Chapter 14 #3
Aidan and Levi and then the rest of the offensive line showed up a minute later, and Lane had to relinquish him—even if he really didn’t want to.
“That’s it! That’s fucking it!” Aidan yelled, fist-pumping as he embraced Trevor with the other arm.
“Let’s do it again,” Levi echoed behind him.
Because they had to. First they needed to get the ball back—which, actually, Jordan did, because on Pax Kelly’s second pass of the next drive, he crossed over into the soft spot of the field and leaped up, picking it off.
Just under three minutes left in the game.
The Thunder could rely on Dalton’s leg and kick a field goal to tie it up and go into overtime.
But in the huddle as they got ready for the first play of their drive, Aidan met the eyes of each and every guy, all that endless determination and confidence overflowing out of him.
“We could tie—we’re already within reach of Dawson’s leg—but I’m not settling for a field goal and overtime.
We’re gonna go out and win this thing,” he said.
Because Aidan said it and believed it, they all believed it.
Trevor’s touchdown was the spark that lit the flame, and it just felt right, everything slotting into place, as they ran a rush play and then another and then, with thirty seconds left on the clock and on the thirteen-yard line, Aidan tossed a gorgeous little screen to Mo, who took it right into the end zone.
The Thunder were going to the AFC Championship.
“This is the place you two hang out in all the time?” Delia looked around the bar room at Vault, her jaw dropped a little. “I didn’t realize it was so . . . so cool.”
“Told you it was like an old-fashioned speakeasy,” Lane said, setting her glass of wine down in front of her.
They’d claimed one of the side booths, hoping it might be quieter, but the bar was already rocking, full of Thunder players and their partners and families, celebrating the big win and next week’s AFC Championship.
“We’ll have to ask Ramsey if anyone’s reserved the vault, and if they haven’t, show them,” Trevor said, not even hesitating for a moment before he slid right to the seat next to Lane, hip to hip, barely even a breath between them.
Lane thought maybe Tom noticed, but Delia was still waxing rhapsodic about the interior design and the colors and all the different side rooms.
“It’s very cool and everything,” Tom finally said, shooting his mom a little smile, “but what I want to know is how you knew to run that play that scored the first touchdown.”
Trevor looked over at him, eyes still brimming with joy. “That was actually all Lane,” he said.
Lane might have argued, but Trevor looked so happy, and honestly, he was so happy. Thrilled, really, that it had not only worked out and they’d won the game, but that it had been Trevor who’d ended up benefiting from all his weeks and months and really, years, of film study.
“Yeah,” he agreed. “I thought, we needed a little extra something to move the ball. Had no idea that it was going to work so well, or that Trev would be able to take it all the way in for a touchdown.”
Trevor nudged him. “But you knew I could pull it off. You told me—believed in me so much it made it even easier for me to believe, too.”
Warmth surged through Lane. Affection, fondness, and that feeling he’d always associated with like, but now realized was actually love.
“It sounds like you two are a great team,” his mom said.
God, she had no idea. But really, she should. She should know just how great they were together, and not just on the football field. For the first time, Lane thought that maybe that desire was stronger than the fear of telling her the truth.
He gave Trevor a pointed glance and moved his hand under the table to Trevor’s knee and squeezed. Giving him as much of a heads-up as he could.
But maybe he didn’t really need one; Trevor had been wanting to do this for awhile now, and it had been Lane holding them back.
No more.
“Actually,” Lane said, “funny story about what a great team we are. Not just a team.”
“No?” Delia didn’t look like she had any idea what was coming and maybe that kind of sucked, Lane was worried she’d be shocked and even angry, but Tom was straight-up smirking now, so clearly he had some concept of what Lane was about to say.
Trevor’s hand found Lane’s under the table and squeezed it hard.
At the last second he thought maybe his voice was going to fail him, not because he didn’t want to say the words, but because he wanted to say the words too much.
Like he’d been holding them back for an eternity, and now that he didn’t have to, it wasn’t just Lane wanting to say them, but Lane needing to say them.
He pulled their intertwined hands up and set them gently on the table.
“Not just a team, no,” Lane admitted.
His mom’s jaw dropped. “You’re what? What is this?”
She didn’t sound pissed off, at least, just shocked. Concerned, maybe, that she was putting two and two together and getting five.
“Lane and I are together,” Trevor said.
