Slapshots {BOYXBOY}✔

Chapter Thirty-Six {Regret}

Henry left after an hour of us just... talking. And it was nice. It was nice to talk to somebody who had known me. Who knew me before I became Matthew Chandler's the hockey star when I was just Matty, the weird jock who couldn't speak French.

We didn't talk about anything too heavy, not about his mom or dad. Not about school. Just caught up on how we both were, how he had met Tasha, I told him about my team and Jorden.

I had to call Jorden and explain myself. Tell him how much I did like him, but if Henry were to give us a chance, I would be more then willing to take it. I know it was normal to move on from an old flame, from somebody that hurt you. But Henry had a piece of me. How could I move on from something I never got a chance to taste? We never even got to touch each other before he left. It was like a whole part of my life was left with an unfinished whole. A chapter that hadn't gotten its chance to be made.

Henry and I agreed to meet up for dinner in the next week while I was in Toronto. He said he would fly out, and that it would be no issue for him.

I flew out of Vancouver with the team on the next weekend for the game, Jorden had sat beside me on the plane but didn't say anything about our last chat. In fact, he didn't even try and bring it up, and I was pretty happy about seeing as we were on a plane full of other teammates. It wasn't until we were both alone in the hotel that Jorden finally sat down on my bed and began to open up.

"So, I was thinking about maybe dinner tomorrow night? Do you like Italian?" Jorden asked as I threw my suitcase on the nearby couch and gave him a shrug.

"I'm more into Chinese. But... I needed to talk to you about something." I bit my lip and watched as Jorden turned towards me with a raised brow and a worried look on his face. "Henry and I spoke, um after you and I. And I want to give you a chance, I really do. But a lot has happened and-" I rubbed the back of my neck. I didn't know how I was going to word this to him. "We never said we were going to try anything. But if he gave us the chan-"

"Matthew. Stop" Jorden said coming towards me and stood in front of me and did something I wasn't expecting. He grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me into his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around me. "I get it. I saw the way you two looked at each other. I understand. I don't like it," He said with a small chuckle pulling back to look at me. "But I understand. We can go back to how we were. And I promise I won't out you. But you've got to promise me if things don't plan out, that maybe we can have some time together." He said with a smile.

"Of course. Yeah, I wouldn't want anything else, Jorden. Thank you so much."

"Hey, anything for you."

Henry and I went to Bentmore's for dinner, the lights were dim and the setting was privet.

"What did you want to order?" Henry asked he was wearing a blue fitted suit and golden tie. He looked amazing, his hair was back from his face, but whatever he used to keep it there didn't have the sticky glow of gel. He wore a Rolex and his wrist yet he still looked casual.

"I'm not sure," I mumbled looking at all the food on the menu. Most of it was stacks and ribs, there were a few lobster and crab dishes, but I didn't want to spend too much money tonight. "I might get the prime ribs, with mashed potatoes and vegetables. You?"

Henry smiled, looking back down to his menu as he pursed his lips as he looked between a few choices in front of him. "The New York striploin, they use a gluten-free sauce. Did you want wine?" He looked up again, his clear-rimmed glasses falling onto his nose before he pushed them up with his forefinger.

"No, I'll just get a soda."

"Did you talk to Jorden?"

I looked up at him, confused for a split second before nodding. "Yeah, he's fine with everything. But if this-" I gestured between the two of us. "Doesn't go anywhere and we decide to stay friends, we'll maybe try that date."

"That won't happen," Henry said with a small laugh. "I let you go once, Matty. I won't do it again."

"And once I was finished writing the ending, they had offered me a movie deal. Said the script took their breaths away." Henry said as we walked side by side in a well-lit park. He was going on and on about his career and I loved it. He was passionate.

"Hey, you never did tell me if you found out who was blackmailing you." I looked up at Henry, he nodded his head before shaking it.

"Yeah, you remember Joey Tents?"

I stopped walking, Henry took a few steps before turning towards me. "It's not a big deal Matty." He dismissed. "We were kids, kids do stupid things."

"No, Henry it is a big deal. He's on my team."

"I know. Really, once I moved the emails stopped."

"Of course they did! He got what he wanted." I was getting flustered. My face felt hot, I was ready to high tail it back to the hotel and give Joey a piece of my mind.

"Matthew, relax. You're going to do something you regret. Let's just finish our walk, we'll go back to my hotel."

"No way," I said turning myself around and walking towards the road. "I'm going to-"

"To what Matt? We're grown men, it's not like he's doing it anymore." Henry was following behind me, close, but not close enough to touch me. I stopped in the empty street and turned towards him.

"Because he doesn't know Henry! What id he finds out about us."

"Matt, get out of the road."

"He'll tell the media. I'll lose my job"

"Matthew get out of the road!"

Henry started towards me, but it was too late. The sound of the horn made me turn my head in time to hear tires screening on the dry pavement.

And it was that moment before my vision got black that Henry was right. I did do something I would regret.