Page 19 of Our Hearts to Break

“But what do the words mean to you personally? I never asked you that. Not sure why. But I always wondered.”

“Some things I can’t change.” River sits up, bracing his weight on his elbows. “I can’t change my dad being a homophobic asshole. Or the fact I have to hide who I am to play in the NHL.” He shrugs. “C'est la vie.”

I move to the infinity symbol on his right forearm, woven between vines and other black ink. “This one is my favorite.”

He glances at my matching tattoo and smiles. “Mine too. Best decision I ever made.”

I think he means me.

Maybe he does.

One can hope.

He throws a hand over his mouth and yawns. “What time is it?”

“Way past our bedtime.” I slide off the bed. “I’ll clean us up. Then we need to get some sleep.”

River reaches out, his fingers brushing mine. He smiles up at me like a boy in love.

“I’ll be right back.” I rub my thumb across his lips. “Keep those eyes open for me. I want to kiss you until I fall asleep.”

I creep into the dark hallway, closing the door behind me. My limp dick hangs between my thighs, sticky with cum and River’s saliva. I could use a shower, but it’s too late. The pipes groan when you turn on the water, and my housemates wake up from the obnoxious sound.

So, I do the next best thing and grab a bath towel from the hallway closet. But when I spin around, a wall of man blocks my path.

Fuck.

Waters glares at me, his massive body taking up too much space. I’m a big guy, but he’s a mountain.

“Is this the new way of coming out of the closet?” Waters laughs, his messy, dark hair sticking up from sleep. “The walls are thin, Brooks. You and Rousseau aren’t fooling anyone.”

I feel so exposed, stripped bare, and with no excuse for the noises he—and my teammates—most likely heard coming from my bedroom.

“We were watching porn,” I lie.

He tilts his head to the side, stroking his chin like the villain in a shitty movie. “And the porn stars just so happened to be named River and Nate?”

Damn him.

Too many people are discovering River’s secret. First, the guys from Glitter. Now, Waters. And I guess that makes this my truth.

I have nothing to hide and don’t care what people say about me. But River’s career could quickly derail if the wrong information is leaked to the public.

“Fuck you,” I spit back at him. “I don’t care what youthinkyou heard.”

He snorts. “I heard plenty. Things I wish I could erase from my brain.”

Gritting my teeth, I get in his face. “What the fuck do you want?”

“Some things money can’t buy,” Waters says, turning his back to me. “Rich fuckers like you always think you can throw money at anything.”

I wrap the towel around my waist and shove him from behind, moving toward his bedroom. He steps inside, and I close the door behind me.

“If you speak a word about River or me, I will gut you like a fucking fish and throw the pieces of your mutilated body in the bay.”

His nostrils flare. “I’ve dealt with people like you my entire life. I’m not afraid of you.”

“People like me?”

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