Save of the Game

by Avon Gale

  “And you? You’re playing hockey in North Florida, doing what you want to do, and there’s not a single goddamn problem with it. You don’t know how jealous I’ve always been of that. And I know it’s not fair. It’s not your fault our parents think of us as investment properties instead of kids. And I know you think it’s worse that you didn’t get any attention, but I’m telling you, the kind of attention they give is not like the Kennedys. Your Kennedys, that is. Maybe growing up in our house is more like the politician Kennedys.”

  Riley gave a hollow laugh. “I guess you’re right. I never thought of it that way.” He hadn’t, and he also didn’t know she was that good at math. Or that she’d gone to Brown. Why the fuck didn’t he know his own sister? “I’m sorry, Madison. I should have been a better brother.”

  “It’s not like you could have done anything. I mean, Riley, if you’d been a girl? Things would have been so different. I used to be mad about that, and then I realized it was stupid, and I should be glad at least one of us escaped,” she said and shook her head. “I feel really bad for Caleb. He’s probably got it worse than either of us. Did you know he follows all your games? He’s really proud of you. He tells everyone you play hockey. He was really good at baseball, but he never got to play after high school.”

  Riley hadn’t seen, or spoken to, his older brother in so long he barely remembered what he looked like. Guilt was an unpleasant coil in the pit of his stomach, especially when he heard his brother was proud of him for his hockey career. It wasn’t surprising that Caleb never said anything to him, though. His family’s motto seemed to be “Keep all your emotions to yourself.”

  “I wish things weren’t like this. It’s stupid that we barely know each other. I shouldn’t have lumped you and Caleb in with our parents. I just assumed….” Riley was uncomfortable with the conversation because he was angry at his parents, and he didn’t think he was going to not be anytime soon.

  Madison wrapped her arms around herself and looked at the ground. “You just assumed we didn’t want anything to do with you. I know. It’s not like I made an effort either, and I hardly ever see or hear from Caleb that often myself. But Riley, I admire what you’ve done. That’s all. And maybe if you had a little sister tagging along, you wouldn’t have gotten where you are.”

  Riley hugged her. “That’s not true. I played every game in the finals knowing you were up there watching, Madison. Maybe I wouldn’t have played so well if you weren’t there.” Riley smiled a little. “Goalies are superstitious. So now you’re going to have to stick around.”

  Madison gave a little hiccuping laugh. “Good. Because I’m going to take my CPA exam and open an accounting firm here in Florida. There’s all kinds of rich people around here who need accountants, Riley. Did you know that?”

  “I don’t even know how to balance my checkbook,” Riley said, and she giggled even though he wasn’t kidding. “Seriously. Can you do mine?”

  “Maybe. I’ll cut you a family rate.” Madison pulled back, and Riley—who understood very well the need to regain one’s personal space—politely stood back and let her. He and his sister were so much alike. “Speaking of family. If you and Ethan get married someday—which by the way you totally should. You two are adorable—does that make me related to his family? Because I love them. Kelsey could totally be a model, but all Maura talked about was how smart she was. And Maura saw someone giving Britt a weird look about her tattoos when we went out to dinner one night in Tulsa, and went on about how they were art and people should get over that whole stigma about them. I bet Maura would have let me be on the volleyball team, keep my old nose, and be an accountant.”

  They stared at each other, and then started laughing.

  “So now you’re dating Bennett Halley,” Riley said, sighing. “I beat him up once.”

  “He told me,” she said. “I like him. Also your team colors go good with my coloring. I’m glad you don’t play for Tulsa. Ugh. That shade of orange is so dated. Seriously. But what’s up with the tornado logo on your uniform? It looks so angry.”

  “It has a lot of tornado rage? Maybe the clouds that spawned it were bad parents,” he joked, and she snorted.

  “Seriously though, you’re not mad? That I’m moving here? I mean, I should maybe go somewhere by myself, but….” She stopped and looked at him hopefully.

  “No. I’m glad,” Riley assured her, because he was. “But you know I’m going to read Halley the riot act. If he hurts your feelings, I’ll kill him.”

