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I knew what I was about to say was going to sound like another excuse, but it wasn’t. “I’m going to continue working with Donovan, and hopefully, I’ll stop hiding who we are soon.”
“Anything you need, babe, it’s yours. But we don’t have to come right out and announce to the world we’re together. It’s no one’s business but ours. Besides, everyone we care about already knows.”
I shifted in my seat. “I agree. But as long as we’re both in the spotlight, yours being larger than mine, it’s going to be the topic.”
Cole laced his fingers with mine. “I’m good with whatever you decide you need. I just want us to move forward together.”
“Me too, babe. But I need to do this for me. I’ve been held in a prison of my own making for far too long.”
Donovan smiled as he looked on. “You two really didn’t need me for this, but I’m glad you chose to wait. You were on neutral turf and had a safety net in case you needed it. You should think about doing a podcast on how to communicate with your partner.”
A feeling that felt a lot like hope began to settle in. “That’s something to think about.”
We’d figure out how to manage our public lives and take care of each other, just like we always have. And we might just come out stronger from it.
I booked another appointment, and Donovan gave Cole a referral for a colleague of his. Not Cooper, but we knew he was always down to listen. Even though I never experienced the things Daniel went through firsthand, my brain was convinced it had. Sometimes even the best intentions go awry.
When we left Donovan’s office, I was mentally exhausted. We both had a lot to process, but I knew we’d get through it.
As we rode through downtown Portland, I looked out over the city that had become our new home. If I didn’t get to play football again, maybe I could make a difference somewhere else.
“I’m going to talk to Adam and the guys about making mental health counseling a platform for the band. As you said, we have the spotlight right now, and maybe we can encourage some people to seek the help they need. Maybe partner with a mental health organization in each of the cities we play in. But we’d need someone to spearhead that.”
He cut his eyes over at me. Cole wanted to take our story and turn it around to help others. “Funny, I was having the same thought.”
He reached over and put his hand on my thigh. “We’ve always been good together, Griffin. Even when we were seven years old.”
“And we’ll still be good together when we’re seventy.”
CHAPTER 25
COLE
When we got home from our appointment, we stripped out of our clothes and collapsed onto our bed. We both were reeling from the emotional overload we’d dealt with today. Spending the rest of the day napping and watching a movie was what we needed,
Even though Patrick insists I’m not responsible for the accident, I still felt guilty as hell. It was going to take a long fucking time and a lot of talking to convince me otherwise.
After a long nap, we got up and headed to the kitchen to get some food. My parents had left this morning for the beach, but my mother made sure to stock the refrigerator with food before she left.
“I really love it when your parents come to visit,” he said, pulling out container after container of food. “Do you think we can arrange for them to show up once a month and stock the fridge?”
I smiled as I grabbed two plates. “You love that she babies you and fixes all your favorite foods, sweet Patrick.”
“Fuck yeah, I do. I’m not an idiot, even though I sometimes act like one.”
I grinned at him. “Well, that makes you my idiot.”
We helped ourselves to my mother’s macaroni and cheese, meatloaf, and cucumber, tomato, and feta salad.
“You get the silverware and I’ll get the plates.”
When the food was warm, we sat at the bar, side by side, with our legs touching as we devoured our food. Creamy mac and cheese hit my taste buds and made me moan. Patrick just laughed at me.
“How do you feel about today?”
I leaned my head on his broad shoulder and placed a kiss there. “Better. Like we have a new lease on life.”
“Yeah, me too. It’s really difficult pulling all that back up, but I knew I had to do it for me as much as you.”
