The Long Game (Game Changers, #6)

by Rachel Reid

“I am bisexual,” Ilya blurted out.

“Not to ask a stupid question, but it’s serious?” “Very,” Ilya said.

Shane’s heart flipped the way it always did when Ilya made it clear how much Shane meant to him.

“Welcome to Camp Rozanov,” Ilya announced. “Boooo,” said Wyatt Hayes, and the kids laughed.

“Ugh. Bad. Camp Rozanov is better. I am Ilya, and this is my friend Shane.”

“And also Hayden Pike,” Ilya said quickly. “Okay! Let’s get started.”

Ilya hadn’t realized how much fun it would be to confuse Hayden with compliments. He would have to do it more often.

“Oh god,” said a voice from the doorway. “Not again.” Ryan Price was filling the doorway with his massive body, looking mortified.

“I’m helping,” Ilya couldn’t resist pointing out. “I know you are.” Yuna patted his cheek. “That’s why you’re my favorite son.”

He closed his eyes and focused on how good it felt to be with Shane, alone in the dark, and tried not to wish it could be the same in the light.

the loon tattoo near his left shoulder that Shane still couldn’t believe Ilya had gotten.

The tattoo meant something, to both of them. It represented their time together in the summers, at their home on the lake.

“I am bisexual,” Ilya said, nodding. “Shane is super gay.” “I’m regular gay,” Shane argued.

“We are very good at pretending to not be in love. Maybe we are bad at showing it when we are allowed.”

he trailed a fingertip down Shane’s arm from his elbow to his wrist. Shane flinched, and stared at him with wide, questioning eyes. “What?” he asked. Kiss me, Ilya wanted to say. Kiss me and hold me in front of all these people. Pull me onstage and do it. I don’t care anymore. Please. I’m dying. “Nothing,” Ilya said, and stepped away. “Nothing.”

He wanted a lot of things now.

“When you watch it, this is what you will see. Me saying nothing. I wanted to say you are fucking everything to me. Everything. Okay?”

“Boys can wear nail polish,” Ilya said. “Watch.” He carefully brushed a coat of the pale blue color on his thumbnail. “See?”

But if I had to choose...I’d choose him.”

In the middle of November, without warning, Ilya got a new, unwanted teammate. Troy Barrett

YES YES YES

“You are a human being with a lot of responsibilities and pressure. You play a physically taxing, dangerous sport for a living. You are hiding a very big secret while also living your life in a spotlight. You are in love with a man you aren’t allowed to be in love with. You are carrying trauma from your childhood that you’ve never allowed yourself to process properly. And also you feel things very deeply. Deeper than maybe anyone realizes.”

I am thinking only about you right now. A million memories. Thank you for those. Whatever happens, I am with you. Safe in your heart. I believe it.

Thank god we already know what happens next. Even so, my heart hurts.

“Thank you,” Ilya said, gazing at the ceiling of the plane. “I won’t waste it.”

Shane would have died too. Alone, and secretly, and for the rest of his life.

Shane sank to one knee in front of him.

“I choose you, Ilya. I promise I will always, always choose you.” Shane’s eyes began to shimmer. He took a deep breath and said, “Ilya Grigoryevich Rozanov, will you marry me?”

Shane Hollander was going to be his husband.

Ilya pressed his fingers to the ring that lay hidden under his T-shirt. “I’m scared Shane will change his mind. Or that he won’t, and it will affect his career, and he will hate me for it. Maybe not for a while, but eventually.”

Ilya wasn’t interested in bottoming any more than Shane was interested in topping, but sometimes Ilya liked it when Shane gave his ass some attention. Sometimes Ilya just wanted to be taken as far out of himself as he could go, and this seemed to do it for him.

“That is over. It has been only Shane for a long time.”

Ilya passed his neighbors’ house—the one where Willa and Andrew lived—and stopped dead in his tracks. There was a large hand-drawn sign attached to the tree near the end of their driveway: We love you, Ilya! Underneath the sign was a little shelf that held two Funko Pop figures: one of Ilya, and one of Shane.

“A dynasty,” he breathed.

Bood smiled. “You stealing the fucking spotlight. Barrett comes out, announces his relationship with Harris, and then Roz says ‘hold my beer.’”

Ilya held his breath. Because of course, yes. Ottawa.

Ilya swallowed. “I’ll take care of him.”

That was all Ilya let him get out before he engulfed David in a tight hug. “My family is here,” he said simply, and with surprising steadiness.