Page 119 of How We End
We sat there trying to hold on to this moment a little longer, but the sun rose and brought with it the reality of the end.
“So this is it?How we end,” he whispered.
I nodded.The sun always brought with it the truth.
Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Florida Renegades vs Las Vegas Desert Coyotes
Series Tied: 3-3
June 24
“I’m Jon Lafayette along with Shawn Hofstadter, and we are here at City Center Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, where your Las Vegas Coyotes are about to play the Florida Renegades in game seven of the Stanley Cup playoffs.The energy is electric.There is nothing like playoff hockey, and there is nothing like watching playoff hockey in Las Vegas.Can the Coyotes do it, Shawn?Can they finally win the Stanley Cup?”
“I sure hope so, Jon.This has been one heck of a journey to get here.The Coyotes have been battling injuries, and Florida has been struggling to keep their momentum.The teams have had a couple days off.Murry has ensured me that everyone is healthy, including Silver, who has been the backbone of this team.He’s racked up twenty points in the playoffs and played some of the best hockey I’ve seen him play.Abramov has been amazing in the goal.We’ve also seen Anders Blais step up and make some big plays, along with Mason Tremblay and Tyler King.This is going to be a tough game for Florida, especially without their star center.And the noise will be a factor.”
“City Center is one of the loudest arenas to play in, and these fans have been waiting seven years for a cup.Will Julian Silver lead his team to silver or will Tate Shaw and his Renegades be crowned the Stanley Cup winners?Puck drop when we come back.”
Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Florida Renegades vs Las Vegas Desert Coyotes
June 24
“He scored!Julian Silver scored!The Las Vegas Desert Coyotes beat the Florida Renegades!They won!They really won!Vegas has won the Stanley Cup!!”
BlueLine Podcast
Henderson, NV
Recorded June 27
“Well, Matt, all I can say is you lose.You were right when you said all that glitters isn’t gold.It’s Silver.As in Julian Silver.What a fucking game.OT, and he scored the winning goal.I couldn’t have written a better ending.And the best news is I hear he and Vegas are talking contracts so looks like Silver will be sticking around.”
“Oh, shut up.It was pure luck.And Florida didn’t have their center, Nikitin.And don’t get too excited about Silver, Tom.There are some pretty viable rumors out there that Toronto is willing to offer a lot of money for him.Your golden boy could be heading home.”
“No way he’s going to pass up thirty-five for three here in Vegas.”
“And there is no reason for them to give him that much money.He’s too old.He’s got maybe one more good year…”
CHAPTERFIFTY-SEVEN
WYATT
First day of Julian as an unrestricted free agent
“So what happened to hockey boy?”Rook asked as we headed back to the front office of Roman’s dude ranch.
“Hockey boy is playing hockey.Don’t know if you heard about a little thing called the Stanley Cup.”Two and a half months had passed since I left Las Vegas.Everything still hurt.I tried to watch the games, but seeing Julian made everything hurt even more.He texted and called when he could.But he was always angry.I couldn’t tell if he was angry at me or the life we each had built.There was nothing I could say to him that would make the hurt stop.I couldn’t give him the one thing he wanted.
“Ah, come on, you want me to believe he would let you get away?Shit, if you were my girl…” Rook was cute in that cowboy kind of way.Blond hair that curled at the base of his neck.Dark green eyes and a smile that made the girls giggle.But he wasn’t Julian, and he was twenty-nine.
“I’m not.”We’d tried.Rook and I.I thought a little rebound sex was what I needed.He thought the same thing.Not sure if he was rebounding or just wanted sex.Whatever we were didn’t happen.We had gotten down to the I-know-what-you-look-like-naked part when I cried.Poor Rook didn’t know what to do.But he stayed the night and let me cry.After that night, we slipped into more of a sibling relationship.
“But if you were”—he put his arm around me and pulled me into a headlock—“I’d keep you tied to my bed.”
“God, Rook, you smell like a horse and a gym bag.”I pushed him away.“You’d tie me to your bed in the bunkhouse?I think that might be a crime.”
“I got a place.”He frowned at me.“And you also smell like a horse.Which is my favorite scent on a woman.You want to grab dinner and celebrate the big win?”He let go of me.“You do know they won, right?Your boy scored the winning goal.”
“Yeah, I know they won.And he’s not my boy.”Anymore.He was once.
