4. Camden
Camden
When Luke waved from across the plaza, I almost tripped. He looked fucking adorable. I couldn’t help but wonder if he had the coin in his pocket right now.
Once I realized what the noise was in the locker room, I knew the platypus would be there when I turned it over.
I tried to have no reaction, but I wasn’t sure my face didn’t scream pure delight.
Emotionally, I was trying not to get my hopes up, but I couldn’t help but wonder why he had kept it after all these years.
Colton had been the one to convince me to come today.
He admitted to teasing Luke in the locker room, saying he was just trying to get a reaction out of him.
And even if he didn’t react, Colton thought teasing him was worth it, if only to get a little payback.
I told him he didn’t need to do that, though I inwardly smiled at his protectiveness.
“You sure you don’t want me flexing naked around you?” he had asked. And while I outwardly smiled at that thought, I had told him that Luke and I needed to deal with it on our own somehow.
I didn’t say it out loud, but I was afraid Luke would think Colton and I were together, and if so, that Luke would just give up if he hadn’t already.
I knew I was overthinking, but after seeing Luke two days in a row, I was getting used to having him around.
After how much he hurt me in Brisbane, it surprised me how easily I was ready to forget.
“Cam, let’s go!”
“What?” I asked, brought back to the present. Colton was staring at me.
“We started walking. You stood there. I came back to get you.”
“Oh. Sorry.” I grinned, sheepishly.
“Lost in a daydream?”
“Something like that.”
He rolled his eyes and grabbed my hand. “Let’s go, loverboy.”
Orion and Luke dragged the three of us up and down the street.
I didn’t mind. It was nice to see some of London and not be in charge.
I knew Orion and Luke went to the same school, though I didn’t think they were together.
I don’t even know why I thought that. After all, I doubt Cassandra would’ve allowed it.
Colton had never been to Disney World, so the gigantic Disney Store fascinated him. He made me take a selfie with him in the middle of all the plushies. I’ll admit it was adorable. It was my first candid post from London. I was still not a social media butterfly. Some things hadn’t changed.
#bestie #TeamUSA #Disneyplushieheaven #gymnastsgonewild <3
Alex was obsessed with Apple, so we spent a good deal of time there as well.
Colton got bored and pulled up a photo of himself on every iPad that was unoccupied, so when we left, it was a gallery of Coltons.
We had some fish and chips for lunch at what felt like the British version of McDonalds, and then it was time to shop for clothes.
Colton and I laughed ourselves out of the first store we went into. The first shirt one of us liked was over five hundred dollars once I did the conversion. No way in hell could either of us afford that. I knew Luke could, but it didn’t take them long to notice we were missing.
“Where’d you guys go?” Orion asked, walking over to where we were sitting.
“I don’t know about y’all, but I can’t afford no shirt that’s five hundred bucks,” Colton answered for us.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know it would be that pricey,” Orion said, head down a little. “Let’s go to the next one.”
The next one was more in our league. After finding a few shirts I wanted to try on, I told Colton I was heading to the dressing rooms. I found an open stall in the men’s area and shut the curtain.
Unbuttoning my shirt and hanging it on the hook, I grabbed the first hanger and slid the shirt off and pulled it over my head.
It was pretty comfy and it definitely fit.
I took it off and tried on the others. In the middle of pulling the last one over my head, I heard my curtain open and then a ‘Shit, I’m sorry. ’
I finished pulling the shirt off, leaving my top half exposed, but froze when I saw Luke standing there, his arms full of clothes. He seemed just as shocked to see it was me.
“I didn’t see a tag on the hook.” I looked at him, confused. “I thought it was empty, since you didn’t put a tag here,” he said, gesturing to the hook next to the curtain.
“I had no idea. I just went into an empty one.”
“At least, you were just trying a shirt on.”
I don’t know what came over me, but I said, “It wouldn’t have mattered if it were pants. You’ve seen it all before.”
I swear I saw a hint of a smile before a wave of shame swept over Luke’s face.
He dashed off before I could say something else.
I was trying to be funny, but I was afraid it came off as angry.
I put my shirt back on, bought the first shirt I tried on, then headed outside to wait for the rest of the guys.
We had decided earlier that if we were done shopping, or got separated in the store, we would meet out front.
Colton and Alex had apparently finished before me.
“You buy anything?” They both shook their heads.
Seeing my bag, Colton asked what I got, and I pulled the shirt out of the bag to show him. “Very nice.”
