Page 6 of Offside

I still loved Star Wars, but it became less of a cool thing to say to grown men–call me Lando because I’m a nerd.

So, I stopped.

“No,” I said plainly, biting back the smile and swallowing it down completely. “Just my name’s Landon, and it’s short for that.”

“Oh,” he said quietly, awkwardly–like I'd shot down his opening. “I just…Kinny said you liked Star Wars, so I just figured.”

“Well, Kinny and I hardly know one another,” I sighed, straightening up again to look down at him–my god, he was short.

I mean, I know that wasn’t really fair–everyone was short when you were six foot five, but still.

“Right,” he said softly, nodding once. “Well, it was nice to meet you, Lando.”

“You, too.”

Sam skated off to run drills with Wes and Kinny, leaving me to my peace of shooting with Ash.

He was kind enough.

It wasn’t that I set out to be an asshole–this was just the way things had to be. I didn’t make friends, and I didn’t get to know anyone because it would set me up for failure.

I got enough of a taste of lying to my friends in high school–I didn’t want a repeat.

And really, how close could you get to someone when every single thing about you was a lie?

Chapter 3

Sam

“I really don’t mind staying at the hotel–it was nice,” I went on again, babbling for what felt like an hour now.

“And Thayer insisted–he said it’s like part of the whole team-building thing,” Ash mumbled, waving me off for the fifth time since we left the arena. “Besides, we have the extra room–do it for Thayer.”

Ash pushed open the door to his apartment, fake pouting back at me. I reluctantly followed him, trying not to gawk at how nice their place was, but come on!

They lived on the top floor and owned two apartments–they turned them into one to make it feel more homey.

Thayer was one of the top goalies in the league when he got hurt, and the NHL paid out his contract when he retired to honor him. Ash was drafted in the first round and still had his rookie contract, which was shit, but the bidding war for him when it was up was one of the hottest topics already.

And he hadn’t played a single non-preseason game yet.

“Home!” Ash shouted, piercing my ears for a second time this summer–only the first time was somehow more enjoyable.

And it involved actual metal going through my ears.

“Thayer still has his eardrums?” I asked, pulling on my ear to make the ringing stop.

“He likes my screaming,” Ash said, smirking and wiggling his eyebrows at me playfully.

Casual footsteps came clomping down the spiral staircase in the center of the room, only to reveal Thayer, smiling and happier than I'd ever seen him.

I remembered him being rather grumpy and standoffish, but to see him happy now?

Wow.

Ash toed off his shoes by the door, waving me along with him further into the spacious living room. He stopped at Thayer by the stairs, kissing him quickly and greeting him much more quietly.

And something deep and dark panged in my chest.