After The Snap (31 page)

“I can feel you relaxing,” Colby whispered.

“I am. Thank you. You know just what I need to feel better.”

Colby placed his hand on the couch beside Seth’s thigh and climbed up straddling his legs. “I need this cock in my ass and I want to feel you. Not the condom, just you.”

Seth sucked in a breath, his heart thundering as he thought about going without protection. “I guess you got your results back?”

“Yeah, so we’re both good.”

Seth captured Colby’s lips in a searing kiss that left them both breathless. After the kiss, Colby lifted up and scooted closer as Seth shifted down in the seat.

“What about lube?” Seth asked.

“I brought a small packet with us tonight.”

“You planned this?”

“Yeah, I did.”

Seth groaned as Colby spread slick on his dick. When Colby sat back, Seth knew he’d gone to heaven. “Oh my God, it feels so good. Oh fuck…fuck.”

The heat was more intense than he expected, and the feel of Colby’s channel against his skin was freaking amazing. He gulped in a breath as he tried to hold it together. Colby was rocking on his lap, his naked chest giving Seth an amazingly sexy view. Seth let Colby do all the work as he ran his hands over the flat planes and smooth muscles that were all his to enjoy.

Seth caught Colby’s face in his hands and held him still. “Don’t leave me.”

“Babe, I love you. I won’t leave.”

“Please, don’t ever leave me,” Seth begged as his eyes filled with moisture.

“Hey, I’m not going to leave.”

Seth lifted up and rolled, pushing Colby to the cushions. Colby wrapped his legs around Seth and he sunk into the delicious heat of his lover, loving how close he felt to his man. At first he thought he had control, then Colby arched up, his head thrown back, neck exposed and Seth knew he had no control where Colby was concerned. His man was too delicious to show any restraint.

“Colby, oh God…” Seth was lost to the orgasm, his body moving on its own as he pumped into Colby. His cum was inside of his lover, not a condom, but in Colby. They were closer than they’d ever been before and this meant something.

He didn’t want to pull out but he was getting soft and knew he would slip out soon. And Colby would probably want to clean up because he was now filled with cum. Before he lost the connection he kissed Colby, hoping that he could convey some of the intense love he felt. Colby kissed him back like he meant it. When he lifted away, Colby’s hands stayed on him and he sat up, following Seth to standing. Colby didn’t let go until they were in the bathroom.

“That was amazing,” Colby whispered.

“Shower with me,” Seth said.

Colby stepped into the space and stayed close, kissing his chest and neck and holding him. It was sweet, and he felt like they’d moved to another level in their relationship. After they were both washed, he turned off the water and grabbed a towel, drying Colby before leading him to their bed.

When they were settled, the reality of the situation couldn’t be ignored. “He’s going to do something.”

“Channing?” Colby asked as he snuggled close, laying his head on Seth’s shoulder.

“Yeah. He’s pissed that we’re together and he’s going to do something.”

“Babe, what can he do? He’ll lose his job and any chance of having a job coaching if he comes out. What he did was wrong and he knows it.”

“I just have a bad feeling.”

Colby lifted up and stared down at him. “We’ll make it through anything. He can’t hurt us.”

“No, he can’t.”

Seth tugged Colby close and held him, worrying about what Channing would do. But nothing happened. He spent the next night in the hotel with the rest of the team and he didn’t see Channing. After winning the game, he half expected Channing to try to get into the locker room, but he didn’t show. He received a text from his parents stating that they’d landed and were on their way to their hotel. A different type of fear took over as he dialed his mom, letting the Bluetooth on his car take over.

“Hey, mom,” he said when she answered.

“Hi, Seth. We’re so proud of you. Are you sure you don’t want to go out to eat? We can find some place and I don’t want you to have to deal with cooking us dinner.”

“It’s okay. I have something at home. Plus, the restaurants will be packed and traffic is bad. Just come over. There is parking in the garage for guests. Press the button for my apartment and I’ll let you in.”

