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Manageoalie Ryker Evans to the teae of thirty-one--which is indeed old in this league--he’s still daood He has three Stanley Cups under hioalie in the league

The sad part is that he’s probably on his way out of the league Although he’s coles, he won’t be a starter here because our starting goalie, Max Fournier, is killing it right now No, Ryker will be our backup goalie, which is a sure sign that he’s definitely on his way toward retireoalie ill add depth to our teaoing to have a great shot at going far in the playoffs My guess is that Ryker will probably only be with us this season and next, but I’s about hi defenseh, "they’ll probably have to replace his goalie stick with a cane"

The other two guys, Sam Larson and Mikkel Erat, both defense one another is a part of the cae in this league is not cool While thirty-one is pretty dae for a professional athlete Fuck, I’e twenty-seven, and I’m well aware I don’t have es a person fast It’s not funny, because we all have that hanging over our heads

As I walk in, I shoot Claude a chastising look "Don’t fucking go there, dude"

Saivesaround…it’s not like the Brick can hear us"

"And you’re lucky he can’t," I say as I walk over to the free weights "That dude would pound you into the ground"

Claude loses the grin and gets busy on the leg press

There is a reason they call hi out at six-six and built almost as wide He takes up most of the net just by sheer size alone, yet has the flexibility and agility of a fucking thirteen-year-old gy him play and he sure as shit oals on hi to be a leader on this team, so you need to show hiruainst the steel plate with his feet

Yeah, I remember what it was like to be in Claude’s shoes I think he’s only nineteen or twenty, but that’s a baby in this sport You think you know everything and that you’re invincible I want to shake theile and we can never take anything we have for granted

It would probably fall on deaf ears, anyway I know there was a time in my life I didn’t want to hear shit like that, and it wasn’t until I lost as precious to me that I started to appreciate it all

--

As I climb the stairs to the second floor of rateful to Kate that there is no aardness between us because of that kiss four days ago And that is due solely to her

When I cas to be weird and tense There’s no doubt in ood that kiss was, it was absolutely wrong I had no business crossing that line and confusing Kate with my actions

But fuck, what a kiss

It’s been hard to think about anything else since then

When Ias she sat at the table with Ben, eating breakfast, I tensed and waited for the recriht, cheerful sood ," I mumbled back to her as I headed toward the coffeepot

Kate then did what Kate excels at She started ra on at a hundredof beets I’ed rateful that she didn’t seerateful but also a little perturbed that she apparently had dismissed it co for her as it had been forthat did make me sad, however, was Kate’s hair She had it pulled back froly at the back of her head Once again, Kate had gone into hiding and theat any part of her that I found to be beautiful Itin the center of my chest all day

I reach the top of the staircase and turn right down the hall, heading toward the strains of Liirl has soood taste in music for sure

Kate has her back to me when I turn into the doorway Hair still coy sweatshirt for a baggy yellow T-shirt she wears over soh, and just that peek of soing to sweep through ht away, and square my shoulders