Page 64 of Fate in Motion
After barely three minutes, we hop out, dripping water everywhere. Nate eyes the puddle forming beneath my feet.
“I swear,” he says, “every time you get out of the shower, you take all the water with you.”
I glance down. “You’re right. I can’t help that I get bored drying off.”
He shakes his head and keeps towel-drying while I sloppily pat myself down.
We both get dressed, both wearing matching white khaki pants unintentionally. I throw on a tan striped tee, while Nate goes for one of his usual solid blue shirts. Sky blue this time.
I eye him. “Do you just rotate the same four T-shirts in public?”
He grins. “You got a problem with that?”
“Not at all. Just stating a fact.” I say.
“Thanks for the daily fact,” he says with a little chuckle.
We finish getting ready and maintain our hair. Nate actually does something with his hair today, making it less chaotic and more stylish. I want to make sure I look good when Roman and Spencer are here. They’re not just old teammates, they’re the last people I really care about who don’t know I’m gay. And now they’re about to meet Nate.
We head downstairs into the living room and immediately find my whole family already seated, just waiting. Nate looks at me and says under his breath, “We are literally the slowest people in your family.”
Dustin glances up from his phone. “That’s typical for Carter. He’s slow at everything, even football.”
My mom cuts in, “Dustin, have you seen his stats?”
Nate jumps in, too. “Right, Dustin. Let’s see you sprint for over 100 yards and score three touchdowns in a game.”
I grin, look over, and kiss Nate on the cheek. Dustin just shrugs and goes back to his phone.
And that’s when it hits me, how easy that moment was. A kiss on the cheek. No weird stares. No awkward tension, and no one making it a thing.
That’s what I want in life. Not to make announcements or statements or turn my love into a spectacle. I just want to be able to live. To touch, love, and kiss Nate whenever I want, without needing permission or explanation. And in this house, I feel like I can.
Fifteen minutes before 1 p.m., both Spencer and Roman stroll through my front door like they own the place. They’ve been huge parts of my life for the past three years, and they’ve been to my house more times than I can count; for dinner, lunch, brunch. Honestly, my entire family has gotten drunk with these two and spent nights talking about absolutely nothing. So yeah, they feel totally comfortable walking right in.
They come in together, clearly still close, and make their way to the living room where we’re all hanging out. My mom jumps up, grinning. “Boys! You’re here. It’s been months, I’m so excited! How’s everything?”
They start to answer her, but then my dad cuts in with just as much excitement. He brings them both in for a hug. My brothers follow with their own handshakes-turned-bro-hugs.
Spencer and Roman finally reach Nate and me, who are sitting furthest from the door. In unison, they shout, “Broooo! I miss you!”
Spencer blurts, “Your replacement is terrible.”
“You can’t tell the competition that,” jokes Roman.
“But he’s right,” Roman continues. “The guy can’t catch or run. It’s like the team pulled someone off the clearance rack and called it a day.”
We all laugh. I forget for a second that Nate is right next to me, that is, until both guys glance at him, clearly waiting for an intro.
I clear my throat, just a little nervous. “This is Nate. My boyfriend.”
They both stare at me. Spencer speaks first. “Excuse me…boyfriend? Since when? Since when are you gay?”
Roman adds, “We heard rumors, but didn’t really think much of it…guess they are true?”
I look at them, trying to gauge the vibe. They seem relaxed. “We’ve been together for about two or three months now. Only people who know are my family, a few friends…and my team. And yeah, the rumors are true. ” I pause with a grin, “but not the ones about Charlie.”
Everyone laughs at that. Roman shakes his head. “Charlie’s kind of a douche.”
