Page 23 of Goaltender Interference

After the initial hesitance faded, it was like a dam had broken. Aiden found it surprisingly easy to fall back into their old pattern of texting all the time and sending pictures throughout the day. It was mostly innocuous, random observations, sending photos of interesting things they’d come across or Matt teasing Aiden in a way that felt comfortable and familiar, almost like he was on a hockey team again.

Sometimes it wasn’t.

Aiden sent Matt a picture from the gym, one of approximately four places he ever went to anymore. It wasn’t a suggestive picture, just his legs where he was sitting on the edge of the deadlift platform, next to the bar and weights. Even though he wasn’t playing hockey anymore, he still found himself following his preseason lifting regime, like that would somehow provide some kind of a structure and purpose to his life.

He added,Back to work, I guess.

Matt said,You should move the camera up a little.

Aiden snorted.I see you haven’t changed.

He did wonder about that, how easy it was to shift back into casual flirtation with someone who’d broken his heart so resoundingly. The strange thing was that the more they talked, the more he was starting to realize he wasn’t bitter and angry atMatt. When it had actually happened, it wasn’t like they’d been cruel to each other. He’d been gutted after finding out about Emily, how quickly Matt had moved on, but it wasn’t like Matt had tried to hurt him on purpose or make it worse than it already was. Aiden had been the one to ruin things. The more time that had gone by, the more Aiden was starting to realize the person he was really furious with was himself.

And now, a decade later, Matt was saying,I used to lose my fucking mind when you’d send me pictures like this. Especially at the beginning when you never seemed to realize that when I was sending you a gym selfie, it was because I wanted to give you a boner.

Well, it worked.

Yeah?

Are you working out, or...?

Well, now I’m just thinking about you at the gym. So thanks, for that.

Aiden said,Anytime.

In response, Matt sent him a picture, too. He sat on the bench facing the wall of mirrors, legs spread a little on either side of it, in the mostly empty gym. The thick thighs and solid core that had always driven Aiden completely insane. Every single muscle on display, sweaty in his tank top and shorts. He was close enough to the wall that Aiden could make out the outline of his dick, half-erect, under the fabric.

Aiden stared at it for a very long time, trying to figure out what to say. Every nerve was on fire.Well,he said finally,now I’m thinking about you at the gym.

Matt sent him a smirking emoji in response.

Distractions aside, Aiden had to admit he was still not doing very well in retirement. He had made schedules to get through each day—down to the minute with chores, guitar playing, reading a book, even bathroom breaks—and he knew that it was probably a little crazy. Even for him. But if he kept to the schedules, at least he was doingsomething. At least he wasn’t just sitting around, staring at a wall.

He spent a lot of time avoiding calls and texts from his parents and Hannah, all increasingly worried about him. He spent a lot of time avoiding invitations to go out from Pears and Gabe.

Although his days were well regimented, Aiden was starting to realize that he could schedule his time down to the minute and it wouldn’t matter. If he didn’t do something else soon, something was going to break. Or he would. No matter how intensely he tried to fill his days, without the Routine, it was meaningless.

Slouching out of the gym toward his car, he thought, not for the first time, about his old mentor, Ward.

Hey, Wardo,he texted. Ward was almost fifty now, with an entire house full of kids and a steady job as an accountant. Hewas probably busy, but he never seemed to mind when Aiden bothered him.How’s Wisconsin?

Hey, Soupy. It’s going. How are you doing?

Aiden hesitated. He missed Wardo, missed the sense of security that came with having someone older and more responsible around to tell him to chill the fuck out when he was too deep in his head, missed the way Wardo used to look at him like he was very fond of Aiden but also very aware that Aiden was dumb as hell. It was reassuring to have someone around who knew your limitations and didn’t treat you like the savior of a city.

Oh, you know.

Everything OK?

Yeah. Sure. Can I ask how you knew what to do after you were done?

Well, I already had the business degree, it was just the next logical choice to figure out a way to use it. Just kind of fell back into accounting.

Aiden, who only had a high school diploma because his mother would have killed him if he didn’t, frowned.Thanks.

You know, you don’t have to figure out a career path right away. You can enjoy a hobby, or travel, or do pretty much anything you want. Why don’t you take some time to enjoy life?

But I don’t really have any hobbies except hockey. And the guitar, but there’s only so long during each day that you can play before your neighbors start complaining.

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