I pulled him aside and explained the dressing room mishap.
“Sounds like he was just embarrassed to walk in on you.”
“Well, he has seen it all before. Why is it weird now?”
“Sweet, sweet, Cam.” He put his hand on my shoulder. “Let’s go back to yesterday when I said y’all needed to talk. It’s still the same today. And it’s weird because it’s been four years and you still don’t know what the heck happened. You need to find out.”
I sighed, but didn’t have time to reply because Orion and Luke came out with several bags each.
“You boys rob the store blind?” Colton asked. His casualness was a godsend.
“More like they robbed us,” Orion joked. “You didn’t get anything?”
“They had nothin’ with tassels or spurs.” Colton winked.
“Get a room already,” Alex spoke up.
I had to turn my head. “Was that a joke, Alex?”
“What? I do that sometimes.”
“He is not my type,” Orion said.
“What? Am I too tall and muscular for ya?” Colton teased, puffing his chest out.
“I meant I don’t waste my time pining over straight guys.”
“You so sure I’m straight?”
Jesus. He’s gonna do it.
“What are you saying?” Alex asked.
“Not that I’m going to the press with it or anything like these two, but yeah, I’m gay.”
“Really?” Orion and Luke asked simultaneously.
I thought Alex’s jaw was going to hit the pavement. “I’m so sorry, Colton. I was only joking earlier. I didn’t mean anything by the room comment. I-”
“It’s okay, Alex. It was an innocent joke. I just felt like telling y’all.”
“Does anyone else know? Your family?” Orion asked.
“Nope, and...uh, I’d like to keep it that way.”
“I understand completely,” Orion said.
“Yeah, I won’t say anything either,” Alex agreed.
I had nothing to hide, and while I admired Colton for somewhat covering for me, I spoke up. “I knew about Colton. It’s one of the reasons we bonded. Since we’re being open and honest,” I said, glancing at Colton. “I’m gay too.”
“I have to sit down,” Alex said.
I grinned and went over to him. “You okay?”
“You’re gay too?” Orion folded his arms, his eyes darting between me and Luke. I couldn’t tell if he was pretending or not. Had Luke not told him?
And as far as Alex was concerned, Luke shouldn’t technically know about me, either. My honesty was supposed to break the entire charade, but I thought things might be more complicated now.
I couldn’t be mad at Colton, though. He just wanted his teammates to know.
I knew that feeling. We were like a family.
And knowing Luke and Orion were accepted, he wanted to experience that feeling as well.
To be honest, it was going to be nice not to hide the real me.
It would feel just like last time, with one sizable, muscular difference.
“Yup,” I answered Orion. “My mom and a few former teammates know.”
I saw Luke look at me when I said the last part. I couldn’t read him like I used to.
“That makes four of us,” Orion said, counting his fingers.
“He can do math!” Colton joked.
“I’m the token straight guy,” Alex thought out loud. “Are any of you together?” Alex looked up at us. Four versions of ‘no’ were uttered, though he didn’t look entirely convinced. “Is this why in the showers all you talk about is dicks?” he asked.
I busted out laughing. We all did.
“I’d bet the farm on it, Alex,” Colton said.
Colton and I were in the dining hall eating breakfast before practice. He was giving me the play-by-play of his conversation with Zephyrus the day before.
After our shopping trip yesterday, we had the interview for Orion and Luke.
It was a little weird since Colton and I had just come out to the team.
I felt partially responsible that everyone’s answers had to be worded carefully, but the essence was the same.
We supported our teammates, no matter their sexuality.
When the reporter asked if Orion and Luke were an item, I held my breath, but Luke answered confidently that O - as he called him - was like his little brother, and that as an Olympian he didn’t have time for a relationship.
Most of the questions were for Luke and Orion, so it was painless for me.
“Okay, so when he says he can’t wait to see me, do you think that means he might come here? Or does he mean when I’m done here and I see him back in the states?”
I shook my head. “I think it means he wants to see you.”
Colton gave me a look.
“You really like him?” I asked.
Colton nodded. “I think so. The football thing makes it complicated, but I’d like to see where it goes. I mean, you’ve seen him. He’s hot as hell, sure, but there’s a lot more beneath the surface. Did you know he was an art history major?”
“I did. We bonded over ancient Greek sculpture.”
“Well, you know everything, don’t you?”
“Don’t be jealous, Colton. After he met you, every time I was alone with him, he’d talk about you.”
“Really?”