  “Riley. We’re just talking. It’s not serious yet or anything. That was the first time he kissed me.” Madison blushed. “I think he just got a little caught up in winning.”

  “It better be him getting caught up in you being smart and pretty,” Riley growled, but he put his arm around her shoulders. “Fine. I won’t threaten Halley with death for dating you. Only hurting your feelings or making a single inappropriate comment where I can hear it.”

  “Geez, Riley,” Madison said, but she looked more than a little pleased.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  BEING A champion was fun. The city threw them a parade, and Ethan and Riley spent their day with the Kelly Cup at a local children’s hospital and then took it to Cruisers. It seemed appropriate.

  Ethan did his best not to think about the future, though he was going to have to do it sometime soon. His mom and sisters were sad he wasn’t coming home for the summer. But they knew he wanted to be with Riley, and since they loved him and shit, it was cool.

  They also sort of adopted Riley’s sister, Madison, who was still planning on opening her accountant firm after passing her CPA exam. Ethan kept forgetting what that was and sometimes mixed up the initials. He wondered if she’d run into Sierra, the game-show-winning computer programmer, since she was taking some exam-prep classes at the University of North Florida. That led to a few thoughts he definitely couldn’t share with Riley, which was sad, but a guy could have a private fantasy or two about his boyfriend’s sister. Right?

  That meant of course that Riley might be having them about—

  Private for a reason, Ethan reminded himself. Besides, he was happy with Riley, and they were good. Better than good actually. They were great. Thank you, cheap Irish whiskey and Riley’s bookmarked porn folder.

  As for Riley… there was no doubt about his future with the team. Shortly after the Storm won the Kelly Cup, Riley spent hours at a meeting with his agent, Coach Spencer, and Brett Rivers, the General Manager of the Sea Storm. Brett had been a hockey player in his younger days—a goal scorer, but a bit of a tough guy too. Ethan definitely appreciated that and liked him a lot. When Riley came back, he looked hot as hell in the suit his sister picked out for him, and he was all smiles. He told Ethan that a scout from Tampa Bay’s big-league NHL team, the Lightning, had been at the meeting too. Apparently he was impressed with Riley’s performance and wanted to make sure there was a two-way deal in Riley’s next contract with the Storm.

  “They wanted me to play some games for Syracuse,” Riley said, referring to the AHL affiliate for the Lightning. His dark eyes were shining. “The weather isn’t as nice as here, but still. Pretty cool, huh?”

  Riley was the master of understatement. It was very cool. Ethan suggested they see if Riley’s new tie would work on Ethan’s wrists—it did—and if he could fuck Ethan before Ethan could get his hands free—he could.

  Since his contract with the Storm was over, Ethan was technically a free agent. He made sure the coaching staff and the front office for the Storm knew he wanted to play there again next year, and he fervently hoped that scoring a game-winning goal in the finals would keep his spot. He knew the coach liked him.

  Most of the guys on the team went home for the summer, so Ethan and Riley spent a lot of time hanging out with Ryan, Zoe, Bennett Halley, and Madison. Lane and Jared came for a visit, and Riley rented a house on the beach in Destin for a week. It was an awesome vacation, and Riley and Halley—who actually liked to be called “
Ben,” a fact known to not a single one of his teammates—actually became friends. Ethan knew that was a huge relief for Madison. They had a great time, and if Ethan and Riley fucked while they listened to Jared and Lane doing the same in the bedroom next to them, who needed to know about that?

  At the beginning of June, Ethan and Riley each got a text message from Ryan, asking if they’d meet him at Cruisers.

  “So, it seems the Sea Storm Captain’s Curse is alive and well, me hearties,” Ryan said, affecting a pirates’ growl for some reason. “I’ve been traded.”

  Everyone stared at him. “But you can’t be traded,” Ethan said, sounding frantic. “You’re getting married.”

  “We can get married in other states besides Florida,” Zoe pointed out. She sniffled. “I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but I’ll miss Cruisers. I thought maybe they’d cater our reception at a discount.”

