Page 19 of How We End

“What would you lie to me about if I did pay you for that?”He winked, pulling me closer to him.

“Hmm.”I thought for a moment.“That I watched your game, and I was so impressed with your…” I knew nothing about hockey other than it was played on ice, and by the bruises on Julian, it was a physical game.

“My what?”

“Equipment?”I teased.

“You’re not impressed with that?Looks like I’ll have to try harder next time.”

“Your equipment is fine.”He held me tight to him as he brushed the hair from my cheek before he kissed me softly.When he lifted his head, I could see it in his eyes.Sometimes men confused sex with something more.“This will go away.”

“What will?”

“The feeling you have right now.”I had the same one.That he wanted more than this.That we could beat the odds and find our sunset happiness.I hadn’t had this feeling since I was twenty.But unlike them, I knew the truth, and in a couple days, whatever we were feeling would be gone.

“I don’t think so.”He cupped my face, his thumb stroking over the small scar on my cheek.A reminder of how things were never as they seemed.

“It will.By Friday.”I stepped away.“I promise that.”

“And if it doesn’t?”he said, buttoning his shirt.

I walked over to the dresser and wrote down my number.“Then call me.”I handed it to him before I could overthink what I had done.I knew he wouldn’t.There was a confidence in his movements now.The broken Julian who’d shown up here a few days ago had vanished.I’d done my job.But that didn’t stop me from wanting to crawl back into bed with him and lose myself in him again.

“Okay, I have a game, but I’ll call you right after.”He kissed me again before Jackson walked into the room.

“Let’s go, puck boy.”Jackson nodded to the door.

“Be careful.”Why did I say that?

“I will.”

He and Jackson left, leaving me in the blue stillness of the room.

Alone.

Post-Game Report, LA Storm vs Las Vegas Desert Coyotes, Final Score 1-4

City Center Arena, Las Vegas, NV

October 22

“And with that, the Desert Coyotes win against the LA Storm four to one.I’m Jon Lafayette, along with Shawn Hofstadter.And Shawn, what a game!This looked like a completely different team than we saw last week.Not to mention Julian Silver.He had two goals and an assist on the goal from Anders Blais.If I wasn’t here, I don’t know if I would believe it.”

“You and the entire city of Las Vegas.The Julian Silver we saw tonight is one we haven’t seen in eight months.Our Alice White is with Julian Silver now.Alice?”

CHAPTERTEN

WYATT

October 22

“Thanks, Jon.Julian, congratulations on your first two goals of the season.What was going through your mind when you made that first goal?”The reporter leaned in closer to Julian.She had dark hair and heavy lashes.I envied her that she was the one standing there with him in that moment.A moment that meant everything to him.The bar had exploded when he made the goal.And then again when he scored the game-winning one.

“That it’s been a long time coming.But uh… we put a lot of pressure on their guys.We moved the puck and uh… were able to find the back of the net.I got the first goal from a pass from Blais.The second one because Graham put some pressure on their defense,” Julian said, running a towel over his face.

“Speaking of your team, they must be happy to see the old Julian Silver back.What changed in this game tonight from the one last week against Colorado?”she asked.

He smiled at her, the sweat dripping from his hair.“I, uh…” He paused, and the smile turned cocky.“I started a new training regimen last week.”