“If you’re sure.” His mom sounded distracted and he could hear his dad’s phone in the background giving directions.

“Yes. Plus, I have something to tell you.”

“Oh, what is it?” She perked up, the last words of her sentence said at a higher pitch.

A small smile tugged at his lips. He prayed his mom liked Colby. “I want to tell you both. Just come by. I love you and I’ll see you later.”

“Okay, bye.”

It took him about twenty minutes with the traffic to make it home. Colby had texted that he had dinner ready and was looking forward to meeting Seth’s parents. If only he felt as optimistic. Fear of their reactions had left him feeling off. He was surprised he’d been able to concentrate at the game.

When he pulled into the parking garage, he noticed that his hands were shaking. He had to take a moment to catch his breath before heading upstairs. Before he even got to his place he could smell the delicious food Colby had made. His man was excellent and he loved him more every day.

“Hey,” Colby rushed from the kitchen and into his arms. “You did so good today. I’m so freaking proud of you.”

“You watched the game?”

“Every second.”

“I know you don’t like football.”

“I love watching you play.”

“I have to say that it makes me feel better knowing that you’re watching.”

Colby pressed his lips to Seth’s and he pulled him close after dropping his stuff into a heap. He needed to get his clothes into the washer. Sure, the team took care of his gear, but the stuff he wore before and then after the game was dirty. He’d left it once by mistake and it had stunk up the condo, but he needed to kiss Colby before his parents showed up.

He ended the kiss and stared down at his lover. “I missed you last night.”

“I missed you too, but I did get a lot of cleaning done and the food is all prepared. Tomorrow’s breakfast will be easy too.”

“Let me get these into the washer,” Seth said.

“Sure. I need to pull the food out of the oven. It’s ready. I’m going to put the pie in next.”

“You’re amazing.” Seth brushed his lips over Colby’s before picking up his gear and getting his clothes into the washer. He’d just stepped out into the den when the buzzer rang. His parents had arrived.

With a trembling hand he allowed his parents access to the building. Ice filled his veins as fear took over. Then he caught Colby’s gaze and the smile on Colby’s lips warmed him. If he had to do this alone, he wasn’t sure what he would do. Telling his parents he was gay would be extremely difficult without having Colby beside him.

He heard the elevator ding and went to the door, waiting for them to approach. The sound of his dad’s deep voice hit his ears and his emotions leapt off the charts. He couldn’t do this. He turned and found Colby standing beside him.

“I’m here. It will be fine.”

Colby’s words filled him with confidence, giving him the strength necessary to open the door and let his parents in.

“Seth!” His mom pulled him into a tight hug before the door was even closed. She leaned back and placed her hands on the sides of his face, staring into his eyes. “We’re so proud of you.”

“Son, you’ve done so well. We’re happy you won the game today.” His dad turned and caught sight of Colby and Seth saw the pause before his dad recovered. “I don’t recognize you from the team. Or are you Seth’s agent?”

“No, sir, I’m Colby, Seth’s—”

“He’s my boyfriend.” Seth couldn’t allow the weight of telling his parents to fall on Colby. He stepped close to his man, wrapping his arm around Colby’s shoulder. The confusion was evident on his parents’ faces. Then he saw the anger and he wanted to do something to change the circumstances, but there wasn’t anything to do. He was deeply in love with Colby and that wasn’t going to change.

“I—what?” his father asked.

“I’m gay,” Seth said.

“No, no you’re not,” his mom countered. “You’ve dated girls.”

“I know this may come as a shock, but I’m in love with Colby. He lives with me and we’re serious.”

The anger flashing on his dad’s face scared Seth and he held Colby a little tighter. A sick feeling slid through him as he saw his parents reject him for who he was.

