All Chapters of His sisters boyfriend : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Chapter Thirty-Two : Jay pov The day I left the hospital, the sun was shining.I hadn't seen the sun in two weeks. Not really. Just the gray light that filtered through the hospital windows. The same light every day. The same view of the parking lot. The same beeping machines.But today was different.Today, I was going home.Cole was there. He'd been there every day. Every single day. Sitting in the chair next to my bed. Holding my hand. Bringing me food. Telling me stories about practice. About Liam. About Coach Hartley.I didn't know how to thank him.So I didn't try. I just held his hand and hoped he knew."You ready?" he asked."Yeah.""You have everything?""I don't know. You packed everything.""I packed everything.""Then I have everything."The nurse came in with a wheelchair. "Hospital policy," she said. "We have to wheel you out.""I can walk.""It's policy.""I walked here.""You were brought here on a stretcher.""That's different.""Wheelchair."Jay sighed. Looked at Co

Chapter Thirty-Four : Cole pov The first game after Jay's accident was the hardest game I'd ever played.Not because the other team was good. They weren't. Not because Coach was pushing me. He wasn't. But because every time I hit the ice, I thought about Jay. Every time I checked someone into the boards, I thought about his broken ribs. Every time I heard the crowd cheer, I thought about him lying in that hospital bed, tubes in his arms, machines beeping.I couldn't focus. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't play.Coach Hartley pulled me aside during the second period. "What's going on out there?""Nothing.""You're playing like you're not here.""I'm here.""Your body is here. Your head isn't."I didn't have an answer.Coach crossed his arms. "Is it the guy? The one who got hurt?"I nodded."He's okay now, right?""He's healing.""Then get your head in the game. He's not going to get better if you're playing like garbage."I knew he was right. But knowing and doing were two different thi

Chapter Thirty-Six : Cole povThe NHL scouts kept coming to our games.I didn't notice at first. Coach had to point them out. The men in suits sitting in the front row. Clipboards in their hands. Eyes on the ice. Watching every move I made."You're being scouted," Liam said. We were in the locker room after practice. He was pulling off his skates. I was staring at the wall."I know.""That's huge.""I know.""You don't sound excited."I turned to look at him. "I am excited. I'm also terrified.""Of what?""Of messing up. Of not being good enough. Of letting everyone down."Liam leaned back. "You're good enough. You've always been good enough.""It doesn't feel like it.""It never does."I didn't know what to say to that.Liam stood up. Grabbed his bag. "Just play your game. Don't think about them. Think about the puck.""That's terrible advice.""It's the only advice I have."He walked out.I sat there for a long time. Staring at the wall. Thinking about the scouts. Thinking about Jay

Chapter Thirty-Eight :Cole pov The days after the draft were a blur.Interviews. Photo shoots. Phone calls from agents, reporters, people I'd never met. My phone rang constantly. My email inbox was full. My calendar was packed.I didn't have time to think. Didn't have time to breathe. Didn't have time to process what had just happened.First round. Eighth pick. Detroit Red Wings.I was going to play in the NHL.Jay helped me sort through everything. He answered emails. Screened phone calls. Kept me organized. Kept me sane."You don't have to do this," I told him."I know.""Then why are you doing it?""Because I want to."That was it. No big speech. No grand gesture. Just... because I want to.I didn't argue.The first time I saw my name on a jersey, I cried.It was at a photo shoot. The team had sent me a jersey. Red and white. My name on the back. Ashford.I stared at it for a long time. Ran my fingers over the letters.Jay was standing next to me. "You okay?""Yeah.""You're cryin

Chapter Forty : Cole povThe end of my first NHL season came faster than I expected.One day I was skating onto the ice for my first game. The next day, we were packing for the playoffs. The days blurred together. Games. Practices. Flights. Hotels. I barely had time to breathe.Jay came to every home game. Sat in the front row. Wore my jersey. Cheered until his voice was hoarse."You don't have to come to every game," I told him."I know.""Then why do you?""Because I want to."That was it. No big speech. No grand gesture. Just... because I want to.I didn't argue.The playoffs were intense.Every game mattered. Every shift mattered. Every shot mattered.The scouts were watching. The fans were watching. The whole country was watching.I played hard. Played fast. Played like I had something to prove.We made it to the second round. Then the third. Then the conference finals.One game away from the Stanley Cup finals.I couldn't sleep the night before.Jay was next to me. His arm was a