Page 34 of The Shots You Take

Darren and Tom exchanged a look.

“So, he knows you’re gay, obviously,” Darren said, “and he decided to come for the funeral, despite not talking to you for over a decade, and now he’s hanging around just so he can spend time with you?”

“Does his wife know he’s here?” Tom asked.

“Oh. That’s the other thing. He’s divorced now.”

Darren and Tom shared another look.

“So,” Tom said, “if he’s hot and divorced and only in town for a few days, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if you…”

“Tom!” Darren scolded. “That is terrible advice. This isn’t some old fling—this is the monster who broke Riley’s heart.”

“Monstermight be a bit much,” Riley said, though it felt good to hear someone say it. “But still. I’m way too fucked-up right now to deal with Adam.”

“I know the timing is awful,” Tom said gently, “but maybe he has regrets about how he treated you. If you still have feelings for him, maybe—”

“Too fucking late,” Darren interrupted. “Right, Riley?”

“Yeah,” Riley sighed. “Way too late.”

Chapter Eleven

June 2010

“We’re going to win the Cup! We’re going to win the fucking Cup!”

Riley was screaming the words in Adam’s face. They were on the bench, and Adam’s expression was stoic, as if it was too early to start celebrating. As if having a 5–1 lead with just over a minute left to play wasn’t enough of a guarantee.

Riley put a hand on Adam’s shoulder and shook him, “We fucking did it, Shep!”

Adam watched the clock, and Riley watched him. A smile broke through, lighting up Adam’s face. “We’re going to win the Cup,” he said.

They were going to win it at home, in Toronto, where the fans had waited decades for this moment. They’d won the series in five games and had dominated Chicago for this entire final game.

The whole bench was standing; the whole arena was standing. The noise was deafening but Riley kept adding to it, screaming until his voice was hoarse. His heart was racing, his dick was half-hard. Every part of him felt like it could burst, butin the best way possible. Finally, the last seconds ticked away, and the Toronto Northmen spilled out of the bench, throwing their gloves and helmets and sticks aside. They crashed into each other, forming a chaotic pile of bodies on the ice. Riley ended up flat on his back, Adam on top of him.

“We fucking did it, baby,” Adam yelled. His nose bumped against Riley’s. All around them, their teammates were holding each other, straddling each other. Adam and Riley didn’t look any different, but theywouldlook different if Riley gave in to the urge to roll Adam to his back and kiss him into the ice.

Instead, Riley kissed his cheek. “We did it.”

Adam raised his head and held Riley’s gaze, and for a moment everything felt still and silent. Riley recognized the flare of heat in Adam’s eyes, even though he hadn’t seen it in years. Not since Adam had gotten married.

Then Adam blinked and rolled off of him. He stood, and immediately hugged one of their teammates.

* * *

“We won the fucking Cup!” Adam yelled in Riley’s face. He was grinning from ear to ear, his eyes wild with adrenaline and alcohol.

“Yeah we fucking did,” Riley yelled back. He was pretty drunk himself. They were at a club where the team had been steadily drinking after steadily drinking in the locker room. Riley couldn’t even remember how they’d gotten here. Was it next to the arena?

He remembered Maggie being in the locker room for a bit, and he remembered Adam kissing her, holding her in his strong arms while she wrapped her legs around his waist. He remembered them smiling at each other, foreheads pressed together.

But Maggie wasn’t here now. The families had gone home to let the Northmen celebrate as a team. Adam would go hometo Maggie at the end of the night and then spend the summer with her and their kids, but for now, he was with Riley.

He’d been touching Riley all night. An arm around his shoulders; a hand on Riley’s knee; a hug from behind, draping himself over Riley’s back. Or, like now, when he was holding Riley’s face with both hands.

“I love you,” Adam declared loudly. “I fucking love you, Riles.”

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