Page 37 of Zero Pucks

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I very quickly learned that watching tape meant watching videos of past games. And I also very quickly learned that sled hockey was terrifying. If standing hockey was anything close to it, it was not a hobby I ever wanted to pick up. Tucker ended the first period with a bleeding mouth after accidentally taking a stick to the face.

“It’s easier on sleds to get walloped,” he explained. He was sitting across the room, very close to the TV, which I assumed had to do with his vision. He wore glasses, and I had a memory of him doing that with the menu at the bar. I didn’t ask though. It felt invasive. “But blind hockey gets pretty intense too.”

I blinked at him. “Blind…hockey?”

“Yeah, it’s exactly what it sounds like. Blind guys. I coach a peewee team, but I play on the community league sometimes. I’m just not super stable on my prosthetics, so it’s only when they’re fucking around on the ice or playing shinny.”

More words I didn’t know. “Your life sounds interesting.”

He turned slowly, his brows furrowed like he was trying to see me from that far away. “Sarcasm?”

“What? Oh my God, n-no!” I cleared my throat and took a breath to help stop the stammer. “I’m literally the most boring person you will ever meet. I work in accounting, in IT, so I don’t even do all the fun stuff with numbers. I live at my desk and eat out of vending machines, and I don’t even remember the last time I went shopping for new clothes.”

Tucker let out a grunt as he pushed himself to stand. I wondered what it felt like—walking on legs like that. Was it like stilts?

He sauntered over, then sank down with a tiny groan and began to rub his hands along his thighs. “You’re a guy who took a chance on some weirdo in a bar in Vegas. I could have stolen your liver.”

I blinked. “Is…that a thing you’ve done?”

He laughed. “No, but you know. That shit happens all the time in movies. I could have been a total psychopath.”

“I liked you,” I told him, and I meant it. I might not have remembered much, but I did remember that. “You made me feel good after a very long week of feeling like shit.”

“Your partner, right? The one who dumped you because of me.”

I stared down at my hands. “Ex.” I’d been avoiding the topic of Bryce this entire night, but I knew Tucker needed to know he hadn’t ruined anything. “I meant what I said when I told you that what happened didn’t ruin anything between me and Bryce.”

“What a terrible name.”

I raised a brow at him.

“Shut up. It is. Tucker’s a classic.”

I couldn’t help a small laugh as a tiny well of affection began to grow in my chest. “I like it better than Bryce, if that helps.”

He sniffed. “It does. Go on.”

“He’s your classic narcissistic jerk. Cheats on me a lot, likes emotional torment when he wants to punish me, then gives me crumbs of affection when I try to walk away—just enough so I’ll come begging for more. We should have split up years ago, but I’ve always been kind of a coward. I don’t like change. I think the night I met you, I snapped.”

“That’s some way to snap,” Tucker said, blowing out a puff of air. He looked angry, but I wasn’t sure it was directed at me. “I think we had a good night. Even if we didn’t do anything…right?”

I bit my lip. As far as I could tell, we hadn’t had sex. But there was the haziest memory of him touching my face, going in for a kiss. But it faded out before I could remember what his lips felt like.

“Oh shit, we did,” he said, snapping me out of my head.

My ears burned. “I think we might have kissed. You, uh…you did this thing.”

“I what?” he pressed. “What did I do? Show me.”

Lifting my hands, I leaned over, and he flinched back. “S-sorry. I didn’t mean to?—”

“No!” He lunged for me and grabbed me by the wrists, pulling me back. “Sorry. My vision is totally shit, and I get kind of freaked-out when people move too quickly toward me. I mean it. Show me. Please.”

Swallowing heavily, I nodded. Having permission to do this one small thing, this little creature comfort, I couldn’t give it up. I pressed my palms to his cheeks the way he’d done to mine, then stroked my thumbs over his rough stubble.

“And then we kissed?” His voice was soft and thready.

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