Page 93 of Unlovable Player

“Just tell him the truth. I can come with you if you want.”

“No it’s okay, I-”

“I want to.” He laces his fingers with mine.

“Hey guys wait-” Gray comes jogging out of the rink and stops when he sees we’re holding hands. “Are you uh-”

“Yeah,” Austin says. “Have you got a problem with us dating?”

“Dating!?” his eyebrows shoot up. “No, I mean, not because you’re guys, I just didn’t know you were, and you, well, you used to hate him… sorry, no offence Hunty but you were kind of a dick.”

Austin and I look at each other and laugh.

“What did you want?”

“A ride home?”

“I’m going back to Seb’s.”

“But I can still give you a ride, jump in.”

Gray sits in the backseat trying not to look while Austin rests his hand on my knee. Before he gets out, Austin stops him. “Do me a favor and tell everyone about this.”

“Tell them or don’t tell them?”

“Tell them.”

“O-kay.”

“I just don’t feel like making another speech in the locker room, the other one went down like the Devils swapping Marino for Pesce.”

He snorts. “Sure.” He puts his hand on the doorhandle and pauses. “By the way, I’m cool with this.”

“Good.”

“Can you hurry up and get out so we can go back to my place and-”

Austin clamps his hand over my mouth just as Gray turns bright red.

“Sure, yeah, um-” he fumbles with the handle before practically falling out of the car.

“You’re evil.”

“An evil genius though, right?”

We throw our bags on the floor as soon as we get into the apartment. Austin puts his arms around me and just hugs me, kissing my neck while I bury my face in his hoody.

“You know you’re gonna have to put up with my crazy ass family every year at Christmas and Thanksgiving.”

“That sounds like heaven.”

“You’re crazy, you’ll fit right in.”

“Are you scared about telling all your uncles you’re gay?”

“No way, my aunt Celia’s gay, no one’s gonna give me shit about it.”

“You’re so lucky.”

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