Page 127 of The Trade Deadline
Lars’s heart ached. “I didn’t—” But he couldn’t deny it. He had thought that, a little. He’d been mean to Anders from the very moment he’d moved and made it clear Sweden was no longer his home. It had hurt, and it was easier to be angry than devastated.
“It’s okay,” Anders said. Now he was the one staring at the ground. “It’s been nearly fifteen years. I should’ve said something. I’m older?—”
“I know I didn’t make it easy,” Lars said. “I…can’t promise I’ll be able to change that, either. Old habits or whatever. But I’ll try not to break anything when we play each other, and I’ll try to be nicer.” A pause. “Only alittlenicer. I still want to win and you’re still a stick in the mud.”
His lips curled in a smirk. “I don’t know what I’d do with you if you stopped being a brat.”
They stood there silently, their peace treaty making the air seem lighter than it had in years. Lars didn’t think they’d be able to go easy on each other during the series, but maybe they could do it without Lars wanting to punch anyone. They might even be happy for each other when Round Two was over.
Maybe.
“This is none of my business…” Anders had a pained look. “But Ryan…?”
Lars’s reflex was to deny deny deny and tell his brother to fuck off; he suppressed the impulse. “Itisn’tyour business,” he agreed, “but yes.”
Anders seemed more surprised by his honesty than the answer itself.
“Is that a problem?” Lars challenged, fists clenching without him meaning them to.
Anders didn’t rise to the bait. “He has somehow gotten you to apologize for years of being a brat. Why would it be a problem?”
Lars stuttered through a half-hearted denial, because of course it was true: in no way, shape, or form would he be here having a heart-to-heart with Anders if it weren’t for Ryan Russell. “It’s…it’s not…he didn’t…” He sighed and gave up. “It’s a secret, so don’t tell anyone.”
There was a moment when it looked like Anders wanted to ask more questions, but something on Lars’s face must have given away how draining this conversation had been. Anders shut his mouth and nodded like he agreed. This had been more words than they’d shared in over a decade, after all.
Anders clapped a hand on his shoulder as he passed, then mussed his hair like he had when they were kids. “You need a haircut.”
“Yeah, I’ve been getting that a lot lately.” He ran a hand through it. He’d have to tie it back if it got any longer. “I’ll cut it when I shave at the end of playoffs.”
“You can use my razor,” he said on his way out of the guest house. “I’ll bring it to Baltimore for Game Four.”
Chapter38
Ryan
Tanner
Good luck tonight!
Or maybe not good luck? I forgot you’re playing your boyfriend
Is he your boyfriend? Did you guys ever figure that out?
I was trying to research hockey stuff but accidentally ended up on
some forum where they post “real person fic” and there’s a lot of you two
Like. A lot.
I didn’t read it tho promise
But is this like a win-win for you cuz if you win you win but if the crabs
win then your boyfriend wins
Or is it lose-lose cuz if you lose then you lose and if they lose then he loses
And I bet it’s complicated bc the crabs made you leave so fuck them
