Page 31 of Puck Your Feelings
"No, I'm not—Mom, we're just roommates." Pause. "How did you even—did you watch the video? Of course you did."
He laughs, and it's different from his usual laugh. Softer. More genuine.
"He's not my type. Too serious. Too..."
He trails off, and I'm standing there like an idiot waiting for him to finish that sentence.
"I don't know what my type is anymore. It's been a while since..." His voice drops, quieter now. "Yeah, I know. I know I've been closed off since Trevor. But this is different. This is just team bonding."
Trevor.
As in…a man?
Becker dated a man?
Becker is—
My brain short-circuits trying to process this information while also trying not to process it because it's none of my fucking business.
"Mom, I have to go. Love you too."
I should stay in the bathroom. Give him space. Instead, I walk out like nothing happened.
Becker startles, phone disappearing into his pocket. "How much did you hear?"
I should lie. "Enough to know your mom watches my humiliating viral moments."
The tension in his shoulders releases. "Oh god. She has Google alerts set for 'hockey' and 'comedy.' She thinks you're hilarious."
"She has terrible taste."
"She raised me, so clearly."
We do our usual nighttime routine—the awkward dance of two people trying to use one bathroom, the negotiation of space, the careful not-looking while the other person changes. I'm in my bunk first, Becker climbing up to his a minute later.
Lights off.
Darkness settles around us like a weighted blanket.
Then: "Can I ask you something?"
I stare at the underside of his bunk. "Depends on the question."
"Why does everyone call you Kane? Don’t you have a name of your own?"
The question catches me off guard. "Jayden. I don't even remember who started calling me Kane. Must have been my father. It caught on." I let out a humorless laugh. "Hard to escape someone's shadow when you're literally named after them."
"I get that. Being your own person."
"Do you?" I don't mean it to sound challenging, but it does.
"Yeah. I do."
Silence stretches between us. Not uncomfortable. Just... there.
"For what it's worth," Becker says, "I think Jayden suits you better."
Something in my chest tightens. "Yeah?"