Trust him to cut right through everything and lay it out there. He’d been the brave one here, this whole time. Telling Lane the truth about his sexuality. Telling Lane what he wanted. Pushing them forward, when it was something they’d both wanted.
God, Lane loved him so much.
If Trevor could do all of that, then Lane could not just meet him halfway but give a little back, too.
“Yeah,” Lane said, “Trevor’s my guy, now. Never thought it would happen, but we got there, eventually.”
If Lane had thought Trevor had looked happy after scoring the touchdown, it was nothing compared to how thrilled he looked right now, grinning at Lane like he was the most amazing person in the whole world.
Trevor nudged him. “Love being your guy,” he said softly.
“You’re not joking,” Delia said uncertainly. For a second, Lane’s heart skipped a beat, but then he told himself that she didn’t look angry, just mystified. Shocked, really.
Tom looked over at his mom. “I really don’t think they are,” he said.
“Wait, wait,” she said, “you’re not surprised.”
Tom just shrugged. “I’ve suspected for awhile that Lane had a soft spot for Trevor.”
“What,” she said. “Awhile? And you never said anything!”
“It was their business, and I assumed they’d figure it out without us interfering, and look, they did,” Tom told her.
“We did,” Trevor confirmed. “But you should’ve said something. I spent too much time wondering what I was thinking. What I was feeling.”
Lane shrugged. “But we’re here now.” He looked over at his mom. “I tried not to for a long time,” he admitted, which was hard, but the point of coming clean was to come clean. And not just about all the convenient, easy-to-admit shit, but all of it.
“Oh, honey.” Delia’s eyes softened. She didn’t look upset, she actually looked distraught. “You didn’t have to do that.”
Maybe, maybe not, but he’d certainly felt that way at the time, like it was all resting on his shoulders, and if he admitted that kind of weakness, if he screwed up the best thing that had ever happened to his mom, he’d never have forgiven himself.
The risk had felt terrifying enough that he hadn’t been willing to bet on it.
And maybe he shouldn’t admit that all to her, but again, the whole point was that Lane didn’t want to hide anymore. Not from their parents, not from the world.
“I felt like I did. I didn’t want to screw it up—you liked Tom so much, and he was so good for you—and the last thing I wanted to do was to come to you and say, you know that guy I’ve been crushing on from afar?
Turns out that he’s Tom’s son. And at that point,” Lane said wryly, “it didn’t matter anyway, because he didn’t seem into guys like that. ”
“Wasn’t really into anyone like that, not until you,” Trevor confessed, his brown eyes so soft as he gazed over at Lane.
“Wow, wow,” Delia said. “I can’t believe I didn’t see it before now, but I see it now.”
Tom just chuckled under his breath.
Lane wasn’t sure what else he could say to his mom, who might not be pissed, but did seem shocked. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before.”
“Honey, no. I’m just . . . trying to recalibrate to this new situation. It’s not bad. Not at all.” She glanced over at Tom. “Right? Not bad?”
“Not at all. I think it’s pretty freaking awesome, myself,” Tom said softly. “Just as long as we all agree we’re still a family. That’s the most important thing.”
“Agreed,” Trevor said, and Lane nodded too.
Lane could only laugh, tension leaking out of him. His hand wasn’t even shaking as he picked up his glass with the one that wasn’t still tangled up with Trevor’s. But there was an undeniable relief coursing through him. “God, I was so afraid you’d be weirded out by it.”
“Not at all!” Delia exclaimed. “You two have never been brothers. For a long time, I figured the best we could hope for was that you’d be friends. When Trevor got drafted by the Thunder, we were so excited. Felt like finally you might have a chance to make that happen.”
“Funny, for long I thought that was the worst day of my life,” Lane said wryly.
Trevor made a wounded noise. “Babe, really?”
But Lane could only shrug. “I liked you so much, and I didn’t think anything was ever going to happen, and it could suck sometimes.
And instead of me just having to deal with it once in awhile, you were going to be around all the time.
But now? I’m so grateful. Funny I look back, and it’s like, all that feels worth it now, like it’s slowly just less and less bad, the happier I am now. ”
“God,” Delia said and she was crying now, tears dripping down her cheeks. “Honey. I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t have to be sorry now,” Lane said, and Trevor squeezed his hand.
Nobody had to be, and that was the most beautiful thing he’d ever experienced.