Page 41

FORTY-ONE

RILEY

Puck Kings

Me

This is embarrassing, but is anyone free to help me with something this afternoon?

Easy E

Uh oh. Did you get something stuck somewhere it shouldn’t be stuck?

Been there, man. Sucks.

Me

Uh, no.

G-Money

Sometimes it amazes me you’re just out there walking around with the rest of the population, Ethan.

Easy E

I’ve made it 23 years. I’m doing justtttttt fine.

Huddy Boy

Madeline and Lucy are having a girls’ day, and I’d love to help.

Mavvy

Emmy is out of town, and if I sit around the apartment by myself for another second, I’m going to go out of my mind. Count me in.

Huddy Boy

Liam?

Sully

No.

Mavvy

Come on, Liam. It’s Mitchy.

Me

Well, I feel pathetic. Thank you.

Sully

Fine. You get me for an hour tops. And I reserve the right to complain the entire time.

G-Money

I don’t like being left out!!! I want to come.

Me

Whoever wants to come can come. Be at my apartment at two.

Easy E

lol so secretive. What are you hiding, Mitchy??

Sully

Your IQ.

Easy E

Damn. Goalie Daddy is on fire today!!!!

* * *

“Is this a scavenger hunt?” Maverick looks around my living room and frowns. “What exactly are we helping you with?”

“It’s not housework, is it?” Grant groans. “Everyone thinks I know how to use a drill because I’m a guy, but the thing fucking terrifies me.”

“Can y’all stop complaining and let Mitchy talk?” Hudson smiles at me from the couch. “We’re here for whatever you need.”

“Okay. You know I lost my right leg,” I say, gesturing down at my joggers.

“We had no fucking idea,” Liam draws out, and Hudson hits him with a pillow.

“Ignore him. Keep going, Ri.”

“I haven’t driven since the accident. I’m comfortable using my prosthetic in my day-to-day life, but if I want to get behind the wheel again, I’m going to have to use my left foot. Trying to get my brain to understand the pedals after years of being on autopilot is intimidating.” I rub the back of my neck. “I was hoping, ah, you guys could be in the car with me while I try for the first time? In case something happens?”

“Fuck, yeah. It’s Grand Theft Auto in real life.” Grant jumps to his feet. “Where are your keys? I call dibs on shotgun.”

“Okay, slow down there, G,” Hudson says. “Let’s plan this out.”

“Always so fucking rational,” Liam grumbles. “We’re going to an empty parking lot.”

“I like that idea,” Maverick agrees. “How about the football stadium? The parking lot is massive, and it should be mostly deserted since the Titans are in their offseason.”

“Does someone mind driving us there in my car?” I ask. “I’ve turned it on every few days to make sure the battery still works, but it hasn’t moved since June.”

“I don’t trust any of you behind the wheel.” Liam grabs the keys hanging from the wall in my foyer. “Except Hayes. He’s the smartest one of the group. But I value my life too much to have Tweedledee and Tweedledum in charge,” he says, pointing at Maverick and Grant.

“Someone pissed in his coffee this morning,” Grant whispers.

“Let’s go. Sully can drive us there like the good little chauffeur he is, and we’ll figure this out together,” Maverick says. “You have insurance, right?”

“Yeah, but I’d prefer it if we didn’t crash my hundred-thousand-dollar vehicle.” I bend my hips back to adjust my residual limb in my socket then straighten my leg. “I’m not in the mood for paperwork.”

“I’m never in the mood for paperwork.” Grant heads for the door and flings it open. “Come on, boys. Let’s pretend like we’re Princess Mia driving the Mustang.”

“That’s a good fucking movie,” Maverick says.

“A great fucking movie,” Hudson adds, and I follow them down the hall.

Twenty minutes later, we’re parked in front of the DC Titans’ football stadium. My hands are on my hips, and I stare at my SUV.

“How do you want to do this?” Hudson asks, a hand on my shoulder.

“We could crank the driver’s seat back and have you sit in one of our laps?” Grant suggests, and I burst out laughing.

“That would be a fucking sight,” I say.

“Damn. I was really hoping I’d get to have Mitchy in my lap. That’s a dream of mine.” Maverick taps his cheek. “How about one person in the passenger seat. Someone right behind you who can grab the wheel if you panic and another in the middle who could reach forward and tap the brakes if needed?”