  “Unless they know about all those free milkshakes you gave Courtnall,” Ryan teased. “And I know. It sucks. We did want to get married on the beach. Because… beautiful and also cheap! Luckily me and the little lady here are going to Bakersfield. So, beach wedding plan is still a go. And before you ask, they traded me for a defenseman and a prospect. And no. I don’t know who.”

  “Bakersfield seems nice,” Zoe added. “At least Ryan didn’t get traded somewhere terrible.”

  “Like Spartanburg,” Ryan said with a comical shudder. They all crossed their fingers and rapped their knuckles on the table. Even Zoe. Everyone knew if you pissed your coach off, you’d end up a Spitfire.

  “I heard they’re getting a new coaching staff, though,” Ryan continued. “Maybe they’ll get rid of that crazy goddamn goalie of theirs—the one who yells all the time—and get a better one.”

  “Not me,” Riley said, rapping his knuckles again. “Shh. Don’t talk about trading goalies.”

  “I don’t think this is really wood,” said Zoe. “Sorry to point that out, Riley, but I don’t want you to go to Spartanburg either.”

  “You can knock on some real wood later. At home,” Ethan said suggestively. Riley blushed. It was cute that he still did that. “Oh man, Sloany. I’m gonna miss you. Remember how we had all those crazy plans to live together and cause epic chaos…before we went and fell in love?”

  “Is there something you’re not telling me about you and Ethan, baby?” Zoe asked Ryan, batting her eyelashes. “You keep insisting that you’re straight. Except for Tom Hardy.”

  “I’m sorry, but everyone would do him. I don’t care how straight you are.”

  “I meant fell in love with different people,” Ethan muttered, slumping down in his seat. He felt his face turn bright red.

  “But yes. We were going to have epic chaos. I’m glad we didn’t, though, ’cause this year was pretty rad.” Ryan raised his water glass. “To rad years, epic chaos potential, good friends, and not playing for the Spartanburg Spitfires.”

  They all clinked their glasses, and Ethan pushed aside a strange feeling of impending doom and focused on spending a nice afternoon with his friends. Bakersfield was far away, and they would only play each other twice since their teams were in different conferences. It sucked.

  “So I wanted you guys to know I got traded. But we also have a house to sell and so… you guys want to buy a sweet house on the beach? It’s a cozy little love nest, and me and Zoe totally got rid of any bad relationship mojo from Zoe’s batshit crazy ex. So no worries there.”

  “Phew,” said Ethan, pretending to wipe sweat from his brow. “I’d lose sleep over that.”

  “If y’all don’t want to, it’s totally fine,” Zoe chimed in. “We thought we’d see if your sister wanted it, Riley, but we wanted to check with you two first.”

  “Think about it. You don’t have to decide right now or anything,” Ryan put in. “I don’t have to report to Bakersfield until the end of July. So we’re having one last golden summer, boys. Let’s make it count. It’ll be just like a movie. Only not the kind two out of the three dudes here might like to watch.” Ryan paused. “Unless Tom Hardy’s in it.”

  “Or Channing Tatum,” Zoe muttered, pretending to cough.

  Ryan tugged one of Zoe’s pigtails. “Shhh. Keep my secrets, woman. That’s what marriage is all about. That and ogling hot girls in bikinis together.” Ryan grinned at his fiancée. “At least we’re not going to Alaska. Ogling hot girls in parkas doesn’t sound as fun.”

  “Don’t be silly, Ry. They have hot tubs in Alaska,” Zoe pointed out, and then cleared her throat. “Let’s move on.”

  They didn’t talk about the house again, but Riley asked Ethan about it on the way home. “So, do you think we should move in there?”

  Ethan’s heart started hammering in his chest. “You want to move in together?”

  Riley hit him in the shoulder. “We already live together, dude.”

  “Yeah. But like… we’re roommates.”

  “You’ve been sleeping in my room since Madison moved to the hotel during the finals, Ethan.”

  “I’m lazy,” Ethan protested, fiddling with the radio. “And I get laid a lot in your room. Where’s my incentive to move?”

  “You called your old room the guest room the other day,” Riley pointed out. “And all of your clothes are in my closet. Do you not want to live with me anymore? Is that it?”

