I'm pairing up with AT&T's #LaterHaters campaign and I'm so excited to put love on BLAST online. While this story is short, I hope it succeeds in getting the message across!
Jacob could hear each notification that lit up his phone.
He was seated on the couch, and if he wanted to, could easily reach for it and read what his friends, family, and fans had to say about the latest photo he'd posted just a few minutes before, but something stopped him.
The bubble of fear that was growing in his stomach which told him he wouldn't like what people had to say.
Currently in his second-year at the University of Michigan, Jacob had stepped up to the position of starting quarterback, but as he did so, he hadn't wanted to continue hiding a part of who he was from the guys he'd grown to rely on. His teammates had stood by him when he'd come out to them in the locker room after winning their home opener that year, and everyone else he'd told thus far were nothing but supportive.
Which was why he'd thought nothing of posting a picture of him and his boyfriend of a few months, Liam, on Instagram. However, after the first comment had appeared almost immediately, he realized that it may have been a mistake.
He barely registered the doorbell ringing as he eyed the phone he'd thrown across the couch, only looking up as he heard his boyfriend's footsteps as he stepped into the living room with confusion adorning his features.
"Is everything alright?" Liam asked, though when Jacob failed to respond, it was evident that things were not okay.
The beep of notifications caught Liam's attention, and to satisfy his curiosity and soothe his worries, he walked over to pick up Jacob's phone, taking a seat beside him as he swiped over one of them. A smile grew on his face at the picture that popped up, only to disappear quickly when he realized what the cause of Jacob's distress was.
"How bad is it?" Jacob asked apprehensively.
"There are a lot more supportive people than you think," Liam replied, continuing to scroll through the comments.
"And the rest?"
"They're just faceless accounts attacking you from behind a screen." Jacob gulped, having been afraid of that. "You can't let these people's opinions affect you Jay," Liam said. "I know it's hard, and the fact that the public knows who you are isn't making it any easier, but you have to remember that the ones who really matter – me, your family, your teammates – we all have your back and are going support you however we can."
Jacob let the words sink in, knowing that what Liam was saying was true. The hate would come, but he couldn't let it overshadow the person he knew he was, or let it throw a wrench in his relationship. That was no way to live. "You know I love you, right?" he said softly, letting the words slip through his lips for the first time.
Liam's eyes brightened as he shifted closer to Jacob. "I love you too."
