Page 36 of Knox
That got my attention. “Is this good or bad?”
“Well, I’m not sure.”
“Oh god. Just tell me.”
He chuckled slightly and removed two eggs from the carton. “I’ve been thinking about how many kids figure they gotta choose between who they are and the game.”
I tilted my head and raised a brow. “Okay?”
“The other day, that kid Max said it was because of us that he realized he didn’t need to choose between baseball and being gay.”
“Right. That made me feel good when I heard him say that.”
“Me too.” He abandoned the eggs and grabbed his phone off the counter. “I was thinking we could start a profile on The Loop. Just us. You know, making breakfast, heading to the cages, getting drinks with the guys. Let people see that they don’t have to give up one thing to have the other, and we’re still just Crew and Knox.”
I took a slow sip of coffee, my eyes on him over the rim. The Loop was a video app where people posted short clips andshared them with followers. “You want people in our day-to-day lives?”
“Maybe noteverything.” He smirked, and I shook my head with a chuckle at his innuendo. “But if there’s another kid like Max out there, I want him to see that we’re just normal people. I want him to know it’s this simple. That he doesn’t have to hide.”
I thought it over for a second. I wasn’t worried about people knowing who we were anymore. We’d already confirmed our relationship with our posts. This was more about opening up the rest of our life. Letting people see all the parts that didn’t fit into a headline. The easy stuff. The boring stuff. The stuff that made us real and just like everyone else.
I set the mug down. “All right. Let’s do it, but I’m sure it will be boring for people.”
Relief eased across his face, and he pulled me in by the front of my tee, pressing his forehead to mine for a second before his mouth found my lips. When he pulled back, he grinned. “Thank you, and you get to be the star of ourboringLoop account.”
“Your idea. You’re the star.”
He hit something on the screen and then spoke as the phone was pointed at his face. “What’s up, everyone! For those that don’t know me, I’m Knox Singleton, the best first baseman the Portland Seawolves have ever had!” I snorted a little laugh, and he continued. “And this is my boyfriend, the best catcher in all of the MLB, Crew Stratton.” I nodded my head in greeting, and he went on. “Crew, tell the Loop peeps what we’re doing.”
I shook my head, but couldn’t stop my mouth from tugging up. “Making breakfast, and trying to keep you from burning down the place.”
“Nah. I’m a better cook than that,” Knox said back into the view of his video. “But let’s be real for a second. A few weeks ago, you might have seen a video floating around that currently has over two million views. So, we think you guys might be ready tosee how we live, and we’re gonna show what life looks like for us. Do I dare say the good, the bad, and the ugly?”
“There’s nothing ugly about you, baby.” I moved behind him so both of us were on the screen and then kissed his cheek.
“Hey now, don’t get me all worked up or wewillburn down the kitchen.”
We both laughed, and then he spoke again. “All right, my man is hungry, so I’d better go finish breakfast, but follow us if you want to get some insight on our day-to-day. Peace.” He threw up the peace sign and then pushed stop. After putting in a caption and hashtags that read:Baseball, breakfast, and the best kind of boring. #Seawolves #JustUs #LoveIsLovehe set the phone on the counter, but it didn’t take long before his cell started blowing up with notifications. I glanced at the screen and saw comments, likes, and a lot of heart emojis.
If showing the real parts of us meant another person in the LGBTQ+ community didn’t have to wonder if they could have the same thing as us, then yeah, it was worth it.
15
Knox
It wasthe bottom of the seventh with two on base and one out. The regular season was starting soon, and while we’d been playing well so far, I wanted the momentum to continue as we headed into games that mattered.
Sweat dripped down my face as I left the on-deck circle and headed to the batter’s box. The weather in Arizona didn’t care that the calendar claimed it to be the beginning of spring. It might’ve only been eighty degrees, but under the desert sun, it felt like at least a hundred. Especially since most of our games started just after one in the afternoon.
I looked to our third base coach for my sign before squaring up to the plate.
The first pitch came in a bit high and outside, and I took it for a ball.
The second pitch was right down the middle, and I swung.
As soon as the ball left the barrel, I knew it was a solid hit. Watching it soar over the centerfielder’s head, I rounded first and slid into second as the other two runners scored easily.
Glancing toward the dugout, I could see Crew watching me with a grin on his face. I wasn’t sure what gave me a bigger rush: the cheering crowd or the look of admiration on my boyfriend’s face. Either way, I’d give anything to see my man smile like that every day.
