Page 8 of Retaking the Shot
He was right; I was laughing at his ridiculous ass. I took a deep breath, contemplating whether now was the right time to come out to them. I had to do it. Had to finally pull the Band-Aid off and just tell them. I was tired of hiding.
I cleared my throat. “All right. I’ve got one for you,” I began, feeling nervousness bubbling within me.
“Coop has a joke? I don’t believe it,” Butcher teased.
I grimaced slightly. “It’s actually not a joke.”
“Well, lay it on us,” Orlov said before taking a sip of his beer.
I swallowed hard and looked down at the stout beer in front of me. “I ... I’m gay.”
Nothing was said for a few seconds and I looked up to meet their stares.
Butcher was the first to react, his grin widening. “Is that it? Man, you had me worried. I thought you were gonna tell us you were retiring after the season or something.”
It was my last year on my contract with the Bruins, but I wasn’t sure if I was going to retire or not. I had mentioned it to Hayden not that long ago, but things were different now. I had wanted to retire so I could finally live my truth, but the summer with Ford, and my time with Baylor, gave me hope I could be out while I still played the game I loved.
Sexton playfully nudged Butcher. “Come on, Butch, let the man have his moment. Coop, thanks for trusting us with that. Means a lot.”
Nyström raised his glass. “To Coop, for being brave enough to share.”
Orlov nodded in agreement. “We’re teammates, but more importantly, we are friends. Your personal life doesn’t change that.”
As the glasses clinked together in a toast, I felt a mixture of emotions—relief, acceptance, and a newfound connection with my friends.
“Is that why you’ve been so down today?” Sexton asked. “Did you break up with your boyfriend or something?”
“No.” I shook my head. “Nothing like that.”
“Fighting with a lover, then?” Butcher pressed with a smirk.
I stared at him for a second and realized he was fucking with me. It felt as though their teasing was a way for them to tell me they were truly okay with my sexuality, and that made my heart happy.
“No lover to fight with.”
“You know, you should check out this new dating app,” Nyström suggested.
“What new dating app?” Butcher asked as I shook my head. I didn’t want to join a dating app. I would be recognized for sure.
“It’s called The Click,” Nyström explained.
“What’s so special about this one?” Orlov inquired.
“Because it’s anonymous. They match people based on their preferences and interests instead of someone picking you because of your looks,” Nyström answered. “They don’t know it’s you unless you tell them and that can be either on the app or when or if you meet up.”
“Are you on it?” I asked him.
“Yeah, for a few weeks now. It launched not that long ago.”
“But it’s for straight people?” I questioned.
Nyström shook his head. “No. You select your sexual preference and the gender identities you are interested in matching with.”
Butcher and Sexton were already on their phones.
“Are you two signing up?” I asked them.
“Hell yeah,” Butcher said. “Finding chicks to hook up with is great and all, but sometimes I wished they liked me for me and not because I’m a hockey player.”
