All Chapters of Romance In The Hockey Pitch: Chapter 101 - Chapter 110

After the library, the bus took us to the city zoo and the final stop of the tour was the waterfront. The bus dropped us off at a long wooden pier."Alright, boys!" Coach Miller shouted over the wind. "Thirty minutes to explore the pier, then back to the hotel for a team dinner and an early night. Tomorrow is the big day!"The team scattered toward the arcade and the fried fish stands. Jax and I walked toward the very end of the pier, where the railing met the open water. The waves were crashing against the wooden pillars below, making the whole structure vibrate.I leaned against the railing. "I'm glad we did this. I needed a break from the rink.""Me too," Jax said. The bus ride back to the hotel was quiet. Most of the guys were exhausted from walking all day. I leaned my head on Jax’s shoulder, and he rested his head on top of mine. When we got back to the hotel, the receptionist called me over. "Mr. Simpson! Good news. Your room is fixed. We patched the roof and replaced the mat

The bus ride back from the tournament was long. I kept looking across the aisle at Jax, hoping he would look back, but he spent most of the ten hours with his forehead pressed against the window. He looked like he was a million miles away.When the bus finally pulled into the Northwood campus, the quiet was shattered. There were hundreds of people waiting. Students were wearing our team colors, waving flags, and screaming. The band was playing the school song, and the bright lights of news cameras were everywhere."The champions are back!" Mark yelled, jumping up and grabbing the trophy.We stepped off the bus, and the noise grew. "Captain! How does it feel to bring the cup home?""Liam, tell us about your speech at the arena!"I looked around for Jax. He was one of the first people off the bus. He didn't look at the fans. He just pulled his hood over his head, grabbed his bag, and vanished into the crowd toward the locker rooms. My heart sank. It was the same attitude he had before

I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at my phone. The receipts I had seen on my father’s phone were burned into my mind. Huge amounts of money just to pretend to love me. I found Chloe’s contact. She picked up on the first ring."Liam?" "Why, Chloe?" I asked. My voice was low and cracked. I didn't say hello. I didn't ask how she was. I just wanted the truth. "Why did you do it?"There was a long silence on the other end. "I don't know what you’re talking about," she whispered."Don't lie to me anymore!" I shouted. "I saw my father’s phone. I saw the bank transfers. I saw the messages. He’s been paying you. For months. Every time we went out, every time you posted a photo of us... he was sending you money. Why?"Chloe let out a broken sob. "Liam, please. It’s not what you think.""It’s exactly what I think!" I said. "I thought we were friends. I thought that even if the romance wasn't real, the friendship was. But you were working for him.""I’m sorry," she sobbed. "Liam, I am so

It was Saturday, and usually, Saturday nights were the best part of the week. No early practice the next day, no classes to worry about; just time to be guys."Pizza night?" Toby asked immediately we finished gyming. He looked hopeful. "I think we all need to get out of this building for a few hours."going to lose my mind thinking about letters and board members."Yeah," I said, standing up. "Pizza sounds good. Are all the guys going?""Most of the guys," Toby said. "Even Mark.”We went to Tony’s, a small pizza shop about two blocks from the edge of campus. We pushed three large tables together in the back corner.The smell of melting cheese and garlic bread filled the air. For a moment, as the guys started laughing and fighting over who got the last piece of pepperoni, it felt like a normal Saturday. "Man, this reminds me of the Carl situation," Mark said, his mouth full of crust. He was finally back to his old self, making jokes and taking up too much space.The table went quiet f

The three days following the silent phone calls left me in a daze. Every time my phone buzzed, my heart skipped a beat. I stayed away from Jax as much as I could. We barely looked at each other during practice and it was killing me.By Wednesday night, the walls of my room felt like they were moving inward. Around 11:00 PM, I grabbed my hoodie and went out for a stroll. I didn't have a destination; I just needed to feel the night air on my face. I walked for an hour, circling the quiet campus. When I finally headed back to the athletic dorms, the moon was high and the grass was wet with dew. I felt a little calmer until I reached my door.A dark shape was slumped against the wood. At first, I thought it was a pile of laundry or a shadow. But as I got closer, I saw a pair of worn out sneakers and a familiar messy head of hair."Jax?" I whispered, my heart dropping.He didn't move. I hurried over and knelt beside him. The smell hit me immediately; the sharp, bitter scent of cheap whiske