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Lahat ng Kabanata ng Romance In The Hockey Pitch: Kabanata 31 - Kabanata 40

138 Kabanata

Suspicions

I dressed in silence, moving like a ghost so I wouldn't wake Chloe. I didn't want to have to explain anything from last night . I pulled on my Northwood track suit and left the room.*******The air at the rink was always colder at 6:00 AM, but today it felt sharp enough to draw blood. I walked into the locker room, expecting the usual morning banter, the smell of coffee and the sound of sticks hitting the floor. Instead, I walked into silence.Carl was already there.He was sitting in his stall, slowly taping his stick"Morning, Captain," Carl said, his voice smooth and cold. You look tired. Rough night ?"The word hung in the air, a direct callback to the excuse I’d given Chloe. My stomach did a slow sickening roll."Just focus on the drills, Carl," I said, my voice tight. I opened my locker and started pulling out my pads, my movements stiff."Oh, I am focused," Carl replied, standing up and testing the flex of his stick. "I’ve been watching the footage from yesterday’s film revie

Theft

The door to my dorm room slammed shut. “Is that what I am to you, Liam?” Jax’s words were a jagged blade on repeat in my mind.I pulled out my phone. My thumb hovered over Jax’s contact. I had called him four times since leaving the rink. Each time, it went straight to voicemail. "Pick up, Jax. Please," I whispered to the dark room.Nothing.I sat on the edge of my bed and started typing. The words poured out of me, raw and unfiltered.Jax, I am so sorry. I know I overdid it. I saw Carl watching us and I panicked. I felt like if I didn't hit you hard, he’d see right through me. But I realize now that my fear is hurting you more than Carl ever could. I’m an idiot. I’m a coward. But I love you. I’m going to fix this, I promise. I’ll handle Carl.Just please don’t shut me out.I hit send. I watched the Delivered status appear. I waited. Five minutes turned into twenty. The three little dots of a reply never surfaced.The silence was suffocating. I couldn't sit in this room anymore. I c

A Near Confession

The wind howled through the pines as I pulled the car to a stop near the edge of Northwood Lake. It was nearly nine, and the darkness felt heavier than usual. I saw him before I even stepped out of the car. Jax was standing by the pier. I stepped out, my boots crunching on the packed snow. He didn't turn around until I was only a few feet away."You came," he said softly. "I’m always going to come, Jax," I said, my voice cracking. "I’m so sorry. About the hit, about the cold shoulder... about everything."I walked up to him, and hugged him. To my relief, he didn't pull away. He held me and patted my back."We can't keep doing this, Liam," he whispered."I know," I said, "But Jax... something happened. After practice. My phone went missing."He pulled back, his eyes searching mine. "What do you mean missing?""I found it near the showers. Jax, your message, the one about meeting here, it was already opened. The blue dot was gone."Jax went still. The silence of the woods seemed to

Hints

The silence in my dorm room was thick enough to choke on. Chloe sat on the edge of the bed, the tubs of ice cream she’d brought melting on the nightstand, the condensation pooling like tears on the wood. I had said it. "Liam, stop," Chloe said, let out a short, breathy laugh. She shook her head, her blonde hair catching the dim light of my desk lamp. "That’s... that’s a really weird joke. Is this because of the stress? Is it the draft? Did I do something?”I turned to face her. My hands were shoved deep into my pockets so she wouldn’t see them shaking. "It’s not a joke, Chloe. I wish it were. I wish I could tell you that I’m the guy you think I am, but I’m not."The laugh died on her lips. She searched my face, her eyes darting back and forth "You’re serious," she whispered."I'm serious.""With Jax?" she asked, her voice cracking on his name. "Jax Miller? The guy you’ve been hating for weeks?”"I never wanted to hurt you so I just want to come clean because if I keep this going on,

Whose?

The incident that morning was still on my mind even as I sat on the edge of my bed, the crumpled note resting on the nightstand. I hadn't been able to focus on my Philosophy readings; the words on the page blurred into “I saw you at the lake.”When the familiar, rhythmic knock sounded on my door, I rushed to open it."Whoa, Liam. Take a breath," Jax said, holding up his hands. He was wearing an oversized hoodie, his hair looked damp from a late shower. "I can't take a breath, Jax! Look at this." I grabbed the note and shoved it into his chest. "Someone was there. At the lake. They saw us."I paced the small length of the room, my hands buried in my hair. "Who could it be? Or maybe Chloe told someone? No, she wouldn't.”Jax was just looking at me.“You told Chloe?” He asked calmly.I nodded.Jax started to smile. Within seconds, he was doubled over, holding his stomach as he laughed hard. "You’re laughing?" I hissed, my voice cracking. "Jax, Nothing is funny here!""Liam," he gaspe

