* CURRENTLY EDITING.*
Luke Madden is a NHL superstar. But when an injury sidelines him, he's required to undergo physical therapy. With a stable family and girlfriend, Luke has all the resources he needs. Or so he thinks. As it turns out, there are...
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Luke
It doesn't take long for Emlyn and Rosa to become bored with Hainsey and I's shenanigans. The conclusion ends up being divided because of obvious biases. It's no help to our banter, but while I have exceptional accuracy, Hainsey has the harder shot. Each time he hits a glass bottle, it shatters, the noise ringing through the yard.
We spend maybe about half an hour shooting pucks and enjoying a couple more drinks. The spend I spend with Hainsey is enjoyable. In fact, I can't remember the last time I could unwind with a friend. Even when Mason and I went to Cuba during our rookie season... I think I was there to clean up the mess. To be the responsible one while he got hammered. The more I think about our so-called friendship, the more I realize how parasitic he was.
Hainsey taps my shins with his hockey stick. "You good? You're staring out into the forest. I don't know if I should be concerned or not. Has the whisky hit you that hard?"
I laugh, shaking my head. "No. I'm thinking about my ex-best friend." I take another sip of my drink. He's not far off with his assumptions, though. There's a slight buzz lingering in the back of my mind. "The one my ex-girlfriend cheated on me with."
"Mason Finely. Yeah, Emyln told me about what happened. I'm sorry, man. That's real shitty."
I hum. Not in agreement. The hurt still echoes in my chest, but lots has changed since I found out about their affair. My knee is better. I'm almost done with the program. I'm falling in love with Rosa. And, more importantly, my contract with Calgary ends in July. I've always wanted to play for my hometown. Plus, playing for Toronto would bring me closer to Rosa.
"Shitty... to a certain degree." I gesture to the space we're occupying. "This reminds me of hanging out with Mason. The whole bromance thing, y'know? But looking back, I can see red flags. Ones I should've noticed before."
Hainsey raises his glass. "Cheers to that."
I run my tongue along my bottom lip, staring at the shattered glass bottles distributed across the tarp we laid down earlier. "In July, I might sign with Toronto."
He gapes at me. "What?"
I lift one shoulder. "I need to see what they put on the table, but it's been in my head for a while now. Calgary is great, but I think I've outgrown the team, too."
Hainsey pins me with a cautious stare. "Does Rosa have anything to do with this?"
"Yeah," I reply. "She's part of the reason. Of course, there's a discussion we need to have. Closer to the deadline, though. When this relationship isn't so new. If things become more... serious, I don't want her uprooting her life to suit mine. As hockey players, we're conditioned to recognize our role as chess pieces."
I can't get a read on Hainsey's expression. When he wants to, he can hide his emotions. I feel like I'm staring at a stone wall. Rosa warned me he would threaten me about hurting her. Perhaps he's figuring out what to say.
