Page 16 of Something to Prove
I had so much rage for that guy…and curiosity.
Moreover, I didn’t trust Walker, and that old saying “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer” made a whole lot of sense. I couldn’t do that without letting Jett know what was going on.
“Who waters the plants?” I asked, ignoring his jibe about my memory.
“We both do,” Jett replied, flashing an indulgent grin. “Malcolm has a green thumb, but I’m getting there too. I helped bring that one in the corner back to life like a fucking magician. Her name is Agnes. She was shriveled and had two scrawny leaves last winter, and then we got a hold of her. We repotted the plant, put her near a window, fed her some special secret elixir and watered her regularly, andboom…she’s a beauty.”
“How do you know it’s a girl?”
“I don’t, but Malcolm on the other hand, knows their Latin names. For real. I think Agnes is short for something like agneminicus maximus.”
I snorted. “You pulled that out of thin fucking air.”
“Yup.” Jett smiled around his beer bottle, setting it on the island with a clang. “What’s up with next year’s superstar rookie?”
I rolled my eyes. “The usual—partying with Langley and the guys, pretending I know shit about algebra while fighting off puck bunnies, and…dodging interview requests from the geek atWhat’s New, Smithton?”
His gaze narrowed. “The redheaded influencer dude?”
“Yep.”
Jett whistled. “Guy’s got balls, I’ll give him that.”
I nodded in agreement and gave Jett a brief rundown of my recent run-ins with Walker, excluding the scene in the alley.
Trust me, I didn’t want to go there with anyone. I knew Jett wouldn’t have been scandalized by a sketchy hookup with a football player, but I didn’t need anyone reminding me that I had more to lose now than ever.
Lectures about self-control and propriety had been a hot topic with my agent recently. The Jackals had taken a chance signing an out bisexual player. They liked my energy on and off the ice, and they loved my stats. They also needed a PR boost.
Last season, one of their players made the news for trashing a hotel room he shared with two naked women while his pregnant wife was home with their toddler. And another player posted a homophobic drunken tirade online.
The answer…me.
The problem…also me. I had a reputation.
Generally, it was a good one. I was charming, even-tempered, and a lot of fun at a party.
And I was careful. I played by the rules and only bent them when no one was looking. But what worked at Smithton might not fly in the real world, and I had the strange sensation that my actions sort of mattered. Talk about a fuckload of pressure.
I wasn’t sorry I’d come out, but anyone would agree that I wasn’t an exciting bi specimen. I’d spent a while in the closet, and old habits died hard. I dated women in public and fucked men in private. That might never change ’cause at the end of the day, I didn’t want to talk about my sex life or be some kind of bisexual ambassador. I just wanted to play hockey.
I could handle the Walker saga on my own, but damn, I needed to talk to someone or I’d go nuts. Jett was one of my best friends, and he had experience with the public part of being an out athlete.
My friend studied me for a beat. “Listen to Toby and do the interview. And take Walker up on the social media boost while you’re at it.”
“You think so?”
“It’s a no-brainer, Ty. Walker’s good at his job and he feels guilty about fucking up with me and Malcolm, which means he’ll be extra careful to get things right with you.”
“Hmm. Maybe.”
“If you’re here for my blessing or some shit, you’ve got it,” Jett assured me with a wry grin. “I’m done being angry, and I have been for a while. I love my life. I have an amazing boyfriend, good friends, a cool house with lots of plants, a cat who sleeps on my head,and…I get paid to play hockey. Jackpot!”
“Sounds pretty sweet,” I commented, unnerved by a rogue wave of envy.
Weird. I mean, c’mon…I might not have a boyfriend, girlfriend, plants, or a cat, but I was the one going to the AHL.
“It is, and I wouldn’t change a thing. I don’t think about the past, Ty. No regrets, no grudges. I’m out of the equation, so you do you. But my advice is go for it. You have nothing to lose.”