Page 207 of Finding Delaware

“I don’t want to hide you,” he says softly, searching my face. “I’m going to love you loud, Taylor.”

My stomach flutters as I drop my gaze. “And when everyone finds out that the new lineman for the Ravens is dating his stepbrother?”

His thumb brushes my bottom lip. “‘Step’ being the keyword, there. And I’ve loved you since before that happened, so I don’t give a fuck what they think.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. It’s me and you, baby. Has been since the moment we kissed beneath the bleachers in eighth grade, and it will be for the rest of our lives. I’m not afraid of what the world thinks about us. I love you, and nothing they do or say can change that.”

Our lips meet in a gentle caress full of future promises as we quietly kiss until our eyes close. I murmur his name into the dark just before we drift off in each other’s arms.

“Huck?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you, too. Always.”

“I know, Tay.” His forehead rests against mine, fingers cradling the back of my neck with care as if holding something precious. “I know.”

Epilogue One

Huckslee

“Am I on screen? Can you see me?”

I bring my phone closer to my face, resting against the sofa cushions in my new apartment. “Yes, Arya, I can see you.”

She smirks at the camera, the stadium’s bright lights illuminating her blonde hair like a halo. “Do I look hot?”

Christian and Salem step into the frame as I roll my eyes, both grinning at me over Arya’s shoulder. “Hey,hermano, how’s Baltimore?”

“Not too bad. Different.”

Different is an understatement. Going from California back to Utah and then Maryland in eight months has definitely been a culture shock. I’ve been here for three weeks, and I’m still settling in. The coach and my team have been really accepting, though there are a few I can tell are uncomfortablewith me being openly gay. I’m trying not to let it bother me, though. Our first preseason game is happening next weekend, so I’m focusing on training for it.

“Our baby boy’s up next.” Christian takes the phone from Salem and turns it around to face the stadium, giving me a front-row view of the competition grounds. It looks just like it did for the pre-qualifier; instead of one ramp, there are several, along with a dirt track complete with jumps. The stands are packed, cheers from the crowd cutting through my phone speaker, luckily not too loud with whatever noise-dampening mechanism Salem has on her phone for filming.

I know this event is a big deal. Nitro Fuel hosts talent from all over the country; only the best in action sports earn a spot. If Taylor were to win Best Trick, it would open so many doors for him. TheirT.O.Tbrand would grow, and a win would guarantee him a place at this championship every year and possible X Games invites in the future. It’s everything my boyfriend ever dreamed of as a kid, and even if he doesn’t win, I’m so proud of him for making it this far.

Who would have thought? Taylor fucking Tottman, the kid that tormented me in high school daily, who constantly had me coming home covered in bruises, the boy who stole my first kiss and outed me to the entire community, would be mine? What’s even crazier is that I still fell in love with him despite it all.

Salem’s shout snaps me out of my thoughts, and I focus on the screen when the rev of a dirt bike engine cuts through the stadium. The announcers say his name just as he appears, dressed in new gear, making my heart hurt with how much I miss him. He’d already competed earlier in the FMX comp,coming in seventh place, but I’d missed it due to my training schedule. We FaceTimed last night, like always, but I still can’t help the empty feeling that settles in my bones when I wake up every morning alone.

Just one more month, and then I’ll see him at our game against the Raiders in Vegas. And then again in Phoenix a month after that, along with Matty, when our teams go head to head. I only signed a six-month lease since Taylor decided that I’ll live with him in Utah during the off-season, and I can’t tell my baby no.

I can do this.

We can do this.

He lines up his bike as they finish setting up, each rider needing a specific ramp for the type of jump they want to do. Taylor’s trick, a repeat of the Captain Morgan backflip, requires launching himself off the Moon Booter, which will send him fifty-five feet into the air.

I’m a fucking nervous wreck as he takes off down the strip. His front wheel hits the ramp, and he jumps onto his seat, soaring high into the sky above the stands. The bike flips back, his legs extending to complete the trick, but…

Something’s wrong. He’s way too high. None of the ramps he practiced on over the summer were as tall as this.

Gravity takes over, and his bike falls away from him, along with my heart, as he plummets back to earth. Arya’s scream nearly blows out my eardrums as his body hits the ramp, bouncing before sliding away, the bike narrowly avoiding smashing him to pieces. I’m on my feet in seconds, pulling on my shoes and grabbing my keys, every thought focused on somehow getting to Utah and Taylor, even if it ruins my career.I’m about to yank open the front door when Christian’s voice breaks through the panic icing my veins.

“He’s getting up! He’s fine, Salem. Stop being a crybaby. The landing ramp is cushioned,tonta.”

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