Page 128 of Time to Shine

“Today. Flight’s at seven.”

“Fuck.”

“Yep.”

Casey threw his arms around him and squeezed him tight. Landon hugged him back, and refused to let himself cry. Not here.

“I thought we’d have New Year’s Eve together,” Casey said.

“Nope.” He let go of Casey. “I need to pack.”

Casey nodded vigorously, the kind of frantic head bobbing someone did when they were trying to appear like they were fine. “I’ll help.”

Landon gathered his gear first and packed it all into his giant Calgary Outlaws bag that would be a nice souvenir. He gathered his sticks together, and began saying quick goodbyes to whoever was still around. He wanted to make a quiet exit.

“Oh shit, are you leaving us?” Clint boomed. “Guys, Stacks is out of here.”

Well. So much for that.

Landon was immediately surrounded by everyone in the room. He knew he hadn’t gotten to know any of them very well, but they all seemed sincerely sad to see him go.

Antton walked into the locker room, looking handsome and slightly menacing in a bespoke black wool coat and perfectly arranged dark gray scarf. Landon had been sure he’d left a while ago, but he strode over to Landon and put a hand on his shoulder, the same way Coach had done. “Sorry to see you go.”

“I thought you’d left,” Landon said stupidly.

“I did. I came back when I got the news from Morin.”

“Oh. Thank you.” He’d never been entirely sure what Antton thought of him, or if he thought of him much at all, but this gesture meant the world to Landon.

“You’re an excellent goalie. I’ll be seeing much more of you, I think, either in here or from the other end of the ice.”

Landon swallowed and tried to hold Antton’s blue-fire gaze. “I hope so.” He knew which one he hoped for more.

Antton nodded. “Until then, good luck in Saskatoon.”

He turned and left so quickly, Landon wondered if he’d imagined him being here.

“So—” Casey put his hand on his back “—we should probably head home and get you packed.”

Landon’s heart sank as he realized this would be the last time he could think of Casey’s house as home.

Casey chatted nervously the entire drive home. He knew Landon wasn’t really listening, and he certainly wasn’t responding, but Casey couldn’t help himself. If he stopped talking, he might shatter apart.

“I never did take you out for a steak,” Casey was saying now, as if it was important. “Seems wrong to be in Calgary this long and not have a proper steak.”

“They have steak in Saskatchewan,” Landon said, his first words during the entire drive.

Of course Casey knew Saskatchewan had steak. Probably the same steak, except theirs was stupid and far away and hard to spell and...oh no. Casey was crying.

“Hey,” Landon said softly. “Pull over.”

Casey pulled into the parking lot of a strip mall, parked, then rested his forehead on the steering wheel. “I don’t want you to go.”

“I wish I could stay.”

At least they were on the same page about that. “When will I see you again?”

“I don’t know.”

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