His dad turned and walked out, his mom following. Seth crumpled and the only reason he didn’t fall to the floor was Colby’s arms holding him up. Colby led him to the den and pushed him to the couch. He dropped his head between his knees and sucked in a breath. Before he knew what was happening, Colby ran out the door. Seth tried to stand but his head swam so much he toppled to the couch. The pounding in his head forced him to slow, making it impossible to chase after his lover. His parents had walked out. How could they have left like that?

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Colby took the stairs two at a time, racing to the parking garage. He flew out the door to the stairwell as the door to the lobby opened. Seth’s parents stopped when they saw him and he held up a hand as he sucked in a breath. Seth’s dad tried to step around him but Colby straightened and shook his head.

“No, you don’t get to pull this shit. That man is the best man I’ve ever met and he’s a good son. You loved him fifteen minutes ago and nothing has changed.”

“I can’t support that sin,” Seth’s father said.

“Your hate is the real sin. Abandoning your child is the sin, not being kind. Yeah, I grew up in the bible belt and I can counter every single verse with one of my own. Jesus is about love. Jesus helped the centurion. You don’t get to be selfish and walk away from Seth.”

“But—” Seth’s mom started to speak but Colby cut her off.

“No. You get back in that elevator and you tell your son that you still love him. You can go to PFLAG meetings in your area, or you can get some reading material, but you’re not going to abandon Seth.”

The elevator dinged and they all turned to see Seth stepping out. His eyes were red and he looked like hell. Colby’s heart broke from the pain he saw on his lover’s face. He was going to go to his man when Seth’s mom sighed and turned to Seth.

“I’ve always suspected. I’m sorry we walked out. I love you. I don’t understand, but I want to have the opportunity to understand. We,” she turned to Seth’s dad and held out her hand. It took Seth’s dad about thirty seconds before he nodded and took his wife’s hand. “We want to understand.”

“Let’s go up and enjoy some dinner. We have plenty of time to talk this out. You’ll be here long enough to talk to Seth and if you wish to talk alone with me, you’ll have time for that too.”

Seth’s dad turned to face him and nodded. They loaded onto the elevator and were back in their condo before anyone spoke again.

“Dad I—”

Seth’s dad held up his hand. “I’m sorry. I was just so angry and I couldn’t stop. I let an irrational fear of what would happen to you take over. I don’t understand. I don’t understand any of it. Why are you gay? How can you be gay? Did I do something wrong?”

“Dad, I’m happy being gay. I’m in love with Colby and we have a good life together.”

“But what about a woman, couldn’t you have a good life with a woman?”

“Dad, I’m not interested in women. Yes, I’ve tried, but I’m gay. I love Colby and it’s past time to introduce you to the man I’m eventually going to marry.”

Colby sucked in a breath, his gaze shooting to Seth’s. He was shocked that Seth had said it that easily right in front of his parents.

“Dad, mom, this is Colby Larsen. Colby, this is Bill and Lori, my parents.”

Colby stuck out his hand to shake but Lori pulled him into a hug and held him tight. When Lori let him go, Bill stood still for a short moment before hugging him. It felt weird being held by Seth’s dad, especially after he’d had to run downstairs and demand that they stay.

“The food smells wonderful,” Lori said.

“Thank you.” Colby was proud of what he’d accomplished.

“Do you normally cook for Seth?” Bill asked.

Seth spoke up. “Actually, I usually cook dinner. Colby gets off work around five or five thirty and I’m already home from practice. I like cooking for him.”

“You cook?” Bill asked.

“Of course. I’ve always enjoyed cooking.”

“Who cleans?” Bill asked.

“Dad, you can’t shove either one of us into traditional roles. I’m not a woman and neither is Colby. We’re both men and we love each other, that means we both take care of each other.”

Colby could tell that Bill was having an issue dealing with the reality that both of them did tasks that were traditionally considered female.

“Colby cooked today because I was working. And by the way, I’m starving. Can we eat?”

Bill nodded, then stepped into the kitchen. “Tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”

“Could you carry the platter with the roast to the dining table? I’ll get the vegetables. Seth, go sit. You had a long day.”

