Page 126 of Unrivaled

He looked like he needed it. “All right. I’ll join you in a minute.”

Max’s heart sank when Grady shook his head again. “I’ll sleep in the guest room. Too many painkillers. I’m going to snore like a chainsaw.”

Max bit his lip. “Okay.”

He watched as Grady shuffled down the hall. Gru looked forlornly after him, tail still wagging slowly.

Sighing, Max scratched behind Gru’s ears. “C’mon, buddy. Let’s go to bed.”

Gru curled up on Grady’s side of the mattress, nose tucked under his tail. Max stroked him absently and tried to shut off his brain.

Grady was just trying to be considerate by sleeping in the other room, where he wouldn’t disturb Max, who still needed to get a good night’s rest, since he’d be starting round two of the playoffs in a couple days. Which sucked, because Maxalsoneeded a snuggle and someone to tell him that a goal and three assists in five games was a reasonable number of points and hockey was a team sport.

But that was okay. Grady would still be there to tell him those things in the morning.

Gru sighed in irritation, his cue for Max to stop petting him and let him sleep. Max tucked his hand under his head and took his cue from Gru.

GRADY WOKEup sore the day after the Condors’ playoff exit.

But weirdly, it was mostly a physical soreness. His arm hurt, and he was disappointed, sure. Just not disappointed enough to let it affect the good things in his life.

He’d thought this was his year. He liked his new team. He got along with his teammates, who shared his work ethic. He wasn’t ready for locker cleanout and everybody leaving town.

But that was what he’d gotten, and he still had Max. He could make the best of it.

Max was still in bed when he got up, so Grady took Gru for a quick walk—even mostly one-handed, he could do that much—and then braved the task of making breakfast.

It almost ended in disaster when he caught the egg carton with the edge of the sling and sent it teetering toward the edge of the counter, but Max came into the kitchen just in time and made the save.

“Thanks,” Grady said as Max set the carton down. “I was going to make you breakfast, but maybe I’d better not.” At least not until he was more aware of where his elbow was. “Want me to order something?”

Max stared at him for a moment, wearing kind of a funny smile, and then kissed his cheek. “Nah, go sit down. I got this one.”

THAT NIGHT,Max came home from the first Piranhas-Orcas game with his shoulders slumped. Grady hadn’t watched, but he’d turned on notifications on his phone, so he knew the Orcas had won 8–5. Losing the series opener at home like that would sting.

But what could Grady say? Anything he attempted would come across as patronizing or smug.

In the end, he said, “Hey.”

“Hey.” Even Max’s hair looked kind of limp, though his playoff beard was starting to bush out to make up for it. “So that sucked.”

Grady winced in sympathy. “Sorry.” He gave himself a mental point for not addingat least you’re still playing.

Max shrugged. “It is what it is. How’s your collarbone?”

“Bruised.” The sudden subject change disoriented him. “Getting better, though.” He should have his strength and full range of motion back in another week.

“That’s good.” Max shifted from foot to foot. Gru nosed his kneecap for more pets, but Max ignored him. “Come to bed?”

Grady had been sleeping in the guest room, conscious that his tossing and turning could keep Max awake. But maybe having him sleep in a different bedroom was just as bad. Besides, he missed being close to Max, and he could see from the strain around Max’s eyes that Max missed it too.

“Yeah. Let me take Gru out for a pee and I’ll join you.”

By the time Gru had finished showing the clover who was boss, most of the lights in the house were out. Grady locked the back door and left his slides on the mat, then used the screen of his phone to make sure he didn’t stub his toe on the hall table as he made his way through the dark house.

The lamp on the nightstand on Max’s side of the bed was lit to the dimmest setting when Grady entered. Max lay on his side facing the center of the mattress, one hand tucked under his head.

Grady turned on his own lamp and took a quick detour to the bathroom. When he came back out, Max’s light was off, but he still had his body turned toward Grady’s side.

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