Page 68 of Provoking the Punter

“It would be nicer about an hour later.”

“Not going to happen during the season. If you’re working until close, I’ll be asleep before you get back… if… um…” Shit. He wanted to grab the words and shove them back into his mouth. He’d let himself be caught in the fantasy of living together after one night and a morning after.

“If we’re living together.” Chester finished. “Our schedules aren’t very aligned.”

Had Chester also been wondering how this might work? “If I’m staying with the team, I'll find somewhere to rent. I can’t stay at the hotel forever.”

And now that he’d stepped into a kitchen, he realized how much he missed cooking and meal prep, things that some people hated, but he found calming. It was routine.

“If you’re here, there’s more chance that we will run into each other.”

“Now who’s rushing?” Garrett kept his words light, like they didn’t matter. He hadn’t lived with anyone since college. He’d never lived with a boyfriend.

But he wanted to. If there was a chance, he wanted to take it, even if it meant risking his heart. Life was about taking chances and seeing what happened.

“I haven’t wanted to share my space since Michael left. I liked having it all to myself, but you’re here and I don’t seem to mind.”

“Only because I’m making you breakfast.”

Chester glanced up at him. “Honey, I have never stopped a man from cooking for me.”

“It would be nice to have someone to cook for.” He leaned in and claimed Chester’s lips, sliding a hand over his ass. He wanted this to be every morning. To stir when Chester got home late and slid into bed, and to wake up next to him.

In the off season, they’d have more time.

They could make it work.

CHAPTER

TWENTY-THREE

Garrett received a phone call from Caitlin as he drove to the facility. He answered, suspecting a request to see her today. Mondays were busy, but he would make the time.

“How can I help you?” Even though he hadn’t gotten much sleep last night, he was riding a high like he’d won the fucking Super Bowl or something. They didn’t have a plan, and he didn’t know how to deal with coming out… although watching Addy and Cal had given him hope.

“Coach Harrison’s wife released a statement last night saying they’ve separated.”

It was a punch to the throat Garrett hadn’t been expecting. He’d thought they’d do it at the end of the season. Just quietly end it without a fuss.

“Oh.” What else was there to say?

“She mentions he’d been having an affair.”

Garrett’s stomach swooped, like he was back in the car as it spun out of control. There was nothing he could do to stop it. He felt the flip and the impact with the tree. Metal collapsed and his ears rang with his mother’s screams.

He pulled over and threw the car in Park, unable to keep driving. Was he even breathing? There was no way he’d survive this wreck. Everything he’d worked for was gone.

“Just tell me.”

“I was hoping to catch you before you review yesterday’s game… but you weren’t in the weight room.”

Because he’d lingered at Chester’s house, he was running half an hour later than usual. He couldn’t make that a habit. It shouldn’t have happened this morning, and yet there wasn’t a part of him which wanted to take it back.

“I’m five minutes away.” Not that it mattered. For a few seconds, he considered turning around, packing up, and disappearing. He didn’t want to walk in and face everyone’s questioning stares. The comments. He didn’t want to sit there and be told that while he was good on the field, his off-field behavior was a distraction the team didn’t need. James had won. “Tell me what’s going on.”

Had she been told to prepare him to be cut?

When he walked in, Oliveira was going to pull him aside and boot him out.

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