All Chapters of Hockey Hazard: When Desire Crosses the Ice: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

Noah didn't stop walking. His chest felt tight, his pulse too fast, every breath scraping its way in and out of his lungs. He could still see it; Adrian sitting beside Eli's hospital bed as if he belonged there and Eli smiling up at him.Your boss is nice, Noah.The words Eli had said wouldn't leave him alone, and neither would the image of Adrian gently patting Eli's head. The candy was the worst part, not the smile, not even the medical bills. It was the strawberry candy because it meant Adrian had stayed long enough to talk to Eli and learn things about him. Long enough for Eli to trust him.Noah's hand tightened around the strap of his bag. He had built walls around Eli for years, protecting him from the grinding poverty that defined their lives. And in one visit, Adrian had dismantled them with nothing more than a bowl of candy and a few well-chosen words.Behind him, the film room door opened and footsteps approached him fast. He knew who it was without turning around."Heyes."N

Noah stood beside the window of Eli's room with his hands shoved into the pockets of his hoodie, staring through the glass. Eli was asleep, one arm lay outside the blanket, small fingers curled loosely against the mattress. Machines hummed softly beside him, their blinking lights reflected in the window. The rise and fall of his chest was slow and steady. Peaceful in a way nothing in Noah's life had been lately.He hadn't been to training in two days. The team had called, Reid had texted three times and coach had left a gruff voicemail about “getting his head out of his ass”, but he had ignored all of it. Not because he didn't care about hockey or the guys who had slowly become something like friends, but because he cared too much. About Eli, and about the debt still tying him to Adrian Voss.About the fact that one man had walked into this room and turned the only place he considered safe into another source of fear.Eli shifted in his sleep and Noah's shoulders loosened slightly as t

Adrian remained alone. The briefcase sat open and the photograph untouched. He looked at the man's picture again before he closed the briefcase and, picked up his drink but didn't take a sip. Instead, he looked toward the open doorway, thinking.Chase. The anger on his face from their altercation the previous night. The protectiveness, the disappointment. And his jaw tightened. Somehow, a scholarship student had become important enough that Chase had defied him.He took a slow sip of his drink, then looked toward the dark window. For the first time in many years, something had entered his perfectly ordered world that he could neither predict nor control, and he hated uncertainty.Outside, Noah didn’t stop walking until he reached the end of the driveway. Only then did he realize his hand was shaking. He paused, leaning against a stone pillar, breath coming in sharp bursts. The weight of what he had almost agreed to pressed down on him. He had gone in to protect Eli and had nearly sold

Noah left the rink as soon as coach Jenkins’ whistle blew, signaling the end of practice. He walked into the locker room, got changed and was out of there before any other player walked in. He didn’t want anyone talking to him. Especially not Chase.He was already in the hallways when he heard footsteps behind him. He didn’t need to turn to know who it was."Heyes," Chase called after him but he ignored it and kept walking. The footstep behind him didn’t falter either."Heyes," Chase called him again, his footsteps faster now as he tried to catch up. Noah walked faster, head down, hand gripping the strap of his bag tightly. Not now, Chase. Not now.Suddenly, Chase stepped in front of him, blocking the hallway, "Noah."Noah nearly walked into him and he let out a groan, "What?" he asked flatly.Chase studied him. He was exhausted, bruised, angry, and somehow looked even more tired than he did during practice."You left practice bleeding.""I'm fine.""No, you're not." Chase said without

The locker room was almost dark when Noah finally came in. It was late at night, he could not sleep and he needed some time to himself. The overhead lights hummed softly. He didn’t turn them on fully because he didn’t want to.He stood near the benches for a moment, wearing a simple jean and hoodie. He could still feel the game clinging to him, sweat, impact, and the sting in his shoulder from a hit he had taken too cleanly, too willingly. Like he’d wanted it.He dropped his bag onto the bench and sat down slowly, elbows resting on his knees. Head bowed. Two days ago, he would’ve gone straight to he dorm after practice. Two months ago, he would’ve avoided this place entirely if Chase was still inside it. Now he didn’t know what he was doing anymore.The door clicked behind him but he didn’t look up.“I saw you come in,” Chase’s voice was calm. Not captain voice, not sharp. Just… there.Noah exhaled slowly, “I didn’t plan to be seen.”Chase stepped inside properly, letting the door shut