Socially Awkward Book Nerd: The Understatement of the Year by Sarina Bowen

LOVE IS LOVE

Mike Graham and John Rikker have been friends since they were in Junior High, and from that friendship, a relationship started to grow. They would steel kisses in Graham's basement between games on the Xbox. But, very careful not to get caught until one day when Rikker got his licence and they drove to a comic book shop across town. Two lovers alone in a car, they started to kiss. When caught they were chased by a group of idiots and Rikker was beaten badly, Graham made it home and never saw Rikker again.
Graham was traumatized by the whole experience he was convinced he was "sick" and vowed never to let others see him that way again.
Then five years later John Rikker waked into the locker room at Harkness and Graham freaked out, worried that John was going to "OUT" him. Graham had worked so hard to appear straight. Every day was a struggle to not let the cracks show. Can Graham and Rikker find their way, even if it's only back to the true friendship they shared. Or will Graham's need to be just Mike Graham not the Gay Hockey Player Mike Graham get in the way?
While TV news camera's and reporters line the hockey rink trying to get the story out of Rikker as to why he was transferred mid-season to Harkness, which is unheard of.

Graham:
"Right then, a little light went on inside my thick head. I already knew that my refusal to come out had hurt Rikker. But until that moment, I don't think I ever understood that it had hurt me, too. Because the cost of avoiding unfriendly eyes wasn't nearly as great as the cost of forgoing even one if Rikker's hugs."

Rikker:
"You're it, I whispered. A perfect ten on the Rikker scale."