From My Love to My Life (MXM) (sequel to From My Enemy to My Love)

Chapter 14

Vincent Kinsington

"I heard your brother got married," Bradley said as he came up and sat next to me.

"Yeah," I said. Chet was making the rounds saying hello to everyone. I had been with him, but as cute as I found him to be when he talked, I needed a break sometimes. Not from him, but from everyone else. Especially at parties with his soccer team and their families. I liked pretty much all of them, but it got overwhelming. His coach did this barbeque at least once a year with everyone. Usually more than once a year.

"How'd that go? Do you like your new sister-in-law?" Bradley asked.

"Love her," I said. "She's the best. Honestly, she's much too good for my brother, but she brings out the best in him. There was a time where he and I didn't really get along much, but now we're friends."

"Brothers can be annoying sometimes," Bradley said, "but as annoying as they can be, it's good to have them in our corner."

"True," I said. I couldn't help but think of all those times when Aiden hadn't been in my corner and it was definitely better now that I could trust him. Since my grandma died, Aiden had taken over defending me to my parents. Not that I really needed it anymore since they kicked me out. I had Chet's family and Dean. I hadn't discussed it with Aiden, but I knew he had spoken to our parents about behaving at his wedding. Aiden had sent me a digital picture of the wedding. The one with me, him, our parents and Chet. I knew our father hadn't liked the fact that Aiden had pulled Chet into that picture, but he hadn't said anything I'm sure because Aiden had told him not to. But I cherished that picture and I would forever be grateful for Aiden for bringing Chet in.

Bradley and I talked a little more about brothers, then about Chet before Bradley got called away by his wife. He had been extra attentive to her ever since their baby boy had been born. It hadn't been that long ago.

"Have you had something to eat yet?" Coach Juarez's wife asked me.

"Not yet," I said. "I'm waiting for Chet. He's been making his rounds talking to everyone."

She had a kind, motherly smile when she said, "Chet likes to talk. Maybe you should get a plate for the two of you and just force him to stop talking long enough to eat. I don't think you two have eaten anything yet and there are others who are now going for their second helpings."

"Good idea," I said. "Thank you."

She nodded and continued on her way. I scanned the crowds for Chet. He was currently talking to Rusnak's three children. For a moment, I worried he might be boring them by talking too much, but all of them laughed at something. Chet did like to talk, but he was also good with kids. I decided to take the advice and went to the tables set up with the food to get a plate for me and Chet. I filled our plates and then found an empty table to sit down at. I pulled out my phone and began to type out a text to Chet when someone from behind me said, "Chet's boyfriend, right? It's nice to finally meet you."

I knew who it was before I even looked. Familiar anger began to bubble up in my chest and I couldn't bury it with Alvarez right in front of me. I stood up to face him directly. I didn't shake his outstretched hand.

He put it back by his side awkwardly. "I'm assuming you heard about the misunderstanding," he said. "I wanted to apologize."

"It wasn't a misunderstanding," I said before he could go on. And he opened his mouth to go on so I knew he had more to say, but I wasn't interested in listening. "I understand why your fellow teammates need to keep it quiet. What you did. You are an important part of the team right now. But there is something you need to understand. I am Chet's supportive, loving boyfriend, but I'm not soft. Don't mistake me for being gullible or quiet. I have done things in the past to protect those I love. Things most people would consider wrong. I'm not afraid of exposing you to the public if you harass Chet again. I'm not afraid to make sure your career is over even if it costs this team their best defensive player. There are other defensive players and new defensive players will come. You are not that essential to this team."

"Look," he said, but his tone faltered, "I'm not gay. I don't like men like that. I don't like Chet like that. Why would I touch him that way? I didn't. Maybe you could talk to him and tell him it was a misunderstanding."

I raised an eyebrow at his audacity. "So I should trust you that it was a misunderstanding?"

He nodded and smiled as if it were that easy. My skin crawled in disgust just by being in his presence.

"No way in hell would I believe you over him," I said. "No way I would believe anyone over him let alone you. So leave us both alone before I end your career. And don't think I can't do it. I absolutely can." I once had told my mother that Chet was my trust and those weren't mere words. But I wasn't about to explain in detail to Alvarez all the reasons I would trust Chet over anyone else.

His fake smile was completely gone now. I nodded my head in the opposite direction of where we stood to indicate he should leave. He got my meaning. He didn't say any more as he turned and left.

I was about to finish my text to Chet telling him I had got him a plate of food, but he was hurrying to me through the crowds so I put my phone away.

"I got you a plate of food," I said as he approached.

"What did he want?" he asked. He didn't have to clarify who he meant. We both knew.

"He was going to try and convince me it was a misunderstanding," I said. "I told him to leave us both alone or I would expose him and ruin his career." Maybe I had overstepped my bounds. It wouldn't be the first time, but from the smile that came to Chet's lips, he didn't think so.

We sat at the table and ate. Bradley and his wife - Stephanie - joined us. They had gotten good at taking turns holding the baby while the other ate. Bradley and Chet inevitably left us to speak with the other teammates. Stephanie sat next to me while she fed the baby a bottle until he fell asleep. She and I talked for a while.

"Would you mind holding him for me?" Stephanie asked. "I really need to go to the bathroom."

"Sure," I said. It wasn't the first time one of Chet's teammates' babies had been passed on to me. I didn't mind. I didn't get to hold babies very often. The first few times, I had been afraid I would accidentally drop them, but once you knew how to hold them, it wasn't that difficult. And there was something relaxing about it. She passed him to me and rushed towards the house.

I looked down at the little baby in my arms, his chubby cheeks, his little pudgy fingers, his smooth skin. He looked more like a doll than a live being. He was warm and his even breath as he slept was relaxing. He was cute and precious as all babies were.

I was aware of Chet's presence as he came and sat next to me. He didn't say anything at first so I kept staring down at the sleeping baby.

"It's times like these," he said quietly, "that I forget you're hesitant about adopting kids of our own."

I met his eyes. A small smile touched his lips. His eyes were filled with love. His fingers lifted and gently mingled with the strands of hair on the back of my head.

"Holding a baby for a few minutes is a lot different than raising one," I said as my eyes drifted back down to the baby in my arms.

"I know," he said. "It's not the fact that you are good at holding babies. It's the way you look at him as you hold him. The way you look at him makes it difficult for me to believe you don't ever want one of your own."

I didn't say anything to that. We had had this conversation before and I was confident he understood it wasn't necessarily that I didn't want one, but more that I was afraid I would turn out like Greg and my mother in how I treated a child of my own.

Chet placed his chin on my shoulder and whispered, "I love you," as his fingers continued to play with the strands of my hair.

"I love you too," I whispered back.