Page 147 of Goaltender Interference

Jesse thought about the warm feeling he’d had in his chest lately and how good it felt and how Connor had made Boston feel like home. He thought of his fear of losing Connor, of this ending, and everything suddenly made a lot more sense.

Jesse laughed. “Oh,” he said, smiling. “Sothat’swhat this is?”

Connor laughed too, his face a mixture of puzzled and happy, his eyes creasing at the corners, his smile widening. “You—you feel it too?”

“I—I don’t know. I’ve never been in love before,” Jesse said. “But I—I think that’s what this is.”

“Jesse,” Connor whispered, his voice tender, his face so open and happy that Jesse had to pull him closer or he’d explode. “You—Oh, God, we’re not very smart at all, are we?”

“No,” Jesse said. “I don’t think we are. But that’s okay, because we’re together now, right?”

“Yeah, we are.” Connor pressed his lips to Jesse’s forehead. “It’ll be alright if we’re stupid together.”

Jesse let out a little laugh and closed his eyes, letting himself float in the happy, warm feeling with Connor’s lips against his skin and his rough palms against his cheek.

“I had no idea love felt likethis,” Jesse whispered. “I think I would have looked for it sooner if I’d known.”

Connor made a little noise that was suspiciously close to a growl when he pulled back. “Not while I’m around.”

“Oh, don’t be dumb,” Jesse said, opening his eyes and smiling. “You’rethe one I love, Captain Growly.”

“I damn well better be.” Connor dipped his head, kissing Jesse.

“Uhhhh,” someone said from the stairs and Jesse lifted his head to see Nolan staring at them wide-eyed.

Damn it, the kid really was as quiet as a cat. Jesse didn’t know how he tiptoed around with a body that was only half-grown. Jesse had been a total klutz for a while at that age.

“Shit.” Connor dropped his hands from Jesse’s face but just when Jesse thought he might step away and pretend like nothing had happened, he grabbed Jesse’s hand, his palm sweaty but his grip tight. “Uh, this isn’t how we planned to tell you, Nolan. How I planned to tell you I’m—I’m bi.”

Nolan stared, slack-jawed at them both for a moment before he sputtered, “What? So this whole time I was stressed out about telling you, Dad, you were withJesse?”

Connor winced. “Uhh, yeah. I’m sorry about that.”

“Itoldyou your dad would understand!” Jesse reminded Nolan.

Nolan made a face. “I thought you meant he was gonna be supportive because he loves me! Not because he’slikeme!”

Connor scratched the back of his neck. “Uhh, sorry. I should have told you about myself sooner, Nols. But I … I didn’t know how to.”

Nolan rolled his eyes. “Whatever. So are you and Jesse dating then?”

Connor glanced over at him with a shrug. “I guess so?”

Jesse whacked him on the chest with their clasped hands. “Dude, youloveme. We better be dating!”

Connor gave him a sheepish look.

Jesse shook his head. Connor was so hopeless.Good thing he was … wonderful in every other way,Jesse thought with a dreamy sigh that probably would have disgusted him six months ago.

Whatever. He was allowed to be a little giddy about realizing he was in love with someone for the first time.

“Oh, by the way,” Nolan said. “Kyler and I are totally dating. That’s what I wanted to tell you earlier.”

Connor sputtered. “When didthathappen?”

“Like … two days ago. It happened on the bus trip. Jesse was a big help.”

Connor turned to look at him. “You—thatwas what all this was about? Fuck, I thought you wanted to quit hockey, Nolan!”

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