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As he approaches, I begin to slide back again as I read his movements with his stick. I know Lars. I’ve been blocking his shots for a long time. And I know he loves to go bar down. He’s going to chip this one high in the hope it hits my crossbar over my shoulder then falls down into the net behind me.

He winds up. Snaps it.

And with a perfect windmill save, I snatch the puck out of the air before it even gets close.

“There it is!” Gavin says, pulling me into a hug as the ref blows the whistle.

“You’re going to be all over the replays tonight,” Connor says. He taps me on my helmet.

“This is gonna be your night,” Tavish says. “I can feel it.”

I can feel it, too. Finally, something within me has clicked. I’m back to myself, standing on my own two feet without needing a crutch to lean on.

Nikolai

I’m smiling ear to ear as we leave Mickey’s to walk home. This was Ander’s night.

“Yeah!” Brandon says into his phone. His parents called as soon as the game ended. “We were watching. All of us… Yes. Nikolai, too.” He looks at me and glares, but there’s no malice behind it.

He then makes a gagging face.

Okay. Maybe there was a little malice behind it. After our initial car ride back to St. Louis, he and I have avoided having any real discussion about the fact I hooked up with his brother. I get it. I don’t want to know about the sex lives of my brothers either, and I barely even know them.

Regardless, I still laugh at him, because it’s fun and I’m happy. Ander shut out Chicago in spectacular fashion. Four to zero, Blizzards. Even Gavin scored a goal.

“So,” Ryan says to me while Brandon is still distracted on his phone in front of us on the sidewalk. “What’s the plan? Are you taking Ander out to dinner tomorrow?” He waggles his eyebrows at me. “Some place romantic maybe.”

I push him, causing him to stumble and burst into a laugh.

“I’m kidding,” he says, holding his hands up in defense. “I just, you know, like the two of you as a thing. It’s nice.”

“We are not a thing,” I say. “I blew it. Remember?”

He knocks me with his elbow. “And now you have a chance to un-blow it.”

“You two better not be talking about my brother and blowjobs back there,” Brandon says while pocketing his phone. He looks over his shoulder at us while we walk. “I’ve made it quite clear. You can date my brother. You just can’t talk to me about it.” He shudders as he turns back around and mutters, “So fucking gross.”

“He’ll get over it,” Ryan says, then looks at me over his shoulder and adds, “Eventually.”

“I doubt that.” I laugh, watching Ryan jog to catch up with Brandon. When he reaches him, he crouches down and throws Brandon over his shoulder, carrying him like a sack of potatoes as we enter our building.

Once in my apartment I pull my phone out of my pocket. Now is as good a time as any to make the call I should have made weeks ago.

“Hey!” Ander answers. I can hear the boisterous sounds of an NHL locker room after a huge win in the background. “Did you watch the game?”

“I did,” I say. My smile and the pride I feel in my chest for this man can’t be contained.

“Get off the phone, Bouch!” I hear someone yell on his end.

“Give him a minute!” Connor’s voice this time. “He’s busy!”

I laugh. “Listen,” I say. “I will not keep you. Do you want to have dinner with me tomorrow night?”

“Sure,” he says. “I think that’s a good idea. We need to talk.”

I nod even though he can’t see me. We do need to talk. Desperately. I need to make amends. I need to fix what I broke.

“Go celebrate your win, Ander. I will see you tomorrow.”