LOGINCHAPTER 189The bus ride to the private airport tarmac was suffocatingly quiet.Miller didn’t say another word. After Big Mike and Kowalski had pinned him to the bus panel, he spent the entire drive slumped against his window, muttering petty, low-volume complaints under his breath. But his venom was completely gone. Nobody even bothered to look at him, letting his sour, pathetic mummerings fade into the background noise of the engine.Further back in the bus, the air felt entirely different.Liam sat by the window, his shoulders finally dropping away from his ears. Beside him, Raphael didn't hesitate. Without a single word of hesitation or fear of who might be watching from the front rows, Raph reached across the gap between their seats.His fingers slid smoothly over Liam’s, their hands completely entwined together, resting right on the cushion in plain sight.Liam let out a long, shaky breath he felt like he’d been holding for weeks. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, plugged i
CHAPTER 188The heavy leather duffel hit the blacktop with a dull, hollow thud.Liam stood by the open trunk of the SUV, his hands glued to his bag, staring down the quiet crowd gathered by the bus. Nobody was moving. Nobody was loading gear. Different pairs of eyes were locked dead onto him and Raphael, the air between them stretched so tight it felt like a single wrong breath would snap it.Liam swallowed hard, the knot in his throat burning as he took a step forward into the clearing. He needed to handle this like the Captain he was supposed to be."Look," Liam started, his voice rough, raspy, and completely stripped of any defensive armor. "I'm so sorry, guys. I'm sorry I brought all this noise onto you. As your Captain—and as your friend—I shouldn't have let my personal life affect your chances of being scouted, especially going into an international showcase game like this. I ruined the focus, and I brought this media hell to your doorsteps. I'm really, really sorry."He looked
Chapter 187The heavy wood hit the frame with a loud, resounding THUD that echoed down the quiet hallway.Outside in the hall, Marcus stared at the painted door for a second. A low, quiet chuckle rumbled out of his chest, a full, wicked smirk spreading across his face. He shook his head, taking another bite of his sandwich, and turned on his heel to jog down the hall after the guys.The elevator ride down to the parking garage was completely silent.The initial chaotic energy of the apartment evaporated the second the metal doors slid shut, leaving the three of them trapped in the quiet, sterile light of the elevator cab.Liam stood in the corner, staring fixatedly at the glowing floor numbers dropping one by one. Raphael leaned his back against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes dark and distant. Marcus just stood near the buttons, calmly eating his sandwich like he didn't have a single care in the world.They walked out into the cool, damp air of the underground gar
CHAPTER 186The living room of the apartment was a total disaster zone of half-zipped duffel bags, discarded hockey tape, and stray socks. The morning sun was already peeking through the blinds, casting long, gray shadows across the floor.In the kitchen, Aria was practically moving at double speed. She slammed three paper plates onto the counter, slapping together turkey, cheese, and thick slices of sourdough bread with quick, aggressive movements."I made breakfast!!!" she called out over her shoulder, her voice cutting through the heavy silence in the apartment. "Get over here and eat before you leave."Liam was standing near the front door, his broad shoulders slumped as he zipped his heavy team travel bag. He looked like he hadn't slept a single second, dark circles bruised under his eyes. Next to him, Raphael was sliding his phone into his pocket, his jaw set in that tight, unreadable line he got whenever his stress hit a wall."Aria, we can't," Liam said, his voice quiet, raspy
CHAPTER 185The living room was quiet in the pale, early morning light filtering through the blinds.The floor was a chaotic mountain of pillows, duvets, and spare blankets. Neither Liam nor Raphael had let Marcus and Aria sleep on the couch while they took the bedroom, so Marcus had dragged every cushion in the apartment into the middle of the room, declaring a mandatory full-team sleepover. He had insisted on staying over to make sure Liam didn’t "cry himself to sleep" before their big flight, while Aria had flat-out refused to book a flight back home until she personally saw that her brother and Liam were mentally and emotionally safe.Liam was sitting up on the edge of the blanket pile, his knees drawn up, his elbows resting on them as he stared blankly at the floor. He hadn't slept a wink.Beside him, Raphael was lying on his back, one arm tucked under his head, his dark eyes calmly watching the ceiling."I can't do this," Liam whispered, his voice barely audible in the quiet roo
CHAPTER 184The living room of the apartment was suffocatingly quiet.Liam was sitting on the edge of the sofa, his elbows resting on his knees, staring blankly at his phone on the coffee table. Next to him, Raphael was leaned back, his jaw tight, his thumb mechanically tracing the stitched seam of his sweatpants. Aria sat on the armrest, her legs crossed, her eyes darting between the door and the clock on the wall every three seconds.Nobody had eaten the rest of the Thai food. The cardboard containers sat in the middle of the table, slowly going cold.When the faint click of the front door lock echoed down the short hallway, all three of them went entirely still.The heavy oak door swung open, and Marcus strolled inside. He kicked his sneakers off against the wall, tossed his keys onto the kitchen counter with a loud clatter, and pulled his hoodie over his head, messing up his dark hair until it stuck out in every direction.He didn't look battered. He didn't look dark. He just look
Liam paced the length of his apartment like an animal on heat, the city lights glittering mockingly through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The victory high from last night had curdled into something sour and heavy in his chest. Every time he closed his eyes, he heard Raphael’s voice, low, mocking, f
The locker room smelled like sweat, icy gel, and adrenaline. Liam Lannister sat on the bench, lacing his skates with sharp, precise tugs, jaw tight as he listened to the distant roar of the crowd filtering through the tunnel.Frostbite Wolves versus Shadow Reapers. The biggest rivalry in the league
The bass thumped through the walls of The Icehouse, the team’s favorite upscale club downtown. Neon blue and white lights pulsed across the crowded dance floor, reflecting off glass tables and mirrored columns like shards of ice. The Wolves had reserved the entire VIP section — bottle service flowi
The arena lights hummed overhead as the team took the ice for morning practice. The cold air bit at Liam’s exposed skin, but he welcomed it. it sharpened his focus. He skated out first, stick tapping against the ice, calling out positions for the warm-up drills. Captain’s job. Always had been.Raph







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