Empty Net Read Online Free PDF

room, not looking forward to returning after that excellent exit he’d made. The shower was still on, and there was no sign of Laurent, so Isaac grabbed his keys from where they were so helpfully hanging in his locker—and heard Laurent St. Savoy sobbing like his life was over.
    Isaac stopped, his eyes wide, and wondered what the fuck he was supposed to do. Laurent’s sobbing sounded wretched. And familiar. In fact it reminded Isaac of how he’d cried the first night he had to sleep in the alley behind the grocery store where his mom shopped on Sundays. Until that moment Isaac hadn’t understood how vulnerable it would feel to sleep outside in the elements with nothing but his convictions to keep him warm. He remembered how he wanted his mom to find him and tell him it was all right and bring him home. And how it had felt as the hours crawled by and no one came.
    It didn’t feel very good to know someone else was feeling that way because of what he’d said. Even if Isaac hated the guy, he couldn’t just walk away.
    Isaac turned and went back into the showers, where Laurent was leaning face-first against the tiles and shaking with the force of his tears, one hand clenched into a fist as he hit the wall.
    The first thing Isaac noticed were the scars and welts on Laurent’s back. Isaac’s stomach turned when he thought about Laurent saying please and the look of fear on his usually disdainful features while Hux and Murph manhandled him. Those scars… they looked like someone had whipped him. More than once. Recently, and a long time ago, and many times in between.
    “Hey,” Isaac said cautiously. He dropped his gear and his keys and walked into the shower fully dressed. “Laurent?” Careful not to get too close in case it freaked him out, Isaac reached in and turned the water off. Laurent’s harsh, guttural sobs echoed in the quiet of the shower.
    “Laurent,” Isaac tried again to get his attention. “St. Savoy?”
    The last name got his attention, but not in a good way. Laurent turned and looked at him over his shoulder. His eyes were red and even with the tears and shit, he was stillgorgeous. His mouth was open, and he struggled to breathe. “I hate that name.”
    Was there anything Mr. Ray of Sunshine didn’t hate? “Okay. So. I’ll, uh… call you….” What kind of nickname could you come up with for Laurent , for fuck’s sake? The ones the team had made up were definitely not appropriate. Nothing came immediately to mind. And Savoy…. Savvy? But Isaac seemed to recall that had been Denis St. Savoy’s nickname—hockey players are not original—and that was definitely out.
    “Anyone ever call you Saint?”
    “No one calls me anything.”
    Isaac rolled his eyes and resisted the urge to add “because you’re kind of a brat.” “Can I ask you one question?”
    Laurent just looked at him, clearly miserable, his arms huddled around himself as he turned away from the wall and hid his back again.
    Do not look anywhere but his eyes, Drake.
    “Do you give a shit that I’m gay?”
    Laurent shook his head. “No.”
    “I didn’t think so. Come on.” Isaac motioned to him. “No. Seriously, come on. We can’t stay in here, and….” You are so naked, hot, and vulnerable, it’s like a wet dream. Literally. “Just, c’mon.”
    To his surprise, Laurent followed him, and the two of them walked, dripping into the locker room. Isaac found a towel, handed it to Laurent, and made sure to keep a good distance between them. Not because of gay panic, but because it suddenly made so much goddamn sense why Laurent was the way he was.
    Isaac pulled his shirt and jeans off, rummaged through his locker, and found a pair of track pants and a T-shirt stuffed in the back. The shirt was a little crunchy and probably didn’t smell great, but it was better than driving home drenched.
    “You have clothes. Right?” Isaac said, worried, because Laurent was standing and shivering with a towel around his shoulders,