Common Goal (Game Changers #4)- Rachel Reid Page 0,78

There was nothing impressive about him. He was a rich kid who’d taught himself languages because he’d been lonely and bored: first as a gay teenager in a very small town, then as a nervous country mouse living alone in Manhattan.

“I should get home,” Eric said suddenly.

Of course. “There’s a subway station near here.” Kyle pointed to a stairway that would take them back down to street level. “Just down there.”

He followed Eric down the stairs. They realized, when they got inside the station, that they’d be taking the E train in opposite directions. There was an awkward moment where Kyle thought about kissing Eric, but decided not to. Even a kiss on the cheek seemed like a privilege he didn’t deserve right now.

Eric nodded at him. “I had a nice time, Kyle. Thank you.”

“Me too.” Kyle’s throat felt tight, but he managed the two words without giving away his misery, he thought.

A minute later, they stood on opposite sides of the wide chasm of train tracks. Eric was looking at his phone, and Kyle was looking at Eric. He wondered, as the train pulled into the station and blocked his view of him, if he’d ever hear from Eric again.

Chapter Sixteen

Kyle’s story had clinched it.

Any romantic thoughts Eric may have had about Kyle needed to be locked in a very secure box and kicked into the Hudson. If he thought he’d felt like a dirty old man before...

Kyle didn’t seem to realize how horrific the older man’s actions had been, but Eric saw it clear as day. That man—Ian—had been preying on his young employee. What if he’d just been waiting for Kyle to turn eighteen, and then as soon as that had happened he’d offered him a job? Eric would bet his contract that’s what had happened.

Maybe the man had moved to a different town and had done the same thing again.

Eric hated this guy. He wanted to hunt him down.

“I need you to relax, Benny.”

“Sorry.” Eric took a breath and let his right arm fall limp in the hands of Sully, the team’s massage therapist.

“That’s better,” Sully said cheerfully.

It was less than two hours before game time, and Eric needed to stop thinking about Kyle. His obsession had caused him to perform abysmally in practice the day before. He couldn’t repeat that tonight.

Sully finished Eric’s massage, and Eric went to the gym to do some deep stretching.

Eric was always the first player at the arena before games. He had a long pre-game routine that was important to his preparation, both physically and mentally. He got a massage, he stretched, he got on an exercise bike for a bit, he stretched some more, he drank water and ate a healthy plant-based meal, and then he started to put his gear on.

When Eric had just finished his first round of stretching, Coach Murdock entered the room. His jaw was set, but Eric detected an apology in his eyes.

Dammit.

“I’m on the bench tonight, aren’t I?” Eric asked.

Coach nodded. “We’re giving Tommy the start. Your head isn’t where it needs to be. Quinn agrees.”

Eric flinched, but he didn’t argue. He couldn’t argue. Just let me finish this season as a starting goalie, he silently begged no one in particular.

“I’ll fix it,” he promised.

Coach clapped his shoulder. “We all know you will, Benny.”

Eric still finished his routine. By the time he was done, the locker room had filled up with his teammates. Tommy gave Eric a nod when he walked by, and Eric nodded back. He was happy for the kid, really. He’d be starting every night next season, and the coaches probably knew it.

Kid. Tommy was the same age as Kyle. The thought made Eric’s stomach clench. What the fuck had he been thinking?

Kyle was too young for him. It didn’t matter that he was one of the brightest and most charming people Eric had ever met. It didn’t matter that Eric’s heart raced at the thought of kissing him. It didn’t matter that, in the bedroom, when Kyle was the one in charge, Eric didn’t feel older at all.

In fact, the age gap only seemed to exist when Eric was away from Kyle. That was when he had time to think about it, and feel uncomfortable about it. When he was with Kyle, he was barely aware of it.

But it did exist, and so did Eric’s feelings for Kyle. And that was a dangerous combination.

“Hey, that thing is tomorrow night,” Scott said, breaking Eric out of his vortex of