Se connecterRyder woke to Lila’s arm thrown over his chest. She stirred as he shifted, murmured something soft, and kissed his shoulder before rolling away.“I’ve got conditioning,” he said quietly.She made a sympathetic noise, pulling the blanket higher. “Text me later,” she sighed, already half-asleep.Connor’s Jeep rattled as it pulled away from the house, coffee cups shaking in the console, Drew already scrolling his phone in the back seat.Ryder leaned his head against the window, watching the familiar streets blur past.They rolled into the rink lot and, without thinking, Ryder’s eyes went to Jax's usual spot.The Mustang wasn’t there.Ryder’s frown formed slowly, a knot twisting low in his chest. Calloway didn’t miss conditioning. He didn’t miss class. He didn’t miss practice. And Ryder didn’t like how quickly his mind jumped back to the way Jax had moved the night before.Conditioning started as it always did.Ryder noticed the empty spot anyway.The drills were the same ones they always
Jax lay there, sprawled and wrecked, chest rising and falling hard. The sight of him like that still felt unreal to Ryder, loose, exposed, not the version of Calloway he knew how to hate.Ryder wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, a reflex he couldn’t stop, humiliation prickling hot along his neck. His hands felt wrong at his sides. Too empty. His body hadn’t caught up yet, still buzzing, still confused by how much he’d enjoyed being the one to do that to him.Jax stared at the ceiling for a second, then let out a breathy laugh that sounded more like disbelief than humor.“Fuck,” he said. Then, quieter, “Hayes.”Ryder stayed where he was, pulse loud in his ears. Part of him wanted to bolt. Another part wanted to lean closer, like proximity might explain what had just happened.“Just—” Jax dragged a hand over his face, already pulling himself back together, armor sliding on by degrees. “For future reference. If a guy you’re blowing tries to push your head away…” His eyes slid to
“What if I wasn’t… a hundred percent straight.”Jax’s gaze flicked with something dark and hungry.Just a glance, and then he forced his eyes away, jaw tightening like he’d bitten down on something sharp.He snorted. “You down to ninety‑five percent or something?”Ryder bristled. “The fuck— I’m serious.” He took a step forward, then stopped himself. “You know we—”“Yeah,” Jax cut in, dry. “And plenty of straight guys like having their asses touched.” His mouth twitched. “The ones who’ve found their prostate do.”“Will you stop being a prick for one second?” Ryder snapped.Jax looked at him.Not amused. Not dismissive.Waiting.Heat crawled up Ryder’s neck under that stare. He shifted, hands useless at his sides. “Look,” he said, forcing the words out. “I’m not gonna tell anyone. About this.” He gestured, small, toward Jax’s body. “Any of it.”He swallowed, bulldozing through his own discomfort. “So let’s just— I don’t know— friends with benefits or something.”Jax went very still. The
“How the hell do you expect to drink this,” Ryder said, holding up the glass, “lying flat on your back?”Jax opened his eyes. “I’ll sit up.”He tried.The effort showed immediately. Jaw tight, shoulders tensing, breath hissing as he pushed an elbow into the mattress.Ryder was there instantly.“Hey—Fuck.” He set the glass aside and caught Jax under the shoulder, steadying him before he could fall back. Their bodies ended up too close, Ryder braced on the edge of the bed, Jax half-upright, their chests pressed together.For a second, neither of them moved.Something charged flickered between them, heat and awareness snapping tight as a wire.Ryder swallowed hard, forcing himself to focus. He picked up the glass again and brought the pills closer. “Just—take these,” he muttered.Jax took them, dry humor flickering in his eyes even as his fingers brushed Ryder’s. He tipped the glass back, throat working as he swallowed, gaze never leaving Ryder’s face.Ryder watched it happen, pulse jump
They made it as far as the street.Jax’s weight dragged heavier with every step, his arm a dead weight over Ryder’s shoulders, breath sharp against Ryder’s neck. Ryder adjusted his grip without comment, jaw tight, eyes scanning for anyone who might be watching.Headlights swung into view.The Mustang rolled up too fast, tires crunching over gravel before braking hard at the curb. The driver’s door flew open before the engine was even fully off.“I can’t drive this thing,” Nora blurted, already moving toward them, hands up like she’d just escaped a crime scene. “I swear I almost put it into a wall.”Jax made a low, disbelieving sound, head tipping back against Ryder's shoulder. “You—” He broke off with a sharp breath, jaw tightening. “Jesus, Nora.”She winced. “It’s too powerful. And loud. And—” She gestured helplessly. “Just—no.”Ryder didn’t have time for this.“Fine,” he snapped, already shifting his stance. “Fuck’s sake, I’ll drive.”He maneuvered Jax toward the back seat, easing h
The bastard didn’t stop.He straightened over Jax like he was lining up a shot, boot drawing back, eyes hard and mean. No hesitation. No second thought. Just the intent to do damage.Something in Ryder went white-hot.He didn’t slow. Didn’t shout. He launched himself forward, shoulder-first, slamming into the guy’s side and knocking him clean off balance before the kick could land.Ryder’s voice tore out of him, rough and feral. “Get the fuck away from him.”The football player staggered, caught himself, then turned with a snarl. “Who the hell—”Ryder didn’t hesitate. He threw a punch, hard and clean, straight into the guy’s jaw.He’d been playing hockey since he was six years old. Been chirping since day one. He knew how to throw his weight, how to keep his feet, how to use momentum instead of brute force. This wasn’t a blind swing—it was clean, controlled, exactly where it needed to land.The guy reeled back, shock flashing across his face as Ryder crowded his space, hands already f
Lukas came off the ice like he was underwater. Everything around him felt loud and bright. Helmets clashing, gloves tapping, guys yelling, sticks banging against the boards, but it all skimmed over him like sound trapped behind glass.Everyone was celebrating. Everyone was buzzing. Everyone was hig
Lukas was hurting.His shoulder throbbed, his knuckles burned, and there was a hollow ache sitting heavy in his chest. He’d just beaten the shit out of his best friend, or at least, the guy he’d always thought was his best friend. He didn’t know how to make it right. Punching Mac a few times hadn’t
The house had finally settled into a rhythm, the kind of rhythm only a newborn could dictate. Between the creaks of the old floorboards and the faint crackle of the baby monitor, Lukas had stopped checking the time altogether. Night bled into morning, and sleep was a myth neither he nor Aiden seeme
The room felt like it had been polished to within an inch of its life, every surface gleaming, the air smelled faintly of lavender and money. After Aiden left, the quiet settled in a way that made Lukas feel huge and clumsy inside it, all broad shoulders and too-long legs on a sofa meant for delica







