“They were just teasing. They love you,” I whisper even though Tyson and Carter have retreated to the other side of the room to give us some privacy.
“I know. I’m sorry. Why am I such a mess?”
“You’re not a mess,” I say, turning him toward me. “It’s okay to kiss me in front of our friends. We didn’t do anything wrong.”
He nods slightly. “I’m okay. Let’s enjoy the night.” Evan smiles at me then continues placing condiments on the counter and pulling out the plate of onions, lettuce, and tomato we cut this morning.
Rather than making any more of a fuss, I accept that Evan is fine and go on about our night. It isn’t fair to him to make a big deal out of his reaction in front of our friends, but it bothers me that something as small as getting caught kissing sends him into a spiral. I need to let it go. This is all new for both for us. I’m a little surprised at myself for being so bold and open in front of Tyson and Carter. Maybe it’s because I know them well and trust them. I’ve forced Evan to keep us a secret and then got angry at him when I thought he betrayed me. Now, I’m only willing to let a few select people know about us. It has to make him feel unsure about our relationship and my love for him especially after everything Mike put him through.
“Tyson,” I call, gaining his attention. “The grill should be hot by now. Can you and Carter go put the burgers andkabobs on?” I ask, handing him two trays of food. I try to silently communicate that I need a minute with my boyfriend.
He must understand because he takes the trays with a nod. “You got it. Carter, grab some tongs.”
When Carter closes the door behind them, I turn to Evan, take his hand and lead him to our, eh, my bedroom. Where did that thought come from? I’m not sure, but I like the idea of sharing a home with Evan.
When we reach the bedroom, I face my boyfriend and cup his cheek. “Hey, I’m sorry if them seeing us like that embarrassed you, but I want you to know, I’m all in. I’m not ready for the world to know, but I won’t hide in front of my family, our friends, or Hope. Just so you know, I regret not meeting your parents and I think next time you talk to them; you should share the news.”
“What? Are you sure? Isaac, I’m sorry I told Hope and the guys found out. I feel really bad about it, and I don’t want you to feel like my parents have to know.”
“Stop. I meant every word I said. I want your parents to know, and I want you to be comfortable around Tyson and Carter.”
A smile tugs at his lips as he relaxes into my touch. “Thank you.”
“One more thing. No more apologizing for people finding out. You did not do anything wrong, and I never should have blamed you. It’s in our past and we’ve both apologized. There’s no reason to keep reliving it.”
“Really?”
“Absolutely.”
“I love you so much.” Evan kisses me quickly. “It’s time to have some fun with our friends.”
Our friends. I like the sound of that and I’m grateful Tyson, Carter, and Evan hit it off and get along. I want Evan to be part of everything in my world, but for that to truly happen, I have to quit hiding who I am.
TWENTY-FIVE
EVAN
Isaac’s ribs are much better and at his appointment this morning, the doctor told him he can start light workouts today. If those go well, he will be able to return to practice in a few days and play in next Sunday’s game. The relief in Isaac’s voice when he called me with the news was a welcome sound. Being off the field has been weighing heavy on him these past weeks. He feels like he’s letting his team down, especially because the injury could have been avoided if he hadn’t let his anger get the best of him.
I’ve been trying to come up with a way to celebrate the good news from the doctor and do something fun and different for our date tonight. We’ve fallen into this routine of taking turns planning what to do each night. Most of the time, one of us cooks and we stay in because we’re tired from the day. I decided I like the idea of staying home tonight but wanted to do more than simply cook and watch TV.
When I hear Isaac’s key in the door, I scramble up off the floor to greet him. A couple of weeks ago we exchanged keys.It was a big step and one I don’t take lightly. I’ve never given anyone a key to my place before for two reasons. One, my place was my parents’ place and two, I’ve never trusted anyone the way I trust Isaac.
I can’t hide the huge grin on my face when Isaac opens the door. He takes three steps into the apartment and freezes, eyes going wide with wonder and excitement as he takes in the living room that’s been transformed into one hell of a blanket fort. I’m damn proud of my work.
“It’s our date.”
“What exactly are we doing on this date?”
“Well.” I take his hand, leading him to the fort entrance. “This is a blanket fort. It’s a special place built only for the one I love most. No one else has ever been inside one of my famous blanket forts. Unless you count my parents, who joined me a few times when I was a little kid.” Isaac stares as me unblinking as I continue. “Blanket forts are magical places where anything you dream can happen.” I drop to my knees and crawl inside, motioning for Isaac to follow. He crawls in behind and looks all around in complete disbelief.
“You did all of this today? It must have taken hours.”
Blankets cover almost the entire room, giving us plenty of space to stretch out and relax. On the side that borders the wall, I have pillows lined up. White Christmas lights are strung across the top of the fort and down the sides, giving us some soft, romantic light. A large blanket is laid out on the floor with a picnic basket and bottle of wine.
“Sit,” I command, pointing to the pillows. While Isaac gets comfortable, I open the bottle of red wine and pour each of us a glass. After handing one to Isaac, I prop myself up next to him and hand him several small strips of paper and a pen. “So, here’s what I’m thinking. While we sip on our wine, we each choose ten questions we want to ask the other personand write each one on a strip of paper. Then we fold them up and put them in this bowl. While we have our picnic dinner, we play a slightly altered version of Twenty Questions. We will take turns drawing a question and reading it out loud then we both have to answer.”
“What kind of questions?”