“I’ll carry the bread,” Lori said.

They had everything on the table and Bill folded his hands and bowed his head. It had been a long time since he’d prayed before a meal. He didn’t mind, it just wasn’t something he thought was necessary. He closed his eyes and listened to Bill talk.

“Dear Lord, I don’t know why you chose this time to reveal that Seth was gay, but please help us understand. I know you are the Lord of all things, and I thank you for our family. Guide us at this time and make the path clear. Amen.”

“Amen,” Lori parroted.

Colby lifted his head and began serving himself some vegetables before passing the bowl. Seth took a roll and bit into it, moaning as he chewed. There were mashed potatoes, along with squash, and a huge hunk of meat. After a game Seth ate like a wild man sometimes, and today wasn’t an exception.

An uncomfortable air hung around the table. He caught Seth’s gaze and his heart expanded. He would do anything to help his man be happy. Though he was angry and upset, he would be nice. He turned to Lori and smiled. She returned the smile so he figured it was okay to start in on the small talk. “Lori, how was your flight?”

“It was okay. We experienced some turbulence, but we survived.”

“Will you two be celebrating Christmas?” Bill asked.

Seth paused with his fork halfway to his mouth. “Dad, just because I’m gay doesn’t mean I’ve turned into a—I don’t know what, but yes, it’s just like always. I’m happy with who I am.”

Bill rolled his fork over in his hand and then pushed around a pile of potatoes. “I’m just having a hard time wrapping my brain around it all. I mean, how can—I just can’t picture what—”

“Dad, don’t picture anything.”

“How can you do housework?” Bill asked and Colby could see Seth’s mom pause.

Seth looked from his mom to his dad. Colby could see the hesitation on Seth’s face, like maybe he didn’t want to get into it today, but the question was out there and someone would have to answer.

“It’s like this, Dad, I take pride in what I do and what I have. You taught me that. I have a house that I own and it’s a nice place. I have a partner in life with Colby, that means we’re dedicated to each other and our life together. We both clean because we both are members of this household. No one gets a pass in taking care of things.”

“Fine, but what about diseases?” Bill’s questions were going to get intrusive and Colby didn’t know how to protect Seth, or if he really could protect Seth from the hurt born out of the questions coming their way. This was something he was going to have to take care of and hiding their reality wouldn’t make Bill or Lori accept them any quicker.

Colby cleared his throat, seeing that Seth was obviously uncomfortable with the subject and had his mouth full of food. “It’s like with any couple these days. We are monogamous. Neither Seth nor I want other partners.”

“But don’t gay men want sex all the time?” Bill asked. His face turned red and so did Lori’s. It must be painful having to talk about their son’s sex life.

“Some men want sex more than others. That’s just basic biology.” Colby felt his face heating as he spoke. He didn’t want to reveal what he and Seth did in the bedroom, but he felt the need to speak up. “Seth and I have a healthy sex life, but we both can wait to have sex until we’re at home if one of us is traveling.”

Colby was hot and wished he didn’t have to talk about this with Seth’s parents, but if it meant they accepted their son, then he would press forward.

“Dad, do you love Mom?” Seth asked.

“Of course I do.”

“Have you ever cheated on her?” Seth’s question made both Lori and Bill gasp.

“Never!” Bill exclaimed.

“I feel the same way about Colby. I love this man with all of my heart. He’s been very good to me. He’s sweet and kind. Colby has made me feel whole. He’s taken all of my broken parts and fixed them.”

“Why do you have broken parts?” Lori asked. “Weren’t we good parents?”

“Mom, you and Dad were great, there isn’t a question in that, but I’m gay and grew up in the south. I’m going to have scars from that.”

Bill sat back and crossed his arms over his chest. “I just don’t get it. How do you know you’re gay?”

“How do you know you’re straight?” Seth asked.

“It’s easy,” Bill said.

