Page 106 of Drop the Gloves
Fuck, he shouldn’t do this when he was drunk.It was questionable whether he should do it at all, but being drunk set a bad precedent.
So instead of falling into a trap that would hurt both of them, he turned on his heel and went (hopefully) in the direction of the kitchen.
The rest of the party was a blur, which was exactly what he wanted.There were shots, followed by karaoke Christmas carols, followed by beer pong, then more shots until Riley ended up dancing out on the back deck with a few of the others who’d gotten too hot inside.It was shitty music, something one of the Europeans had put on, but it was music.He had a beer in one hand and a cigar in the other.A mostly unsmoked cigar, because Riley couldn’t stand smoking, but he appreciated the aesthetic.Despite his thin shirt and the chilly air, he was sweaty and wanted nothing more than a pile of snow he could jump into.Sadly, it hadn’t snowed once since he’d come to Pittsburgh.Stupid global warming.
“All right.”The music cut off abruptly, and the five of them on the deck groaned in disappointment.“Sorry to be a buzzkill,” Lawson said, “but it’s almost two, and I gotta shut us down before the neighbors complain.”
“Boo!”Riley said, both hands cupped around his mouth (not easy, given the cigar and beer bottle).“Booooo!”
“They don’t call me The Law for nothing,” Lawson said, unfazed.“Let’s get you guys inside and sobered up.”And he made sure to throw an arm around Riley and drag him in.
Riley made it to the kitchen island and sat on the stool—it way too high and way too wobbly for such a nice kitchen—and laid his hands on the cool marble counter.
“Ugggh,” he moaned before burying his head in his arms.“I drank too much.”
“You sure did, bud,” Lawson said.“Why don’t I set you up in a guest room?”
The last thing he wanted was to have to deal with Lawson in the morning before he cleaned himself up for that stupid skate and was about to say as much.He could get himself an Uber, thank you very much.He wasn’t a baby.
“I could drive him,” Evan offered, voice soft, like maybe he thought Riley was already asleep.“His place is on my way back.”
“No,” Riley said petulantly.He had no defenses left.If he were alone with Evan, he’d do something stupid like have car sex or ask Evan to marry him.“Guest room.”
“Probably a good idea.More likely to throw up if he’s in a car, I think,” Lawson said.“C’mon, Abs.Help me get him to your old room.”
Riley let himself be manhandled down an endless path of long hallways and twists and turns that would make it impossible for him to find his way out again.A light switch clicked on, and the world didn’t get much brighter, which is when he realized he’d shut his eyes along the way.He opened one just a crack to reveal a room so bland and clean it could be a hotel room.It had a bed and a nearby bathroom, though, so it was heaven as far as he was concerned.
The person guided him right up to the edge, and then Riley threw himself onto the fluffy down blanket, sighing in contentment.Yes, this was where he would sleep off his too-much booze and his heartache and maybe never leave again because it was so comfy.He felt someone taking his loafers off one at a time, then felt someone nudging him under the blankets.A hand carded through his hair, latching onto a few curls, and he melted into the touch.He craved that touch, wanted to wrap himself in it the way it’d wrapped him in the blankets.
“You need anything?”a voice asked.A beautiful voice.His favorite voice.But it was a memory or a dream.
“No,” he grumped.“I need everything.”
The voice didn’t respond for a while, but the hand kept moving through his hair.“Water?Aspirin?”
“Time machine,” Riley said.“Go back and fix my fuck-ups.”
The hand stopped.“How far back would you need to go?”
Hmm, that was a tough one.A week ago and fix his fight with Evan?No, that would just prolong the inevitable.The beginning of the season so he could apologize to Evan like he’d wanted Riley to?Ugh, but it wasn’t his fault!He’d just been playing hockey!He could go back and never offer to help Evan learn to fight, stop himself from ever getting into this sticky situation.
...except Evan would always be handsome and nice and adorably shy.Riley had been screwed from the moment he’d signed his contract with the Riveters, and he hadn’t wanted to go anywhere else able to afford him.
“January 26th,” he finally said, his voice slurring at the edges as he started to drift off.
“Why January 26th?”The voice wobbled.
“I wouldn’t check Evan.”He yawned and wrapped his arms around the pillow, pulling it in tight.He buried his face in the soft fabric and inhaled deeply.It reminded him of Evan, like some faint bit of his scent was deep inside.“Then he wouldn’t be mad at me, and then I wouldn’t be mad at him for being mad at me.”
The silence stretched on, and Riley thought he’d fallen asleep.He jolted when the bed dipped beside him, like someone getting on next to him, but stilled when he felt a kiss placed on his cheek.
“Go to sleep, Riley.Try not to think about January 26th anymore.Start thinking about December 19th.”
“When’s that?”he asked.
“Tomorrow, Riley.It’s tomorrow.”
And then the weight next to him was gone, and the room was flooded with darkness.Even though he was alone, he didn’t feel like it.
