Page 175 of Over the Line

I wanted to shut it all out… but I couldn’t. There were two people who needed to be able to reach me; any one of those calls or texts could be coming from my son or my boyfriend. I’d listen to the never-ending barrage of digital noise all night if it meant I didn’t miss one of them reaching out.

They didn’t, though. Everyone and their mother was blowing up my phone, but there was radio silence from both Chris and Liam.

My older son called an hour or so after I got home from the game. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m…” I ran a hand through my hair and exhaled as I paced my kitchen. “I don’t know, to tell you the truth. Tonight has been…” Fuck. What was the word? Weird? Overwhelming? Horrifying? “This wasn’t how I wanted anyone to find out I was with Liam. Least of all Chris.” I paused. “Or, I mean, I didn’t want you and your sisters to find out this way either, but⁠—”

“But he and Chris are teammates,” Nick said evenly. “I get it. And I, uh… I don’t think this was how you wanted people finding out you’re into men, either.”

My stomach somersaulted. “No. Definitely not.”

“Shit. That’s heavy.”

“Yeah.” I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed. “I don’t suppose you’ve heard from your brother.”

Nick was quiet for a few long seconds. “He’s texted me. He’s, um… He’s pretty heated about all of it, but I’ve been trying to talk him down.”

I winced. “I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have to do that.”

“You shouldn’t have your personal life splattered all over the tabloids,” he countered. “Listen, he’s upset right now. I think—I mean, I’m not gonna lie, Dad: this was probably the worst possible way for him to find out.”

Acid climbed the back of my throat. “I know. I didn’t even think anyone knew, but… Fuck.”

“Just give him some time. He’s still getting used to the public even knowing who he is, and now suddenly everyone is asking him about his dad dating Liam St. Clair. That’s a lot. But let him catch his breath, you know? I think he’ll be okay once everything settles down a bit.”

“He was okay after what I did to our family too,” I said dryly. “He shouldn’t have to recover a second time from finding out I did shit that everyone wants to talk about.”

“This is different,” Nick said. “You know it is.”

“It is, but this time we’re still in kind of a precarious spot, you know? Like we just got back on the same wavelength.”

“Uh-huh. And he’s been raving about how much he loves having you in Pittsburgh, and how much you were a rock for him and Jasmine when Asher was born.”

The acid in my throat was suddenly replace by a lump of emotion. “He… He has?”

“Yes. All this—it’s a shock, but I don’t think it’s a disaster, you know? Like this is something you and he can come back from.”

I leaned against my kitchen counter and stared up at the ceiling. I wanted to believe him. I really did. But that raw hurt and anger in Chris’s eyes was too vivid in my memory. “I feel like we could’ve come back from it if there wasn’t all the other bullshit from before.”

“Dad. He’s moved past all that.”

I wanted to believe that, too.

But…

“Did he tell you he cheated on my mom? Did he? Huh?”

“Because he’ll probably cheat on you too. He’s a fucking liar.”

“You said you weren’t going to lie anymore.”

I had to clear my throat twice before I could speak. “I’m not sure he’s moved past it. Not as much as I thought he had.”

“Give him time.” Nick paused. “And, um… Can I ask you something?”

I swallowed. “Sure. Yeah.”

“Why didn’t you tell him? As high-profile as Liam is, there was always a chance of you guys getting outed like this, you know?”