All Chapters of Black Ice: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

~TOBY~I was just starting to think I might actually survive.The weekend at the Voss house was still in my mind, like a warm ember. Mrs. Voss's clean glass containers were on the corner of my desk, ready to be returned.A text from Lily was on my phone; it had a blurry picture of her dog wearing a small winter hat. The caption read, "Bonus Brother, help he hates me."For the first time in four years, I could breathe easily. After my late cleaning shift, I walked back to my dorm room, feeling my shoulders relax. I noticed the autumn leaves falling on the pavement instead of looking around at the dark areas of the walkway.I unlocked my door, pushed it open, and stepped inside.I froze.My hand stayed stuck to the brass doorknob. My chest felt tight, and every relaxed muscle in my back tensed up immediately.The books.I have my textbooks lined up in a strict order on the wooden shelf above my desk. Heavier finance and economic theory books are on the left, arranged by publication ye

~TOBY~Three days passed after the notebook vanished, and my life turned into a slow, suffocating nightmare.I stopped sleeping. Whenever my eyelids grew heavy, my brain would snap awake with a violent jolt, convinced someone was standing over my bed. I checked my desk drawers five times every morning before leaving for my shifts. I pushed the heavy wooden chair under my doorknob every single night.I answered Alan's texts with short, three-word replies, pulling back into my shell because looking at his bright blue eyes made my heart ache with a terrifying, hollow grief. I couldn't drag him into this. If he knew what was coming, he'd try to fight it. And people who tried to stand between Calvin and the things he wanted always ended up broken.My evening cleaning shift at the science building wrapped up late.By 9:30 PM, the campus was quiet and covered in a thick, cold fog that stayed on the brick walkways. My knees burned from scrubbing floor, and my lower back was stiff, but m

~ALAN~The scouts were in section 104.Coach had reminded us three times before we even laced up our skates. 'Keep your heads on a swivel, play smart, don't take stupid penalties.' It was the kind of game that could make or break a senior roster spot for the NHL draft picks.I nodded along with the rest of the guys, but my head wasn't in the locker room.My eyes were on row three, right behind our home bench.Toby sat there in his oversized gray hoodie, his legs pulled together tightly, his golden hair catching the bright overhead halogen lights. He looked tiny sitting between two bulky frat guys, his fingers locked around the paper cup of hot chocolate I'd bought him before warm-ups.Knowing he was up there sent a loud, fierce heat straight to my chest.For the first two periods, I played clean. Smart passes, solid defensive positioning, zero trash talk. We were up 2-1 against State, and every time the whistle blew, my eyes involuntarily cut up to row three. Toby stayed right where h

~ALAN~The private meeting happened in a room without windows, close to the back tunnels of the arena. It had a smell that reminded me of old coffee and polished floors.The scout sitting in front of me was an older guy with gray hair at his temples and keen, looking eyes. He had on a warm, thick jacket with the logo of a pro team that I've had posters of in my room since I was seven. Coach was by the door, arms crossed and looking serious."You have extraordinary talent, Alan,"The scout talked calmly and professionally. "Your skating stride, your rink vision, the defensive instincts—those are rare traits. Clubs are already talking about you. Real money. Multi-million dollar entry-level contracts that can secure your family's future for the next generation."I nodded my head, making sure my face looked calm, even though my stomach felt really uneasy. I already understood what was about to happen.The scout leaned forward, resting his forearms on the desk. "But raw talent isn't enoug

~TOBY~The evening at Parish's apartment kept going in a way I never expected. At first I had stayed quiet and close to Alan, but the longer I sat there the less scary the room felt. People talked about normal things....classes, funny teachers, bad cafeteria food—and no one made me feel like I did not belong. The soft music in the background and the warm lights made everything feel gentle.I found myself answering questions when someone asked me something simple. A girl named Mia asked what books I liked, and I told her about the business ones I read even though they were hard. She did not laugh. She just nodded and said that sounded smart. My face got warm, but it was not the bad kind of warm. It was the kind that came with a small smile I could not stop.Later someone brought out another set of simple card game. John explained the rules loud and clear. I almost said no, but Alan gave me a small nod from across the low table. So I joined. My hands shook a little when I picked