah, I’m uh, my season hasn’t begun yet, but I’m playing right winger on the starting line, eh.” Okay, talking sports was easy.

Cooper swung his arm around my shoulders and rested his head against mine. “Myles moved here to play hockey with a group of guys who are all queer. He’s friends with Archer Carlson, Mason Hopkins and Ace McAdams, who all play for the Coyotes.”

“Damn, kid, that’s some company you keep.” A smile stretched over Jim’s face. “Are you getting ready for the draft this year?”

“Uh no.” I chuckled. Fuck, I didn’t even have an agent yet. “Hockey contracts don’t work the same as football. Some of us are drafted through the junior leagues or…” I was about to make myself look like a loser. “Or in our last year of college. It all depends.”

“He has an agent who’s talking to him. Same agent who worked with Tyler Hodge who started playing for the Blackhawks this year, right?” Cooper beamed at me.

“Yeah, same as Tyler’s.” The only reason Dean was looking at me might be Tyler. If it weren’t for all my friends, I might be nowhere right now. Slumping my shoulders, I forced a grin.

“The Blackhawks, damn.” Jim whistled. “Is there a place to watch your games, son?”

He called me son? My pulse slowed as my heart turned gooey. “Yes, we have a YouTube feed where you can watch all the games.” I glanced at Cooper, still giving me a broad smile.

“Enough sports.” Caroline came closer to their phone. “Is Cooper treating you all right? He’s somewhat self-centered.” She smirked.

“Mom.” Cooper lifted his brows.

I leaned against Cooper’s side. Cooper’s mother, though always working, had been the one to keep him humble. “He’s been very uh…” I snuck a peek at him. “Affectionate and caring.” I mean, hell, he wasn’t holding anything back .