Page 76 of Breakaway Goals

Hayes met his eyes in the mirror.

It had been six long years, but he didn’t look older. Hair perfect. Face perfect. Green eyes widening as he stared at Morgan.

Fuck my life.

Hayes swallowed once and then twice. Wondered wildly how he could have made such a stupid mistake when he’d been so careful all night.

He’d been tracking Morgan as he’d made his way around the bar, sharing drinks with his teammates and congratulating them on a great game, timing his arrival at the table where he’d been sitting with Finn and Jacob exactly when Morgan slid out, holding his empty glass like he needed a refill.

But no. He hadn’t headed to the bar for a fresh beer.

He’d come to the bathroom, and so had Hayes.

You knew this was going to happen eventually.

Hayes just hadn’t been ready for it. Maybe it was delusional to think he would haveeverbeen ready.

His heart ached, a steady, pervasive hurt that never seemed to go away, no matter what.

He’d told Zach last summer he was working on moving on, not using someone else as a distraction or to make it easier, butinstead focusing on learning how to be happy just being Hayes Montgomery.

Annoyingly, he’d have told anyone who cared to listen that he’d done it. That hewashappy just being Hayes.

But now, he wasn’t sure. Not with Morgan’s hazel eyes staring at him, wide and shocked andaffected.

The total fucking opposite of the blank-eyed stare Hayes had gotten every time they’d played each other after.

This time Morgan’s stare wasn’t sliding over him like he didn’t even recognize him. The opposite, in fact.

Hayes cleared his throat. “Hey.”

Morgan blinked hard, like he was astonished Hayes had said anything to him. “Uh. Hey.”

Hayes gave himself a brief pep talk consisting ofyou can do thisandyou have to fucking do this.

“Finn had a great game.”

“Yeah.” Morgan didn’t seem capable of more than single words, which . . .Hayesgotthat, a little too well. But then he’d also seemed perfectly fine leaving the morning after and ghosting Hayes and then barely eking out an apology before disappearing again for the next six fucking years.

So maybe single words were all he was capable of, when it came to Hayes. Like that other Morgan, the one who’d opened up to Hayes, like deep down, they were made from the exact same material, had been the mirage.

Hayes steeled himself. Decided that he didn’t care if he was an asshole, because Morgan was a self-professed assholeandhe’d been the asshole first.

“You’re not going to hang around Finn all the time, are you?”

Morgan had the nerve to look both worried and guilty. Picking at Hayes’ heartstrings like it was his new fucking job.

“No,” Morgan said.

“He’s gonna be a great goalie. Deserves more light than your shadow provides.”

Morgan opened his mouth and then snapped it shut, fingers tightening on the edge of the sink, knuckles going white.

“Just saying,” Hayes said, shrugging. “I’m his captain now. I gotta look out for him.”

“I didn’t expect that you wearing the C would also turn you into a dick,” Morgan drawled. And okay, turned out hewascapable of more than one word answers.

Hayes regretted even engaging. He should have left it alone. Left Morgan alone. Should have left it atHey.