The Breaking Point

The clock on my nightstand glowed. It was 1:45 AM and I couldn’t stop sleep. Jax still treated me like a stranger and Chloe still hadn't texted. Not a word. I grabbed my phone, my fingers trembling. I had already sent Jax four messages tonight.>Liam (11:15 PM): Jax, please. We can't go into the game tomorrow like this.>Liam (12:00 AM): I’m sorry. I was out of line. I’m just scared.> Liam (12:45 AM): Are you even seeing these?> Liam (1:30 AM): I’m coming over. Just for five minutes. Please.> I waited. My heart thudded against my ribs. >Jax: Don't. It’s nearly 2 AM, Liam. I’m not coming to the window. Go to sleep. You have a game in twelve hours.The rejection pissed me off more than the argument had. "To hell with this," I whispered to the empty room.I grabbed a dark hoodie, shoved my feet into my sneakers, and climbed out my own window.The night air was cold. I ran across the quad, staying in the shadows of the massive oak trees. Northwood was a fortress of tradition, an

Intentions

The excitement from the night before was still in my mind as I slipped back to my dorm. Finally, Jax and I were okay. I woke up at 9:00 AM to the ring of my phone. It was my Dad."Hey, Dad," I said, my voice slightly husky."Liam. Good, you’re awake," my father’s voice boomed, “Listen, After your game tonight , the Northwood Alumni Association is hosting an unscheduled sports gala at the hilltop club. It’s a small, high-m profile thing. The lead scout from the Rangers is going to be there, and I specifically want him to meet you."I sat up, rubbing my eyes. "Tonight? Dad, I’m going to be exhausted after the game.""Exhaustion is for people who don't want to win, Liam," he replied dismissively. "This is part of the job. I called Chloe an hour ago."My heart stopped. "You called... Chloe?""Of course," he said, "You need a plus one and she’s expected to be on your arm at these things. She seemed a bit quiet, probably just pre-game jitters for you, but I told her to be ready by 8:00

Sports Gala

The final buzzer echoed through the arena. We had won. But as the team piled onto the ice in celebration, my eyes were scanning the stands searching for a single face.The seat where I’d seen Chloe earlier was empty.I lingered on the ice longer than I should have the cold air burning my lungs. Jax skated past, giving my glove a soft squeeze. I wanted to pull him aside, to tell him what was happening but I didn’t have the chance to. By 7:00 PM, the locker room had cleared out. I stood under the shower for twenty minutes.I dressed in the tuxedo my father had sent; charcoal grey, perfectly tailored. I headed out to keep my bag at the dorm.The black car pulled up to the curb at exactly 8:00 PM. The driver didn't say a word, just nodded as I slid into the backseat. As we wound up the steep, my heart began to race. The driveway was choked with luxury SUVs and sports cars. The driver opened the door, and I stepped out. And there she was.Chloe was standing near the heavy oak doors, Sh

For The Gram

The ride home from the gala was quiet.She had left the venue ten minutes after our conversation, slipping away as quietly as she had arrived. She hadn't said goodbye. I reached my dorm around midnight. The campus was quiet. I walked through the halls like a man in a trance, my fingers fumbling with my bowtie as I kicked my door shut behind me.I wanted to call Jax. I needed to hear his voice. But as I reached for my phone, I saw the notifications.@NorthwoodAthletics tagged you in a post.@HockyInsider tagged you in a story.@Chloe V tagged you in a photo.The algorithm was doing its job with brutal efficiency. ******Across campus, in his room, Jax was sitting on the edge of his bed. He had been riding the high of the win, replaying the way Liam had defended him on the ice. Then, he opened Instagram.The first story at the top of his feed was from a local sports reporter. It was a video snippet, It showed the grand entrance of the hilltop club. The doors swung open, and there was

Echo Chamber

I woke up on the small rug in Jax’s room, my neck cramped. Jax was still asleep, I reached for my phone, which was vibrating nonstop on the floor.32 Missed Calls. 114 Text Messages.I didn't even have to open them to know what they said. The sports world had woken up, and the "Golden Couple" was the lead story.I stood up quietly, trying not to wake Jax, and stepped toward the window. I saw a group of freshmen walking toward the dining hall, one of them holding a physical copy of the local sports gazette. Even from the second floor, I could see my face on the cover. I scrolled through my texts.> Dad: Incredible press this morning, Liam. The Rangers scout called me at 7 AM. He loves the maturity you and Chloe show. This is how you build a brand.> Toby: You might want to skip breakfast at the hall. It’s a zoo out there.> Unknown: Saw the photos. You guys are goals.I looked at Jax, his chest rising and falling in the steady rhythm of sleep. I went to sit at his desk and opened my so

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