“Whose arms are the longest?” Hudson asks, and Liam scoffs.

“My wingspan is the biggest on the team,” our goalie challenges. “Have you seen me stop a puck?”

“You know what they say about goalies and wingspans.” Grant winks. “He’s also the most flexible one. Maybe he should be in the middle.”

“Liam in the middle. Hudson up front because he’s the most rational, and he’ll definitely be the calmest. I’ll go in the seat behind Riley and be on deck to take over the wheel. G-Money… you’ll be the spectator in the back right seat,” Maverick says.

“Not fair! Everyone else has a job.” Grant pouts. “I’m good at things.”

“You can be in charge of… navigation,” I say, pulling something out of my ass. I don’t want him to feel left out. “Tell me if I need to go left or right. You’re great at reading the ice. You can help me avoid the concrete lampposts.”

“This is an honor, Riley.” He puts a hand on his chest and dips his head. “I will not let you down.”

“Everyone get in the goddamn car,” Liam says, climbing into the middle seat in the back. “If someone starts quoting Spiderman about power and responsibility, I’m out of here.”

“Another great movie,” Maverick whispers, and Grant nods sagely.

We get in our places, and I hold the steering wheel with a white-knuckle grip. I run my palms along the curve of the leather and take a deep breath. Glancing down, I stare at the pedals and frown.

“I’m trying to figure out how to position my legs,” I say. “I think I’ll keep my right foot where it would be if I had cruise control on, then stretch my left leg diagonally to reach the pedals.”

“Probably easier than trying to tuck your right leg behind your left, yeah?” Hudson asks, and I nod.

“And uncomfortable. Safer too, I bet. I don’t need another fucking surgery.” I turn the key in the ignition and exhale. “Okay. Here we go.”

“Give me some window privileges, Mitchy, so you can focus on your feet,” Grant says, and when I roll down the back windows, he sticks his head out into the sunshine. “Forward, matey!”

Shifting the car into drive, I slowly ease my left foot onto the accelerator. The car jolts to life, and we roll across the empty parking spaces. I’m pretty sure I’m sweating. Everyone in the car is silent, and I try adding more pressure to the gas pedal.

“It’s the same configuration,” I tell myself. “Just a different angle.”

“Try braking,” Maverick says, and I nod.

I’m a little too firm when I move my foot to the left and tap on the brakes, because Liam goes flying forward and almost rolls over the center console. Grant screams and clutches the door to prevent himself from falling out the window. Maverick topples sideways, his head under Liam’s ass, and Hudson cackles in the seat beside me.

“Sorry, sorry!” I apologize, being gentler the second time I try the brakes. The SUV slows to a stop, and I glance at my teammates. “Got a little excited there. Is everyone okay?”

Liam rubs his forehead. “I’m fucking concussed.”

“I saw my life flash before my eyes,” Grant says.

“Scary, isn’t it?” I ask, and he nods.

“Liam, I swear to god if you sit down right now, I’m going to bite your ass,” Maverick warns, trying to get himself upright. “Don’t you fucking dare.”

“I wish I had that on video.” Hudson wheezes, the only one unaffected by my shitty first attempt. “I’ve never heard Grant scream like that before.”

“Hey. I was scared , and this is a judgment-free zone. Watch yourself, Hayes,” Grant says, bopping him on the back of the head. “I’m stronger than I look, and I’ll fling you out of the window if you laugh at me again.”

“If anyone wants to evacuate, they can,” I say, checking to make sure everyone is okay. “But I’ll be more careful next time.”

And I am. I get us cruising up to twenty miles an hour, and I make a big lap around the perimeter of the parking lot. Grant keeps his head out of the window, guiding me left then right, and when I tap the brakes again, we roll to a gentle and complete stop without incident.

“Nice job, Ri,” Hudson says. “That was smooth.”

“Not as hard as I thought it would be,” I say. “I just need to train my brain.”

“Online it says you can buy something called a left foot gas pedal?” Maverick asks, looking up from his phone. “Have you thought about that?”

