Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 83542 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83542 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Aleks shrugs. “Your boyfriend ain’t my PR rep anymore. I’m coming out, bitches.”
“Definitely foolish,” Lane mutters beside me.
“In that case.” Ezra holds up his glass of Macallan. “Cheero to being queero.”
“Yeah, that’s me out,” Asher says until his boyfriend nudges him. “Fine. Cheero to no labels though.”
“This toast gets longer and longer every year,” Ezra mutters.
“And also, here’s to Strömberg.” Anton lifts his glass. “For bowing out gracefully after the crap year he had.”
Ollie laughs. “Excuse me, but did anyone here make the playoffs this year?”
We glance around and realize none of our teams did.
“Well, shit. We need to fix that next season,” Ezra says. “Anton and I have already done our part by winning a Stanley Cup. And even though they weren’t together at the time, Tripp and Dex have a win too. Who’s next to bring the Cup home for the Collective?”
Anton leans in. “Can’t we just win again?”
Ezra lowers his voice, but we can still hear him. “Shh. We have to give these losers some kind of hope.”
“Just for that,” I cut in, “I say we all fight to knock Boston out of the running for the playoffs next year.”
“Now that, I’ll cheers to,” Asher says.
“Can we toast now?” Ezra asks. “Jesus Christ. You try to have a moment with your friends, and they ruin it by having more fun than you.”
I lift my glass. “Cheers.”
There’s a chorus of cheers, and we all drink down the smooth whiskey. Flashes go off, and if Aleks had any doubts about coming out, it’s too late now. I look around at my friends, at the whole ridiculous lot of us flying in to show Ollie our support, and I know, without a doubt, they’d do exactly the same for me.
We’re a messed-up—and thanks to Ezra, kinda incestuous—family, and I’m lucky to have them in my life.
“As my retirement gift,” Ollie says, “I want us all to hang out tonight. After all this mess of the media, my team, and my intrusive as fuck family out there”—he thumbs behind him to where the Norse gods are—“I want to hang with my people. It’s so rare we all get to be in the one room.”
Ezra lifts his glass. “Keep these coming, and you’ll never get rid of us.”
Lane leans in and whispers in my ear, “I don’t know if I’ll make it all night without giving you an orgasm.”
I’m about to tell everyone that we’re out, but then my boyfriend shocks the hell out of me.
“I might have to drag you into a bathroom stall and fuck your brains out while we’re here, then.”
My gaze flies to his. “Really?”
“Like Aleks said. I’m not your PR rep anymore.”
“Well, technically, you work for my agent, so—”
“Do you not want to have mostly public sex with me? Keep talking and make me second-guess myself.”
I groan. “You broke me. Old me wouldn’t have even cared about that technicality. I’d already be naked and bent over in a disgusting bathroom. You’ve ruined me.”
“Ruined you … made you less selfish. Same thing, right?”
I kiss his cheek. “You’ve ruined me in the best possible way.”