Chapter Twenty-Five
Kason
There are lots of hugs and tears from my family as we say goodbye.
I hate leaving them and wish we lived closer, but I’m so glad we got to have this time together and that Anthony was here to enjoy it with us.
Everyone in my family insists on swapping cell numbers with him, reiterating how welcome he is and that they hope to see him soon.
The flight back to LA is less tense than the one to Milwaukee—well, I guess tense isn’t the right word, but he’s happier and more relaxed.
He doesn’t hesitate to hold my hand and show affection.
It’s like a weight has been lifted off him, and I hope that motherfucker stays gone for good. Anthony deserves to just feel good.
We deplane in LA, where a car should be waiting for us out front. The second we step out the door, I see a group of men leaning against the building, cameras in hand.
Shit.
I don’t believe they’re here for us. The paparazzi sometimes hang out at the airport hoping to get a glimpse of someone. Or hell, maybe they are here for us, but I can’t figure out why we would matter that much. Hopefully it’s a coincidence and they don’t recognize us.
“Fuck,” Anthony says, having noticed them.
I look around for our driver but don’t see him waiting, because of course he’s not here. The photographers’ gazes are darting around, and when they see us, one of them hits his colleague in the arm, pointing our way. Here we go. I pull my hat down lower.
“Kason Maddox!” the first guy says, snapping photos as he jogs our way. “You just getting home from Milwaukee?” he asks conversationally, as though we’re friends and he’s not invading our privacy.
“Yep.” My hold on Anthony’s hand tightens.
“Must be serious between you two. How does it feel finding love again after everything you’ve been through, Anthony? To go from a public cheating scandal to dating one of the hockey players from the game where everything was exposed?”
Anthony’s spine immediately straightens, and prickles of discomfort attack my nape, exploding into a type of anger I don’t often feel. “What the fuck is your problem, man? Don’t ask him shit like that.”
People around us pull out phones, all facing our direction. The photographers keep snapping photos, the one doing the talking holding his hands up as if in peace.
“Fuck off,” I tell them.
“Come on, Mads. It’s just a question. Aren’t you the one who’s supposed to be levelheaded? You’re the peacekeeper on the team.”
“That doesn’t mean I accept people being assholes. Where are your manners? Back up. Leave him alone. You guys are piranhas.”
He ignores me and focuses on Anthony. “Do you still talk to Malcolm? How does he feel about your moving on with Kason? And Hayes with Rylan for that matter? Seems like you guys made the best out of that fiasco.”
“Jesus, man. Get out of the way.” I see the car pull up, and my driver gets out. Anthony and I head for the vehicle, and he doesn’t let go of my hand the whole time.
We’re safe inside the car. Before I can ask if he’s okay, he says, “I won’t let them ruin my day…I won’t let them ruin us.”
The tension squeezing at my chest falls away, my breathing coming out easier. That’s exactly what I needed to hear.
“Me neither,” I tell him, then settle in and enjoy the ride.
*
We fall into a routine, or at least, as much of a routine as we can fall into with my hockey schedule.
The Rebels are having a good season, the playoffs getting closer, my life basically consisting of hockey and Anthony.
Every day I’m in town, he stays at my house.
I’ve told him he can stay when I’m traveling too, but it’s not something he’s done yet.
Still, I’ve given him a key and the code to my alarm so he knows he’s always welcome.
He’s changed his schedule around at Lush too, so he’s able to attend more of my home games, and most of the time, Hayes, Donovan, and Eric are coming with him.
The past few weeks have been incredible. We haven’t had any other issues with paparazzi. Some of the bystander videos circled online, but it didn’t pick up much steam. Coach hadn’t been happy with how I responded, but nothing came of that either.
Today we’re leaving for a road trip—Dallas, St. Louis, and Chicago. Rylan’s in the seat beside me on the flight, fidgeting and touching everything like he always does.
“You should try meditation,” I tease.
“Why would I do that? You’re the boring one in this friendship.”