“Not really.” I shrug. “People already treat me differently because of my leg, and I want to try to keep things as normal as I can. I wore shorts to the grocery store the other day, and you would’ve thought I had skin lesions all over my body. Someone asked if I needed a wheelchair, and while I’m sure some folks with prosthetics do, it was like they were only seeing my disability, not me as a whole person.” I sigh. “It’s frustrating. I don’t want to be coddled. Do I need special accommodations sometimes? Yeah. Am I going to take the elevator instead of climbing five flights of stairs? Sure. But I’m still me.”

“Shit. That was really powerful, man. I never thought of it that way,” Grant says.

“When I was in the hospital and being transported back and forth in a wheelchair, no one talked to me. They only talked to the person pushing me. As if I stopped being an individual entity when I lost my leg. That’s why I’m hesitant to show off my lower half. Not because I’m embarrassed. But because everyone always makes it a way bigger deal than it needs to be.”

“It sucks that you’re treated like that,” Hudson says.

“You should partner with the league to do a disability awareness class,” Maverick suggests. “Get some Paralympic athletes on board too.”

“If anyone gives you problems, I’ll kick their ass,” Liam adds, and I laugh.

“Thanks, guys. And thanks for doing this with me. It was too intimidating to try by myself, but hearing Grant scream like that was worth bringing in reinforcements.”

“Another lap.” Maverick clasps my shoulder. “Try to get up to thirty miles an hour.”

The next time around the parking lot is easier. I can tell I’m using my left leg, and there’s the hint of discomfort in my right knee area, but overall, I’m happy with how I do. The tension leaves my shoulders when I complete a fourth lap at an even faster speed, safely parking in a spot and checking to make sure I’m within the lines.

“Next task is going to be tackling an actual road,” I say, stretching out my legs. “I might panic and press the gas instead of the brakes.”

“I bet you’ll be more confident after another two practice rounds,” Hudson says. “And we’ll be here with you.”

“I’ll be wearing a helmet,” Liam says, and I snort.

“Sorry, Sully. I didn’t mean to mess up your pretty head.”

A call comes through on my Bluetooth, and Lexi’s name pops up on the car screen.

“Oooh, why is Lexi calling you?” Grant leans forward and smashes the green button before I can stop him. “Hey, sugar,” he says. “What’s cookin’, good lookin’?”

“Okay, stop,” I say, shoving him out of the way.

“Is that Grant?” Lexi asks.

“The one and only,” he yells from the backseat.

“You’re on speaker,” I tell her. “We were having a driving lesson.”

“That sounds fun. How did it go?”

“I’ll be stopping by your office tomorrow before morning skate because Mitchell injured me,” Liam says. “You can blame him for giving you extra work.”

“I love extra work,” she says. “Sorry to interrupt! I’ll text you instead, Ri.”

“Everything okay?” I ask, and another round of oooohs come from the back.

“Everything is great. Just wanted to say hi.” I hear the smile in her voice and wonder what she’s up to. If she’s having a good day and doing anything fun. “I don’t want to interrupt guy time.”

“You’re not interrupting. They all suck,” I tell her, and Maverick gasps.

“Fucking rude ,” he mumbles. “We had a moment when I put my hands over yours on the wheel, Mitchy.”

“Wow. I’m really bummed I missed out on this.” Lexi laughs. “You all have fun. I’ll talk to you later!”

Everyone except Liam yells out a goodbye, and when I hang up the call, Hudson is grinning at me.

“I don’t want to hear it,” I say.

“You’re so down bad.” Hudson smirks. “We’ve all been there.”

“Except Grant. He’s too young to understand love.” Maverick ruffles my hair. “Have you told her how you feel?”

“Nope.”

“Are you going to tell her how you feel?”

“Nope.”

“Riley,” Hudson says gently. “You went through a traumatic event that showed us how short life is. Wouldn’t you rather get everything out in the open instead of hiding it? What if you never get the chance to let her know you’re head over heels for her?”

“She doesn’t want head over heels, so I keep my mouth shut.”

“She might with you,” Liam says, surprising me.

“I’ll think about it.” I put the car in drive, then purposely slam on the brakes to another round of screams. “And stop meddling in my personal life, you nosy assholes.”

“Worst day ever ,” Liam growls, and I grin at him in the rearview mirror.