All Chapters of Romance In The Hockey Pitch: Chapter 91 - Chapter 100

I wandered toward the older part of the university. I didn't want to go back to my dorm and I definitely couldn't go back home. I found myself standing in front of the campus chapel. It was a small, stone building with heavy wooden doors. It was quiet here.I pushed the doors open. The air inside was cool and smelled like old books and candle wax. I didn't come here to pray. I wasn't even sure I believed in anything right now. I just wanted to hide.I sat in the very back row, head in my hands and breathed in the silence. But the silence didn't last long. I heard the door creak open again. I didn't look up, hoping whoever it was would just pass me by.But the footsteps stopped right next to my row."I figured I’d find you in a place like this," a voice said.I looked up. It was Jax. "How did you know I was here?" I asked. My voice was raspy."You always come here when you're overwhelmed," Jax said, sitting down at the far end of the pew. He didn't look at me; he looked at the altar a

The conversation with Toby was echoing in my head, especially that one word: Time. It sounded so simple when he said it, but to me, it felt like a life sentence. Every second without Jax felt like an hour, and every hour felt like a year.I made it back to my room and locked the door. I threw my bag on the floor and walked over to the window. I kept looking at the empty space in my room where Jax used to fix his stuff whenever he came around. He had taken his hoodie and his extra pair of sneakers he usually keeps there on standby. I sat at my desk and pulled out my textbook. I tried to read, but the words just didn't make any sense. My mind kept drifting back to the first time we met at the rink. We hated each other so much. Down to the shared apartment days and our little fights. I smiled sadly. No one would ever believe we’d get this close to loving each other. I closed the book with a heavy sigh. I couldn't study. I couldn't sleep. I picked up my phone again. I had dozens of noti

The sun hadn’t even come up when I dragged my suitcase toward the athletic center. The air in the parking lot was freezing, The big white bus was already warming up. It’s engine made a low, steady rumble. I was the captain, so I had to be there first. I stood by the luggage bay, checking names off a list as the guys arrived. Swiss was the first to show up, looking like a zombie with a giant cup of coffee in his hand."Tell me again why we’re leaving at 5:00 AM?" He groaned, shoving his bag into the storage compartment."Because Coach wants us to arrive early and go to the rink for an evening skate," I said, trying to sound more awake than I felt.The guys trickled in one by one. Toby arrived around 4:45, looking surprisingly energetic. He gave me a quick nod. "Big trip, Liam.""Yeah," I replied. "Big trip."Then, I saw him. Jax. He had his hood pulled up over his head and his headphones around his neck. He didn't look at the bus, and he definitely didn't look at me. He just handed me

I woke up on the third day feeling like I had been hit by a truck. My left shoulder was a nasty shade of purple and yellow from the hit I took during the game. Every time I moved my arm, a sharp pain shot down to my elbow. I sat on the edge of the hotel bed, staring at my reflection in the long mirror on the closet door. My hair was a mess, and the bruise made me look like I’d actually been in a fight.The morning was filled with video reviews. Coach Mike sat us all in a dark conference room in the hotel basement. We watched the clips from the Eastside game over and over. Every time the clip of Jax jumping in to defend me played, the room went quiet. I could feel Jax sitting three rows behind me. I didn't turn around, but I could hear him shifting in his seat."You see that?" Coach said, pausing the video right as Jax pinned the Eastside player against the glass. "That’s what I’m talking about. Protection. Loyalty. But Jax, you can't get baited into a penalty like that in the finals.

I looked at him, trying to see if he was just being polite. But his face was serious. "Okay," I said quietly. "Thank you. Really.""Don't mention it," he said. "Go grab your stuff. I'll wait by the elevator."I ran back up to my room. It was even worse now. A small piece of the ceiling had actually fallen onto the floor. I grabbed my suitcase, my hockey sticks, and my dry clothes, being careful not to get them wet. Jax was waiting. We rode up to the sixth floor in silence. I could smell the faint scent of the orange juice he was holding.He opened the door to room 615. It was exactly like mine, but dry. The lights were low, and it felt warm and safe."The bed on the left is mine," Jax said, pointing. "You can have the one by the window. I already moved Toby’s stuff to the chair.""Thanks, Jax," I said, setting my bag down.I felt incredibly out of place. This was his space. There were his books on the nightstand, his chargers plugged into the wall, his smell everywhere. I went into