Page 60 of Icing the Play

I strolled to him. “Yeah?”

Pulling on my arm, he bent me over to place a lingering kiss on my mouth. “You look nervous.”

“I am.” I pushed my lips together. I didn’t want to make him nervous, too. “Look, just call to me if you want me to talk to them.”

“Okay.” He freed my arm and dialed his phone. It rang a few times and picked up. “Hey, Mom.”

“Hi, Cooper. I hope everything’s all right,” she said.

Shit, he wasn’t waiting for me to leave. I strode into my room, shut the door and rested my back against it, panting. Okay, Myles, what’s the worst thing that could happen?My gaze darted across my room. It’s the room where we had sex and where we slept together all night. They could disown him as a son. But did parents do that anymore?

My breathing calmed, and I stepped away from the door, his soft voice filtering through.

I didn’t want to listen, but fuck, I wanted to hear what he was saying. I threw my book on the bed and bit my lower lip. Maybe just a little. I pressed my ear to the door.

“Yes, I’m bisexual and I have a boyfriend,” Cooper said.

“Oh, my gosh. I didn’t know.” His mother’s voice said.

A man’s voice came through. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure, Dad. You guys know him. It’s Myles from high school. The hockey player?”

“Fuck.” I jogged away from the door and threw myself on the bed on my stomach. What if they didn’t like me? They’d beennice the few times I’d been to his house, but maybe they wouldn’t even remember me. I pulled at my bangs.

“Myles?” Knocking sounded through the room. “Can you come out here?”

My breath snagged, and my heart pounded in my ears. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.” I hopped off the bed and smoothed my hair around my face and then pulled my athletic shirt over my shorts. Maybe I should have dressed better?

“Myles?” The door swung open, and Cooper gave me a warm smile. “Come on, they want to talk to you.” He waved me to him.

“Why?” I covered my mouth with my hand and stepped toward him. That was stupid.

Cocking his head, he said, “It’s cool. They were shocked, but they accepted it. Dad just wanted to be sure it wasn’t a phase.” He clicked his tongue. “You are not a phase.”

“Okay.” Following him into the kitchen, I clenched and opened my hands. What should I say to them? I’d never done this before.

Cooper grabbed my hand, leading me to the table where he’d set his phone against a napkin holder. “Mom and Dad, this is Myles.” Dropping into a chair, he patted the next one over and slid it beside him.

I sunk into the chair and forced myself to look at the screen of his phone. “Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Hayes.” I gave them a weak wave and flashed a grin.

“Hi Myles, it’s so nice to see you again.” His mother, her hazel eyes so much like her son’s, smiled at me. Her brown hair was in a ponytail. She tagged Mr. Hayes’s arm. “Jim, say something.” Her attention drew to the screen. “You can call us Caroline and Jim. No need to be so formal.”

Jim stared into the phone, his mouth gaping. “I uh…” He rubbed the top of his balding head and then pushed his dark-rimmed glasses up his nose. “Hello, Myles. Still playing hockey, I hear?”

Taking a hard swallow, I said, “Yeah, I’m uh, my season hasn’t begun yet, but I’m playing right winger on the starting line, eh.” Okay, talking sports was easy.

Cooper swung his arm around my shoulders and rested his head against mine. “Myles moved here to play hockey with a group of guys who are all queer. He’s friends with Archer Carlson, Mason Hopkins and Ace McAdams, who all play for the Coyotes.”

“Damn, kid, that’s some company you keep.” A smile stretched over Jim’s face. “Are you getting ready for the draft this year?”

“Uh no.” I chuckled. Fuck, I didn’t even have an agent yet. “Hockey contracts don’t work the same as football. Some of us are drafted through the junior leagues or…” I was about to make myself look like a loser. “Or in our last year of college. It all depends.”

“He has an agent who’s talking to him. Same agent who worked with Tyler Hodge who started playing for the Blackhawks this year, right?” Cooper beamed at me.

“Yeah, same as Tyler’s.” The only reason Dean was looking at me might be Tyler. If it weren’t for all my friends, I might be nowhere right now. Slumping my shoulders, I forced a grin.

“The Blackhawks, damn.” Jim whistled. “Is there a place to watch your games, son?”

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