Like You’ve Nothing Left to Prove (Breakaway #2)

by E.L. Massey

“Do not break my boyfriend,” Eli says, looking pointedly at Toby. “I know he’s an overly competitive moron, but his ankles are also worth several million dollars. So if any of you so much as thinks about tripping him to prove a point, I will have you excommunicated from this family. Everyone knows I’m Abuela’s favorite. I can make it happen.”

“You’re giving up a lot to be with me. And I know between my issues and my career and my past, it’s going to suck sometimes. Being my boyfriend. Especially when I can’t even publicly admit that you are, so… I just want to do as many things that I have control over right. So maybe the shitty things won’t hurt as bad when they happen.”

So he gets just tipsy enough that everything goes warm and bright, and he can dance without being embarrassed that his boyfriend is a sexy, beautiful dancer, while Alex is, by contrast, a flailing potato.

“I want to marry you,” Alex says, and that is…not what he meant to say. Shit.

Eli is worth it. Eli is worth risking hockey. Not at some indistinct time in the future, but now. Right now. “He’s my boyfriend,” Alex says. “Please, he’s my boyfriend. You have to let me see him.”

“You are a romantic fucking idiot,” he mutters, closing the laptop and shoving his face into Alex’s neck.

“You talked to all of the Russians in the NHL?” Asher asks, sounding kind of awed. “How? Do y’all have, like, weekly secret phone meetings? Do your families all know each other? Is there really a Russian Hockey Mafia?”

“No,” Kuzy says patiently, as if Asher is particularly stupid. “We have group chat. WhatsApp.” “Oh.” Asher looks disappointed. “But if is a Russian Hockey Mafia, I’m boss.” “Of course,” Jeff says.

And then he pets the side of Alex’s face. Gently. Like Alex is someone who deserves gentleness.

Alex didn’t know it was possible to love someone this much.

“Yes,” Kuzy said seriously. “We make Alex wear blindfold in the shower so he’s not see our dicks. Because no homo. Is rainbow blindfold though. Because Hell Hounds also pro-homo. You know?” On Twitter later that day, #prohomo starts trending. Jessica doesn’t let Kuzy do media for a couple weeks.

“Oh, me?” Martel throws his thumb, cavalier, toward Okezie. “I’m just here as moral support for my boyfriend.”

“Jesus,” Eli says, closing his laptop. “Were we ever that useless?” “I fake-dated you for three months, and said I loved you in my head before I ever pined my way into kissing you in a fit of rage. I think we were worse.”

But if getting a healthy boyfriend meant getting a different boyfriend, absolutely not. You’re it for me.”

Alex shifts his hips. “It could be…more pleasurable.” Eli groans into Alex’s neck. “Regrettably,” he says to no one in particular, “this is who I’ve chosen to love.”

“I don’t understand. I thought this would be an argument. I made notecards.”