“That’s how we know we’re gay,” Colby said. “I’ve tried to be with women, but there’s nothing there. I like men. I like how men talk, how they move, how they think. I love how Seth holds me and how gentle he is with me. He’s an amazing man and I hope you can accept that he’s gay.”

The timer on the oven rang and Colby stood to check on the pie but before he walked away from the table he moved to stand beside Seth and he bent, kissing his man on the lips. When he stood he didn’t stop to say anything, instead he headed into the kitchen. His heart was racing and his head swam.

“I could never kiss another man,” Bill said.

“And I could never kiss a woman,” Lori said. “Bill, Seth and Colby kissed easily. If it wasn’t something natural to him, do you think he would have that look in his eyes? Did you see how he stared after Colby?”

Bill stood and Colby cringed. Fear filled him when Bill moved to the kitchen, blocking his path. Seth jumped up, his chair screeching across the tile. Bill glanced over his shoulder and shook his head.

“I’m not going to do anything, Seth. I just wanted to tell Colby that I’ll do my best to accept him into our family. I don’t get it, and I probably never will, but I don’t have to understand. I’m sorry you had to run down to the garage to stop us. We never should have walked out. I’m sorry. Can we start over?”

Colby’s chest grew tight and his eyes stung. “Yes, I think we can.”

“Well, if you were going to be my future daughter in law I would hug you now. So, son, I’m happy to have another son. I may need help with being reminded every once in a while that this is okay, but I want to say welcome to the family, son.”

Colby stepped into Bill’s arms and hugged him tightly. Seth was there, hugging him and his dad. All three of them were sniffling when they stepped out of the hug. Lori was right there, her eyes red, her cheeks pink.

“Can I get in on this hug?” Lori asked.

“Sure.” Colby opened his arms and pulled Seth’s mom close. They’d started out rocky, but now they seemed to be flowing easily. The air seemed to have cleared and the angst brought on by Bill and Lori rushing out had deflated.

Seth moved back to the table and began eating more of the food. Bill helped Colby clean the rest of the dishes and Lori stored the leftovers. Seth finished eating and Colby could see the droop of his eyes indicating he was tired.

“Let’s eat some apple pie,” Colby said.

Lori groaned. “Oh, I’m so full.”

“Pie?” Seth smiled and rubbed his belly. “I love pie.”

Bill’s lips spread wide in a smile. “I could eat a slice.”

Colby served everyone a slice of apple pie, giving Lori a small one because she insisted she couldn’t eat a large piece. He was happy with the way the evening had gone. In the beginning he’d been afraid of how it would turn out, then Bill and Lori had come back upstairs. He could tell that they would have to be patient with Seth’s parents, but they could work together to help Lori and Bill understand, or at least accept them.

When they were finally alone, and Seth’s parents had said their final goodbyes, Seth tugged Colby close and held him tight. They stayed like that for a long time until he felt Seth’s shoulders stop shaking.

“Thank you,” Seth whispered.

“I care so much for you.”

“It shows. I don’t know that anyone else would do that for me. You made them understand. I don’t know how you did it, but thank you.”

Colby stepped away and headed into the bedroom. “The answer to the question is yes, by the way.”

Seth stopped walking. “The question?” Colby lifted a brow and a wide smile broke out over Seth’s face. He stepped close and got down on one knee. “Will you marry me?”

“Oh yes, Seth Mercer, I’ll marry you, no question about that.”

“In the off season, we’ll go somewhere beautiful and get married.”

“I’d go to the court house and that would be enough for me.”

Seth stood and brushed his lips over Colby’s. “That would be enough for you, but I want to give you more. You have my heart, and now you’ll have everything.”

He led Seth into the bedroom and they fell into bed. Seth was out in minutes and Colby just breathed in and out, loving the feel of being in Seth’s arms. They had something very special and he was glad he’d gone to that club and taken a chance approaching the incredibly sexy man at the back table. Colby couldn’t imagine his life without Seth in it.