Page 94 of Home Game

Truthfully, I was a little nervous to tell everyone, too. I was one hundred percent comfortable with coming out as bisexual, but I was more concerned about the scrutiny that would land on Emmett.

I was used to being dissected by the media. Used to them publishing misinformed crap about me.

But would gossip rags profile Emmett, soon? Hell no. Not on my watch.

I also wanted the world to know he was mine, though. I loved the idea that we were dating. That I was his boyfriend.I’d turned the word over in my mind every night this week, sometimes saying it out loud to him multiple times, just to feel it.

“Hey, boys,” Chase said as he peeked around the corner, smiling at us both. “Got time to film a quick interview segment, Storm? I swear I’ll only have my camera on you for about five minutes.”

Emmett gave me a little salute.

I followed Chase over to the kitchen and he filmed me reacting to a few cabinets that the guys had hung up on the far wall today. Chase was a great camera guy and helped me turn to the exact right angle so that my eyes would be lit up by the late afternoon sun.

“Well, well, well, I remember that feeling,” a voice came from near the front door, and I turned to see Kace walking in and greeting Nathan with a kiss.

“My worlds colliding, I love this,” I said, walking over to give Kace a bear hug. “Hope you’re ready for the game this weekend, Tomlin.”

“Oh, he’s ready,” Nathan said, raising his eyebrows. “I swear he’s started talking about that damn football game right after every time we’ve fucked this week.”

I snorted a laugh. “Kace Tomlin, you dirty dog,” I said. “I don’t care if you’re the best quarterback in the nation, you’ve got to treat your man right.”

“He treats me right,” Nathan said. “I’m just addicted to him.”

Kace wrapped his arms around Nathan from behind, pressing a kiss to the side of his face. “Nathan was a straight single dad when I found him,” Kace murmured. “And now look at him. He even keeps rainbow flag stickers on his toolboxes.”

“Damn right I do.”

I felt a sense of pride bubbling up in me already, even though I hadn’t told anybody about my own not-so-straightness yet.

There wasn’t a bone in my body that was afraid to say it, either. I would have put rainbow stickers all over the place evenbeforeI knew, too.

“So, are we ready to head to the brewery yet?” Kace said, looking around at the crew in the kitchen.

“We’re wrapping up in the kitchen for the day,” Nathan said. “Help us pack up the van and we can be out of here in fifteen minutes.”

“I call dibs on the first round of pool in the bar,” Kace said. “Rosling, I’m going to put you in the dirt.”

“Not going to happen,” I said. “That’s a challenge I will take you up on. Emmett, you want to do doubles? You and me versus Kace and Nathan?”

Emmett smiled wide. “We will destroy them.”

I laughed. “That’s the fuckingbloodhoundinside you, Emmett. We’ve got this.”

Over the next fifteen minutes, everyone pitched in to help load up the vans with construction tools and camera equipment. At least half of the crew headed over to Jade Brewery, spilling out into the parking lot laughing and razzing each other.

“Ooh, look at this,” Chase said as he strolled up to the front steps of the brewery. “Looks like the boys at the brewery decided to go full fall.”

“Fuck yes,” Emmett said from beside me, his eyes going wide. “I’m in heaven. I’m in somethingbetterthan heaven.”

It was like a pub version of Emmett’s own fall decorations. Pumpkins dotted the corners of the deck and the short stairs that led up to the front door, and garlands with twinkle lights were strung throughout the front awning and back deck.

Seeing Emmett light up was one of the best parts of my day. I reached over and squeezed his hand, not giving a shit if anyone saw it.

Emmett had been throughsomuch lately. Been through so much in the last two years, really. He was always so mature and responsible that when I got to see this childlike wonder in his eyes, it did something to my heart.

Fuck.

How was I going to do this?

---