Page 34 of Striking the Match (Redwood Bay Fire #3)

He shakes his head, however, and reaches out to entangle our fingers together.

“No, I love it. It makes me feel seen. Like…um, like you’re celebrating me being here.

Like I’m allowed to be big and take up space.

That’s why I said I’ll have to get used to it.

Just because it’s different doesn’t mean it’s not good. Great, even.”

I beam at him and rub my thumb against his fingers. “I see you, Theodore Foster,” I tell him. “You deserve to take up space. And if it keeps earning me all those delicious blushes, you bet your ass I’ma keep joshing with you.”

He giggles and smiles around the lip of his beer bottle. Memories of his lips wrapped around another similarly shaped object send my pulse racing. I lick my lips, trying to recall what else we were supposed to discuss. That was enough serious talking for now, surely?

“So, um, about yesterday,” he prompts.

Damn. That certainly pours a metaphorical bucket of cold water on the desires I had brewing. Later, I promise myself.

“Right, yeah,” I say, taking a swig of beer before placing the bottle down on a coaster and giving him my full attention. “Are you all right?”

“Apart from logging out of all my social media accounts, I’m doing okay,” he says with a rueful laugh.

I wince and squeeze his hand. “It’ll calm down, I promise.

People will move onto the new hot gossip by next week.

Maybe even in a couple of days. In the meantime, I’d like to schedule some time for you to sit down with Bryan so he can update some security settings for you and give you some advice on how best to navigate being online moving forward. ”

“I don’t want to ever do anything to embarrass you,” he says urgently.

“Oh, no, baby,” I say, my heart melting. “I mean, I appreciate that. But I’m talking about you protecting yourself. It’s advice you might want to pass on to your friends and family as well if they’re worried. This attention really shouldn’t impact your life so much.”

“It just takes a little forward planning,” he says, echoing back words I’ve said to him before.

“Exactly,” I say, proud of him. “So long as you’re absolutely sure I’m worth all this effort.

You’ve experienced firsthand now some of the baggage I come with.

I am completely in if you are,” I say before he can misinterpret my words, and I’m rewarded with a flicker of relief across his face.

“But this wasn’t how we wanted to handle the start of our relationship, and I know it’s been a pill to swallow. ”

“I think it does suck it was taken out of our hands like that,” he agrees solemnly. “Like someone else outing your sexuality. It wasn’t those girls’ news to share, and I really hope they learn from this.”

I can’t help but laugh affectionately. “You’re more generous than Bryan.

He wanted to slap them with an infringement of privacy suit until I reminded him that we were out in public, so it wouldn’t hold.

He then just wanted to sue them for being selfish dicks, but my momma sweet-talked him down from that one. ”

He laughs, showing off that left dimple, and I can feel the tension easing from both of us.

To help that along, I pick up my drink for another sip.

I get the feeling that even though we’ve had a couple of similar conversations over the past few days, neither of us were really trusting that the other was all in and that this relationship stood a chance.

Now…it feels like we’re both operating with a little more faith and hope.

That sounds like the same page to me.

“It was always going to be a bit crazy, though, right?” Teddy continues. “No matter what we did. You coming out when you were still playing was a massive deal, and a good thing for a lot of people. Some considered it a scandal, but, well, fuck them.” He giggles at his own daring, making me laugh.

“Damn right,” I say, tapping our bottle necks together again. “Fuck those assholes.”

“But,” he continues, “all those people were going to have a similar reaction when you announced your first boyfriend, I reckon, no matter who he was. We just have a particularly interesting origin story, so I can see why the public would be captivated by it. None of it was bad, though. We didn’t cheat on anyone or anything like that.

So once the initial shock dies down, hopefully people might get on board with our movie-worthy meet-cute, yeah? ”

I can’t help but take a moment to marvel at him.

“How are you so perfect?” I utter, earning myself another blush as he squirms. But I just grin and hold his hand a fraction tighter.

“That’s exactly what Bryan and I discussed yesterday at the hospital.

And my mom, actually. She’s dying to meet you, by the way. ”

For a second, his expression is a little goofy. “I’ve never been introduced to anyone’s parents before.”

Pride and something primally possessive curls deliciously in my chest. He might have dated and hooked up way more than me, but there are still firsts we can share together.

“She’s going to love you,” I promise him, lifting his hand so I can kiss the backs of his fingers. “Everyone’s going to love you, Teddy. Which is why Bryan and I came up with a plan.”

He raises his eyebrows. “There’s an actual plan? I though you meant like…vibes going forward or whatever.”

I chuckle. “Oh, there’s an actual plan, a good one. But first, I need to check with you what’s the best and earliest date you and your team are going to be free.”

He tilts his head with curiosity. “The One-Thirteen?” I nod. “What have they got to do with it?”

“Oh, baby,” I say, waggling my eyebrows playfully at him. “We’re gonna have ourselves a shindig!”