Page 106 of The Home Game

But saying those words hadn’t felt transactional. That kiss hadn’t felt transactional.

It had all been warm and real and filled with so much more than friendship.

They’d only been married for fifteen minutes and Antoni already knew he was in over his head.

He tried to listen as Eli chattered on about the ceremony.

Eli had appointed themself the official wedding photographer. Now they were talking about doing some more in front of city hall and God, it was too much.

Then again, going home would be strange too.

Antoni didn’t know if after the kids went to bed, he wanted to be alone with Matty so they could talk or hope that they’d never be alone again because he wasn’t sure he could look him in the eye right now.

Not after that kiss.

Not after sealing their fates together.

They were married now. And the feeling was bigger and weightier than Antoni had expected.

“Does this mean I can call you Uncle Matty, now?” Eli asked as they waited for the elevator. Those words penetrated the thick fog in Antoni’s head and he turned to look at Eli, who was holding hands with Matty.

Matty glanced at Antoni, eyebrow lifted, and Antoni nodded.

“Yeah, if that’s something you want?” Matty said.

Eli nodded vigorously. “Yeah, I think so. We call Antoni our uncle so it makes sense, you know?”

“Sure,” Matty said with a smile.

Still dazed, Antoni followed his parents onto the elevator, squeezing in beside Matty. While the car descended, he looked down at his ring, staring blankly at the way it encircled his finger.

He’d never really been a jewelry guy other than occasionally wearing a thin gold chain and he wasn’t used to the warm weight of the ring. He wondered too why his mom had bought them for him and Matty.

For appearances? Or was it something more?

“You coming?” Matty asked, sounding amused, and Antoni looked up to see him holding the elevator doors while everyone else was already in the lobby.

“Yeah,” Antoni said, stepping forward. “Sorry.”

Outside, it was a beautiful September day, the air crisp and cool, the evening sunshine bright as it glinted off the nearby buildings. As they walked down the steps, a gust of wind made Antoni shiver.

Matty shifted closer, his shoulder brushing Antoni’s.

Eli called out for them to stop for pictures and Antoni obediently did so. He was okay at posing but Matty was better and Antoni finally let him move him this way and that, his head buzzing with the contact.

He guiltily enjoyed being able to run his palms along Matty’s broad shoulders or feel his chest pressed against his back.

“You’re good at this,” Antoni murmured at one point and Matty laughed, his breath warm as it tickled the side of his cheek.

“I’ve had practice.”

At first, Antoni thought he just meant posing for photoshoots with the team or for his endorsement deals. Matty had talked about having to do headshots and media day and all sorts of commercials and stuff. But then Antoni remembered that he wasn’t the first person Matty had married.

Not that Courtney had been anything but a gold-digging grade-A bitch from what Antoni could tell. And maybe that wasn’t nice but he didn’t feel nice when he thought about the things she’d said to Matty. The way she’d made him feel.

This might not be a real marriage but it probably would last longer than Matty’s previous one and Antoni vowed to himself that he’d be better to Matty than she’d been.

Real or not, he could be kind and caring and supportive. He could make Matty feel appreciated and respected, at the very least.

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