Page 24 of The Shots You Take

Adamwantedit to be Riley’s business. He wanted it to matter to him.

“You staying in town another night?” Riley asked.

“Yeah.”Ask me why I’m divorced.

“Why?”

“You know why.” The words were out before Adam could stop them, and they hung in the air for what felt like forever.

“I don’t mean—” Adam stammered. “I just want to help. To be a friend. Whatever you need.”

“A friend,” Riley repeated.

Adam sighed. “I know we’ve got a lot to talk about, and that now isn’t the time. Like I said, I’m not here to unload more shit on you. Not when you’re in so much pain. If me being here is going to hurt more than help, then fine. I’ll go. But I wasn’t kidding when I said I’ve missed you. We were best friends, and I still care about you, okay?”

Riley’s jaw clenched, and for a moment Adam thought he was about to be angrily backed against the wall again. But then Riley exhaled and said, “How’d the kids take it?”

It took Adam a second to realize he was asking about thedivorce. “Not too hard, honestly. I think the fact that I wasn’t around a whole lot for most of their lives probably helped. But also, Maggie and I are still friends, and I live about five minutes away. We’ve got a pretty good arrangement.”

“That’s good,” Riley said, though he looked confused.

“We’re better as friends,” Adam offered, as a watered-down version of the truth.

“A lot of people are.” Riley caught his eye, just for a moment, then looked away.

Adam exhaled. “Look, um. I know you don’t want me to go with you to your mom’s house, and I totally understand that. But maybe we could get a beer or something later?”

Riley folded his arms across his chest. “I don’t drink anymore.”

Jesus, Adam sucked. “Oh. Okay. Maybe we could—when did you stop drinking?” He winced internally at his own bluntness.

“Been about ten years, I guess,” Riley said, as if it was no big deal.

As far as Adam could remember, Riley hadn’t been a particularly heavy drinker, at least not compared to really any of their teammates. Going out and getting drunk had been part of the lifestyle. But maybe Adam had missed something. “Ten years? Wow. And it’s been good? You feel better?”

Riley’s eyes told him that he knew Adam had no idea he’d had a problem. “Sure. Yeah. I feel better.”

“It must have been difficult, though.”

“Easier once I got home. If you remember, the local tavern is lacking a bit anyway.”

Adam smiled, delighted that Riley was referencing anything to do with the summers they’d spent here together. “They haven’t renovated?”

“I don’t even think they’vecleanedit since you were last there.”

Adam got a brief and wonderful glimpse of Riley’s smile, and felt the lightest he’d been since arriving in town. “Is your jersey still on the wall?”

“Yup. And yours. Right next to it.”

Adam froze. “Really?”

“Really.”

It seemed impossible that all this time their friendship had been immortalized on the wall of Riley’s local bar. Had Riley stopped drinking just so he wouldn’t have to look at it?

“I want to see it.”

“Why? Your jersey is probably hanging in every bar in Toronto.”

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