Page 59 of Offside Attraction

“Which means I could still go to jail for kidnapping.”

Ethan texted her, and Jordan stepped back as he slipped on his shoes and grabbed his coat. “She says it’s fine. But she’s pissed I missed practice if I feel good enough to go to coffee.”

“It’s medicinal.”

Ethan snorted. They walked to the truck in silence, then drove to the nearest Tim Hortons. The smell of fresh coffee and baked goods greeted them. Jordan ordered a large double-double since he’d left his energy drink at the rink, and Ethan got a maple macchiato. Jordan paid for both, along with a couple glazed old fashions.

“You kids with your boogie-ass dessert drinks.”

“Just because you suffered in the dark ages, doesn’t mean we have to.” Ethan grabbed a napkin and stir stick.

They found a corner table and sat down. Jordan wrapped his hands around his cup, letting the warmth seep into his skin. He took a sip, then looked up at Ethan. "So. You needed a break."

Ethan shifted in his seat. "Yup."

Jordan leaned back and crossed his arms. "From what?"

Ethan stared at his cup, his jaw clenching. "From everything. From school, from hockey, from life."

Jordan nodded. "I get that. Sometimes it feels like everything's piling up, and you need to step back and catch your breath."

Ethan looked up. "Yeah.”

Jordan took another sip of his coffee, then set the cup down. "You know, when I was your age, I had a lot of people telling me what to do. Coaches, teachers, my parents. But hockey was always my escape."

Something flickered across Ethan’s eyes. He nodded and took a bite of his donut.

Jordan’s ribs cinched as he realized what he had to say next. He didn’t like talking about the bridges he’d burned, but he wasn’t going to get anywhere with this kid if he didn’t give him something.

"When I was your age, I had a friend. Sean. We played hockey together every day and hung out every weekend. Travel teams. Tryouts. We helped each other through a lot of shit."

Ethan nodded, his eyes distant. "Must’ve been nice."

Jordan exhaled. He was going to have to come right out and say it. “What happened with you and Jace?”

Ethan's face hardened. "Jace isn't my friend."

Jordan raised an eyebrow. "Since when? You were buddies last year."

Ethan scoffed. "Yeah, well, that was before."

"Before what?"

Ethan gripped his cup, the muscles in his forearms tensing. Jordan didn't push. Just sat there, waiting for Ethan to decide if he wanted to share. Finally, the kid took a deep breath. "I don't want to talk about it."

Jordan nodded, taking another sip of coffee. "Sean and I moved out together. We were both entering the draft?—"

“NHL?”

Jordan leaned back in his chair. “You don’t have to look so surprised.”

Ethan laughed. “No, I just—I didn’t know you played.”

“Because I barely did.”

Ethan's brows knit together. He was fully invested now. “But you got drafted?”

“Yep.”

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