RILEY
My last relationship couldnt survive the secrecy of being queer in the PHL.
Sure, the league isnt outright hostile to out players anymore, but you never know if a bad apple runs in your circle. From town to town and then team to team, you learn to hold those cards close to your chest.
That’s how I’ve lived the last thirty years of my life until Griffin Foster comes barreling in like the hotheaded goalie he is. He’s young, reckless, and makes me want a life I’ve never been convinced I can have.
He lights a fire under me to be a better player, to tackle the ghosts haunting my past. But when I push too hard and an old injury flares up, all that ambition goes up in flames.
Face to face with the love of my life, can I open myself up to give him what he deserves, or will I lose him for good?
GRIFFIN
I’ve always been out and proud and not willing to compromise for anyone—until I lock eyes with defenseman Riley Easton in the weight room mirror after being traded to the Hornets. One look and my resolve flies out the window.
What harm is a closet when you’ve got the flickering flame of a star-crossed passion to keep you company?
When Riley goes down on that ice and is given a career death sentence, there’s no pretending what we are is fun and indulgent anymore.
Riley has given me a home, not just with the team, but within himself, and Im not willing to let that go.
I just need to convince him that we’re worth fighting for, even if the person he has to fight is himself.
