LOGINMax was already dressed for the game, pads strapped tight under his jersey, hair still damp from his pre-game shower. He’d slipped away from the noise of the locker room and found a quiet spot behind the equipment cages, far enough from the main hallway that no one would overhear. The concrete wall was cool against his back as he leaned there, phone pressed to his ear.It rang.And rang.And rang.Then, miraculously, it picked up.A laid-back voice answered. “Yeah, this is Noah.”Max straightened. “Hi. Noah. My name’s Max Sullivan. I play for Greyhollow.”A short pause, then recognition clicked in. “Yeah, Sully! The goalie, right?”“Yeah, that’s right.”Noah chuckled. “Yeah I remember you, man. What’s up?”Max got straight to it. “Right. Well, I decided I finally need to get serious about hockey. I’ve been playing backup goalie my whole career. Always have. This is my senior year.”“Mm-hmm.”“Look, I’ve been coasting… but I scored a goalie goal last night.”“No shit… yeah, I saw that
They walked to the sushi place in a loose cluster, the sun warm on Jamie’s shoulders. Ava was still buzzing with chaotic energy, Zach hovering near her and Max walking beside Jamie with that easy, confident stride that made everything feel both safe and terrifying.She reached into her bag and pulled out a shiny new romance novel, sighing at the shirtless man on the cover and his eight-pack covered in baby oil.“That’s not a realistic body type,” Zach grumbled, gesturing at the book.Max glanced over and shrugged. “Well, technically it is possible…”Zach snorted. “You don’t have that either.”“Yeah, I like carbs,” Max said easily, “but seriously—low body fat, good lighting, consistent training… it’s not impossible. Just hope you’re looking forward to all the scenes where he’s constantly bench-pressing the furniture.”Zach laughed. “Yeah, and constantly drinking protein shakes.”Ava made an outraged noise. “Excuse me, this man has emotional depth!”Jamie couldn’t stop the small twitch
Jamie was still lying in the grass, heart hammering, when he looked up and found Max staring down at him.Their eyes locked. For one breathless second the world narrowed to green eyes and the faint split on Max’s lower lip, the one Jamie had cleaned with trembling fingers last night. Then Ava groaned and started untangling her limbs from his.Zach offered her a hand up with an awkward little smile. “You good?”Ava took it, brushing leaves off her sweater. “Yeah. Perfect timing, though.”Max extended his own hand to Jamie.Jamie hesitated half a second before taking it. The moment their palms met, Max pulled him up in one smooth, effortless motion. Jamie felt suddenly feather-light, like gravity had taken the day off. His free hand flew out on instinct and landed squarely on Max’s chest. There was solid muscle under that soft hoodie fabric, warm from his morning skate.Heat flooded Jamie’s face. He was close. Too close. Close enough to smell the faint trace of soap and ice. Close en
Max sat in his Golf, engine idling in the near-empty rink lot.He’d inhaled a protein bar on the drive over, chocolate peanut butter, the wrapper now crumpled on the passenger seat next to his stick bag. He tossed it into the back without looking, wiped sticky fingers on his sweats, and pulled out his phone.It was too early. But he did it anyway.The line rang twice.“Hey, Lila. It’s Max Sullivan.”A groggy, irritated voice answered. “Max? What the—do you know what time it is?”Max winced. “Yeah. I’m sorry to call so early, but I need to ask a favor.”Lila groaned, long and theatrical. “You know most people would have the decency to show up with breakfast when they ask for a favor at ass-o’clock.”“I will,” he said quickly. “As soon as I finish morning skate. I’ll drop by with breakfast.”Another huff, half amused, half murderous. “What do you want, Sully?”Max exhaled through his nose. “Do you have a phone number for Noah Rivers?”Silence. Then, incredulous: “You want Noah’s phone
Jamie woke in stages. His eyes cracked open, blurry with sleep, and for one blessed heartbeat everything felt safe and dreamlike. Then memory slammed into him.He shot upright so fast the blanket pooled around his waist, heart hammering against his ribs. The room spun once, then settled. Empty. Quiet. Just his desk, his neatly stacked notebooks, the faint gray light of a Saturday morning leaking through the blinds.It was a dream. Relief flooded him so hard his shoulders sagged. Oh thank God.Then his gaze landed on the nightstand.His phone sat there, screen dark. A yellow Post-it was stuck crookedly to the top edge. The handwriting was messy, slanted: Message me when you wake up.Below it, a phone number.Jamie stared at the note like it might vanish if he blinked hard enough. One second. Two.Then the illusion shattered.Oh my God. It was real.The memories crashed in fast and filthy: Dane’s hand on his neck, the desk edge biting into his hip, Max bursting through the door. Max
Jamie woke to the slow, heavy shift of the mattress beside him, a low groan slipping out before his brain even caught up. Warmth. Too much warmth. His limbs felt heavy, sunk deep into sheets that smelled familiar.He didn’t open his eyes. Didn’t want to. The bed was a cocoon, soft and safe in a way he hadn’t felt in months.A quiet rustle. The blanket lifted for a second, cool air brushed his bare shoulder, then settled again, tucked carefully around him like someone was trying not to wake a sleeping child.“Morning skate. Gotta go.”Jamie made a small, protesting sound into the pillow. Words felt impossible. His brain was still half-dreaming, floating somewhere between the memory of Max’s hand pinning his boxers down and the steady thump of Max’s heartbeat against his back.Max huffed a soft laugh. Fingers brushed Jamie’s hair back from his forehead—gentle, almost absent. “Go back to sleep. And don’t go anywhere today, yeah? I’ll be back later.”Jamie managed a quiet hum, already ro