My laugh comes easily. “You dick.”
“I have a great dick,” he teases back.
“You forget I’ve seen it in the locker room. It’s not that impressive.”
“Well, now I know you’re lying. It’s really fucking impressive.”
Rylan joins me in my laughter. When we both calm down, he says, “Hayes told me that Anthony’s been staying at your house nearly every night.”
I cock a brow at him. “Are we playing telephone to get info around now? And like you don’t know he has been.”
“I mean, I figured. You two have gotten pretty serious. It’s good for you. It makes me happy to see you happy. No one deserves it more.”
“Thanks, man. I’m so fucking in love with him. I want to ask him to officially move in. I want to know he’s in my bed every night, even if I’m not there. And when I come home, I want to be able to curl up with him as the perfect welcome back.”
“There’s nothing like it,” Rylan agrees.
“Do you think it’s too soon?”
“You’re in love with him and he’s in love with you, so I don’t see why it is. Once I realized how bad I had it for Hayes, I knew there would never be anyone else for me. When you know, you know. Trust your judgment. I’m sure it’s better than mine, and I was right!”
I smile and nudge him with my arm. “You only had one little mistake with Hayes. And yeah…thanks.” I typically do trust my judgment, and I know how I feel.
I think I’m so nervous because of Anthony’s past, but while Hayes had a different family situation, he has a similar past with Malcolm.
Things have worked out great for Rylan and Hayes.
“Yeah, I think you’re right. Maybe I’ll talk to him about it when we get back. ”
“You should.” He swats my leg. “Dude, we’re totally in love.”
“With each other?” Volkov jokes from the seat in front of us.
“No. With you.” Rylan winks at him.
“Aww, I love you guys too,” Volkov teases back. He’s straight, happily in a relationship with a woman, but that doesn’t stop him from giving us shit in the most supportive way possible.
We land in Dallas, head to the hotel, have a team dinner, then go over film before Coach releases us to go to our rooms for the night.
Before Hayes, Rylan would have likely gone out, looking for someone to have a good time with—it’s how he met Hayes in the first place.
But now he’s the first one in bed with his cell phone, calling his man.
I get changed, crawl under the blankets, then call mine too. It’s earlier in California, and I don’t think he’ll be busy dancing yet, but if so, he’ll call me back.
“Hey, Flirty Boy.”
“Just with you,” I say softly.
“I like that answer.”
“I like you,” I counter. I’m absolutely over-the-top with my flirtiness with this man, and I love every second of it. I hope he gets as much out of it as I do.
“I like you more,” he says, and damned if it doesn’t make my heart rate speed up.
“Not possible. How was your day?”
I listen to him talk about his afternoon, before he falls into a story about some of the guys he works with. “I know they’ve hooked up a few times, but I think Richie is catching feels.”
“And Davin isn’t?” I haven’t met these men, but I know enough about them from Anthony.
“I don’t think so. But maybe. I hope it works out. I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”
“For sure, I get that, but they’re adults, so there’s not much you can do about it.”
He sighs. “I know. I…miss you.”
A wide smile spreads across my face. “I miss you too, beautiful. I wish you were going home to my bed tonight.”
Anthony chuckles. “Why?”
I might as well plant some of the seeds now, feel him out. “I like knowing you’re there, in my bed, waiting for me. It feels right, you always being in my space.”
There’s a short pause, heavy with emotion and uncertainty, but then he says, “Yeah, it does for me too. You have absolutely changed me, Kason Maddox.”
“I don’t want to change you. You’re my favorite person just the way you are.”
“You did it in good ways, and you’ll give me a big head if you don’t stop with that.”
“Hmm. Compliment you more. Got it.”
“You’re ridiculous…but I love it.”
“So sweet.”
Anthony groans. “Shit. I have to go. I need to take care of some things here. Good luck tomorrow.”
“I’ll talk to you after the game. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
I end the call with the world’s shmoopiest smile on my face. I’m definitely asking him to move in with me when I get back to LA. I can’t wait.