Page 47 of Off Season

Blaine: … WTF?

Zach: You don’t know who Han Solo and Indiana Jones are?

Mitch: No? Should I?

Peyton: Holy shit. Kick the rookie off the team. Now!

Zach: How can you not know who they are?

Mitch: Because I’m not old?

Peyton: GASP! What the actual fuck dude? Have you been living under a rock?

Blaine: Want me to put shaving cream in the rookie’s gloves and skates? Pickles in his pants?

Elliot: Yeah! *high fives twinny*

Zach: How can you not know the coolest dude in the galaxy?

Mitch: Like Rocket Raccoon?

Zach: This conversation physically hurts me.

Elliot: Mitchell Henry, go away because you’re distracting everyone from my joke.

Peyton: I thought it was a genuine question?

Blaine: I don’t think El even knows what it is.

Elliot: The answer is…They could just fight…Solo.

Elliot: :D

Elliot: That was good, no?

Blaine: That was fucking terrible, twinny.

Peyton: *facepalm emoji*

Zach: … Sometimes I question why I’m friends with you.

Mitch: I’m still confused.

I snort a laugh, then wince as Jacob shifts.

Shit.

I don’t move an inch as he stirs before nuzzling his face back into my chest and going back to sleep, his hand curling around my ribs.

These guys, man. I don’t know where I’d be without them. I know I need to be better, and after listening to Jacob, I need to apply the same logic to my life.

Because what if something happened to one of the guys and they didn’t know how much I care for them? How much I genuinely love them? It would wreck me. I know it’s going to take some time to rewire my brain away from self-preservation mode, but I need to.

Jacob’s right.

You can’t take things for granted. What if tomorrow never comes?

I chew on my bottom lip; it’s time to start knocking down the proverbial barriers.

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