Page 66 of Rookie Moves

They’re proud of him for just being him, and that leaves an unfamiliar emotion sitting on my chest.

What does it feel like to know you make your parents proud?

I don’t think I’ve ever heard the words “I’m proud of you, Tyler” leave either of my parents’ lips. Joey has said it a couple of times. The first one notably being when I graduated high school with the grades to get me into Whilton U, but it’s always been in relation to my education rather than hockey or the times when I performed with the band at school.

I try to hide the knot building in my throat as Jamie talks us into having dessert. We’re on a fairly strict diet while we’re here, needing to be on the top of our game, but I’ve discovered Colby has a sweet tooth, just like me, so we share a slice of cheesecake between us before we have to say our goodbyes to his parents and head upstairs for the video session.

“It’s so lovely to meet you, Tyler,” Grace says as she brings me in for a hug.

I find myself squeezing my eyes closed as I return her hug. I haven’t felt the warmth of a mother’s embrace since I last saw Piper’s mom, and I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed it until now.

She must pick up on the invisible cloud I’m carrying because she tightens her arms around me, letting the hug go on a little longer than what’s normal for hugging your teammate’s mom. Then, with a hand on my chest, she tips her head to whisper in my ear.

“Thank you for being here for him. He’s not the best at expressing himself sometimes. His lack of people skills makes it difficult for him, but I can tell you mean a lot to him, and I hope this isn’t the last time we see you.”

Smiling up at me, she gives my chest a pat, then takes a step back so I can shake Jamie’s hand.

Her words replay through my mind as we head out into the lobby.

Colby mentioned his parents are one of the few people who know about his sexuality, so do they know about us? Or could she see this spark between us that is beginning to feel too big for me to ignore for much longer?

We stop in front of the elevator banks, and I press the call button. The conference room Coach has reserved is on the second floor, and I’m too full and lazy to take the stairs.

Colby’s quiet next to me, watching me with a concerned crease in his brow. I shove my hands into the pockets of my jeans to avoid reaching out for him.

“Your parents are nice,” I say, though the word nice is a major understatement.

“Thanks, they’re pretty great.” He offers me a shy smile. “I didn’t mean to, like, rub it in or anything. I know your parents aren’t, like…”

His words trail off, and it takes me a second to piece together what he’s trying to say. I immediately shake my head, dismissing his thought.

“You didn’t. I accepted a long time ago that my parents are nothing like yours. It doesn’t upset me like it used to,” I reassure him before adding, “Plus, I had a nice time hearing all the embarrassing stories about you and how you used to play in your underwear.”

He laughs. “Shut up. I’m sure you were the same.”

“I can promise you I wasn’t,” I tease.

His lips pinch as he tries to stop his smile from widening, then gives me a playful shove as the elevator doors open. We step inside, and I hit the button for the second floor before anyone else can follow us in. The moment the doors close, I turn toward him and lean back against the wall.

“Does your mom know about us?” I ask quietly, making sure my tone doesn’t sound accusing.

Surprise flickers across his face before he shakes his head. “No, why? What did she say?”

“Nothing bad, just that she hopes this isn’t the last time she sees me.”

Colby bites down on the corner of his mouth, averting his gaze to stare at a mark on the floor between us. “I’ve never been very good at hiding things from my mom.”

Pushing off the wall, I step in front of him and lift his chin with my finger until his eyes meet mine. “I’m not mad about it, Colbs. Maybe if things were different…”

The unspoken words hang in the air between us, heavy and grim.

If you weren’t heading to the NHL and I wasn’t going to be trapped in some high-rise, maybe we could give this a real shot.

A look of sadness flashes in his eyes, and I feel it like a stake to the heart every second he doesn’t say a word.

The elevator doors open, and the way he steps around me, keeping his head low as he enters the conference room, says more than words ever could.

Colby’s still quiet when we head back up to our room several hours later. All throughout the video session, I kept stealing glances at him, willing for him to give me something, but he didn’t. His focus remained fixed on the big screen, and then his attention was stolen by Winslow during dinner.