Page 37 of Ethan

“Um, yeah, you should’ve, bud, but I get it, it’s a tough situation. Complicated.”

Ethan didn’t think it wasthatcomplicated. “Okay.”

“You’re gonna be on the same team, right? That makes it difficult.”

Honestly, it had been difficult with themnotbeing on the same team. On the same coast. He was kinda counting on the fact of them being on the same team to make everything a hell of a lot easier.

Ethan almost said that, and then it occurred to himwhyCharlie was saying that. Max.

“Sure,” Ethan said, because that was a whole thing Ethan wasn’t going to even attempt unpacking right now. The point had been to convince Charlie to talk to Inverness, and extra bonus, to clue his brother into the fact he and Hank were much closer friends than anyone would’ve expected. Unsurprisingly, he hadn’t accomplished number one but hehadfinally manned up and done the second.

“I mean, it’s just a huge challenge. The team’s the most important thing, you know? Getting to the playoffs. Going deeper into the playoffs. Winning the Cup.” Charlie listed them all off, like they were checkmarks on a mentalto-dolist.

“Right,” Ethan said, even though he thought Charlie was genuinely full of shit.

Winning was really fucking great, of course. But was the Cup going to keep Charlie warm at night in his empty house, twenty years down the road? Fuck no.

Ethan couldn’t believe thathe, three years younger than Charlie, knew that way better than his brother.

But then, Charlie had always been an idiot about hockey.

Charlie’s also had more pressure about hockey than either of us,Ethan could imagine Avery pointing out dryly. And Avery would have a point, butstill. Charlie was supposed to be at least semi-intelligent.

“You know what I mean,” Charlie said pointedly.

Ethan honestly didn’t. But he wasn’t going to admit that either. “Sure.”

He heard Charlie let out a gust of a sigh. “See, it’s gonna be good. When you get here. But I don’t know if it’s gonna be now, bud.”

“I know.” Ethanknew. Why else did Charlie think he’d be willing to beg him to intervene? Barty had already banned him from texting or calling him about it.

Livvy had told him to enjoy college while it lasted, a little pointedly.

Avery had given him very solid advice too, all about taking the opportunities as they came, and then emailing him a detailed plan to help him put on a few extra pounds of muscle in the interim. Suggested he cut out all processed sugar, and honestly? Fuck that noise. Maybe Avery was that dedicated, but sugar was delicious.

He loved his family, but they could be annoying as fuck sometimes.

“I’m glad you’re gonna have a friend, already, though, when you do come up,” Charlie said. “Hank’s a good guy.”

“I know that,” Ethan said crossly. He didn’t need Charlie’s approval on how he picked out friends.

He also wasn’t going to pull a Charlie-and-Max either, because he wasn’t that willfully dumb or blind.

But just Hank’s friendship, if that was all that was on offer, would be awesome too. Even more awesome to do it in person.

“Right, you would.” Charlie laughed. “But seriously, Eth, college is cool. Maybe just take advantage of it, while it lasts.”

Ethan almost asked him howhe’dknow how cool college was, because Charlie had never gone. He’d gone straight from the US development program to the Bandits. First overall, no stops in the AHL or NCAA for him. He’d gone right to the starting roster, his very first season after being drafted.

“I’m trying here,” Ethan argued. Though it was probably good that Charlie didn’t know Wally to askhim.

“Then try harder,” Charlie said, but good-naturedly.

Ethan rolled his eyes. “The most Charlie Barnes advice of all time.”

“Must make it damn good, then.” Charlie chuckled. “Though seriously, Eth, you’ve got your whole life ahead of you—”

“Like you don’t,” Ethan interrupted.