  Ethan pulled out his lighter, messed with it, and wished he could smoke. “It’s not that. It’s just that I don’t know about next season yet. Can we wait to decide about where to live until after I get a contract?” Ethan felt his stomach give an unpleasant lurch. “If I get one,” he added a little darkly.

  Riley gave him a sharp look. “Why wouldn’t you get one?”

  “You heard what Sloany said. We traded him for a defenseman. I’m the weakest one we’ve got. Right?”

  “You’re not weak. You’re the enforcer. I know how hard you hit, dude.”

  “I meant I’m not the strongest skater. That’s all. And I know I scored a game-winner, but that was my only goal last season.”

  “You’re not supposed to score goals, though.”

  “Okay, Lane,” Ethan joked. “And I just meant that game. It sort of felt like my last in the Sea Storm’s teal tornado, you know?”

  Riley slammed on the breaks and jammed the car into park. They were at the apartment, but it was still more dramatic than usual. Maybe Ethan was a bad influence. “What do you mean?”

  “Just forget it,” Ethan muttered, opening the door.

  Riley grabbed his wrist before he could slide out of the car. “No. Ethan, look at me. Hey. Come on.”

  Ethan felt stupid at having made a thing out of what was really not a thing at all. “Just ignore me. I’m having sad feelings about Sloany. Okay? And it makes me nervous when I hear we picked up another defenseman.”

  “Okay. But even if you aren’t signed here, you could still play somewhere.”

  Ethan yanked his arm out of Riley’s grip like he’d been burned. “Right.” Something hot and angry gathered in the back of his throat, making him feel like the Sea Storm’s angry water tornado. Great. “Somewhere else.”

  “Ethan—”

  Ethan stormed out of the car, up the stairs, into the apartment, and went into the guest room. Damn it, his room. He walked out on the balcony and defiantly shoved a cigarette in his mouth.

  Riley followed two seconds later, of course. He took the cigarette right out of Ethan’s fingers, threw it on the ground, and stomped it out with his shoe.

  Ethan protested, but Riley pulled him back into the house and pushed him up against the wall.

  “Listen to me,” Riley said. “I didn’t mean that I wanted you to go somewhere else. I just meant I would never make you stay here for me, because that’s not fair. I want you here. Of course I do. You know that too. So don’t act like this.”

  Sometimes Ethan hated that Riley being all aggressive and taking charge made him feel better. It was one of those times, so of course he had to fight it. �
�Fine. So we break up if I get traded and only stay together if I don’t?”

  Riley narrowed his eyes. “You know that’s not what I meant, what I said, or what I want. I don’t want to break up. Why would you think that?”

  Ethan opened his mouth and then closed it. He banged his head back against the wall. “I don’t know. Because it’ll be hard to be together if we’re in two different states?”

  “Hey, Ethan?”

  Ethan opened his eyes and looked warily at Riley. “What?”

  “If I wanted things to be easy, I wouldn’t play goalie. And I wouldn’t want to be your boyfriend. But I love being a goalie and I love you. Okay? So calm down.”

  “Make me,” Ethan snapped, and luckily Riley knew him well enough to know that was exactly what Ethan needed him to do.

  So Riley dragged him into the living room and fucked him over the couch from behind, one hand wrapped tight around Ethan’s neck. Riley was athletic and ridiculously coordinated and he knew exactly how to give it to Ethan rough and perfect just like Ethan wanted.

  He also bit the back of Ethan’s neck when he came—hard enough that when Ethan rubbed his fingers against the skin there, he could feel the indentations of Riley’s teeth.

  Later they watched Orange is the New Black. They might be two guys in love, but no way were they missing out on a show about hot bisexual girls in prison, even if there was an awful lot of talking. Ethan said, “I want to stay together. Obviously. But I don’t want you to buy a house for us if I can’t be there. And I don’t know what’s going to happen. And I hate that, but… that’s how it goes. And I know I need to stop smoking.”

  Riley nodded. “Okay. Then we’ll wait to see about signing a lease until you know what’s up with your contract. But I’ll tell my sister about the house. She’s getting tired of living in the Ponte Vedre Inn anyway.”