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“You too. I think we’ve…played each other before, actually.”
“Oh, shit. Yes, you were with Nashville. I remember now.”
“Yeah, you leveled me pretty good last season. Had to leave the game and get stitches. And you knocked out my chomper.” He pointed to his front tooth. “Veneer.”
“Sorry about that.”
“It’s all good, baby.”
Ryan and Hayes watched as the two of them prattled on together as if they were old friends, neither of them taking their eyes off the other one for even a second.
“I’m gonna go get geared up,” Hayes said, nudging TK, but he didn’t even acknowledge that he’d said anything and just kept talking to Koski. He shot Ryan a look that translated to “What the fuck?” to which Ryan shrugged his shoulders in response.
Once everyone had all their gear on, they hit the ice for some skating drills, TK and Hayes going to a different area of the ice than Koski and Ryan since they were forwards. Ryan watched the enormous smiles that crept over both their faces as they skated around and took shots on the goalie. They were so carefree, so in their element, so…happy. Ryan loved nothing more than to see it, and he hoped that this would be another step in the right direction for them, reminding them to stay sober so they never had to give this joy up again.
“They are excited to be here,” Koski said, as he and Ryan took a water break, watching the two boys skating and passing, fitting in seamlessly with the other guys.
“Yep,” Ryan said, his eyes glued to Hayes. He glanced briefly at Koski, whose eyes followed TK’s every move.
“So, you are back together with Tyler Hayes then?”
“Yep.”
“And I assume he knows about…us.”
“Yep.”
“That TK is…something, eh?”
“Yep.”
“This is all you say to me now? Yep?”
Ryan squirted some water into his mouth. “I…sorry. It’s just, I have a lot on my mind right now. They’re both staying with me and…” Ryan stopped.
“Did you still want to hang out tonight? I mean, I could…you know, maybe keep that TK company if you wanna spend some time with your boyfriend.”
There was no logical reason for Ryan to feel the jealousy he was feeling after that offer. “I think we could all keep each other company, if you catch my drift.”
“Yeah? They’re into it?”
Ryan nodded. “We, uh, we had fun last night.”
Koski bit his bottom lip before squirting some water in his mouth. “You up for more?”
No.
Do not do this, Baylor.
Ignoring the voice inside his head, he tapped Koski’s ass with his stick and said, “Abso-fucking-lutely,” before skating off to join the next drill.
When the practice had ended, all the guys made their way back into the locker room, Ryan and Koski coming down the tunnel at the very end with the rest of the Lightning defense.
And that’s when Ryan heard it.
“Who invited the fuckin’ junkies?”
Before anyone had time to process what was happening, Ryan had his forward, Cristian Dube, pinned against the wall by his neck, Koski tugging him from behind and desperately trying to diffuse the situation.
