“Yeah.We thought it was a hobby to replace partying.”
I smirk.“I had hidden bottles on the hiking trails.Like full-ass bottles of vodka I had buried in the ground or under rocks.I lost a few up there, if you’re ever in need of emergency alcohol.But then I got smart and started to Air Tag them.”
“Jesus Christ.”Grady looks horrified.
“Yeah, it was a lot of fucking work to stay drunk.”I flash a bitter smile.“More work than I put into anything else in my life, even hockey.”
“Speaking of hockey,” Grady leans forward and puts his elbows on his knees, “what’s the plan?”
“For hockey?”
“And, you know, your life.”
“Wow.You’re worse than Mr.Suzuki,” I tell him, referencing our high school guidance counselor who used to rag on me constantly about taking my life more seriously.
Grady smiles and rubs his ginger beard.“You told Suzuki your life plan was to crush all your dad’s records, win the Cup more times than anyone else in your family, and sleep with no less than four super models.”
“Well, the supermodel thing got checked off,” I confess, and Grady’s jaw drops.I shrug.“Being a professional athlete in a town where the hottest women come to make the worst decisions had its perks.”
I sip the latte.It’s lukewarm but fucking delicious.I can’t remember the last time I had one.I used to love them.Though Grady is right.It’s way sweeter than I remember.Fun thing about sobriety, your taste buds sober up with you, and things slowly begin to taste different.
Grady sips his drink, which I’m sure is a matcha because he loves that crap.“Are you healed up?”
I nod.“Yeah.I mean, the right arm will never be a hundred percent, but it’s about ninety percent, and that’s better than expected considering the shoulder is made of mostly metal now.”
“Have you hit the ice?”
“I rent out a rink in Freeport on Tuesday nights and run drills by myself.And I’ve snuck onto a couple beer league games when they post on the rink message board that they’re short a player.”I hate having to admit that.“I’m debating cold calling farm teams to see if anyone will take me.”
Grady nods and takes another sip of his drink.He leans forward, his elbows on his knees.“Wanna skate?”
“Right now?”
“Yeah.Our facility is open, and our practices are done for the day.Officially.I can head over there with you, and you could shoot some pucks on me,” Grady says.“Shake off the cobwebs.”
“I don’t think the Riptide management would appreciate it,” I say quietly.
“Actually, I cleared it with Coach Larue already.”Our eyes meet, and he smiles.Fuck.He’s not joking.“Come on.It’ll be fun.No pressure.I swear the guys all left.You know how preseason goes.No one wants to stick around longer than they have to.”
I like the idea of skating again, with Grady.I wasn’t ready for my career to end.It would be nice.And not spending the day in this lovely but lonely loft would be great.The only people I’ve hung around with in the last six weeks are strangers at my AA meetings and my sister or family when they FaceTime.Still, I hesitate.“Is… is that what you want to do?”
“Yeah.Would be fun,” Grady says.“I’ve missed you, and I wanna see if I can stop a shot from a bionic shoulder.I would have skated with you this summer, but you refused to come to Silver Bay.”
“Yeah.I just… I couldn’t face everyone,” I confess and rub the back of my neck self-consciously.Grady’s eyes move to the scars on my arms.“And there are a lot of triggers in Silver Bay.Like a lot of stuff reminds me of being drunk or getting drunk.Buried booze, remember?”
“Youaregoing to come home one day, though, right?”Grady questions, concern knitting his bushy brows.“Mom and Dad are hosting Thanksgiving this year, and Landon is coming with his family.”
The idea of being around not only Grady’s boyfriend but also his parents, who know what I did to Grady and their son, isn't selling me on going home, but I give him a half-nod and a shrug.“I mean, maybe?I can’t really plan too far ahead.It gives me anxiety.I’m a day-by-day guy now.”
Grady seems to think about that.“Okay, well, offer is there obviously.Your parents and Harlow will be there, and Aunt Jessie and Uncle Jordan and Conner and Mac and Callie and Devin and Mayhem.”
My anxiety spikes with every name he rattles off.It shouldn’t.My family is a very forgiving and understanding bunch, but I’m ashamed.Plain and simple.No one has been this big of a fuck up.
“Yeah.We’ll see.So… we skate?”I ask.
Grady smiles and stands.“I have to hang around downtown because I said I would pick up Landon’s sister, Lola.She’s finishing up a shift down the street at her bartending job, and then she’s breaking up with her boyfriend, so I’m here until at least three.Let’s hit the ice.”
“Sure.Let’s do it.”I stand too, and as we stop in the kitchen to toss our empty coffee cups, I can’t help but ask, “Breaking up with her boyfriend, huh?”
