Chapter 26 No Jaxson.
The arena felt like a tomb without Jaxson’s energy. The morning practice was supposed to start at 6:00 AM, but by 6:15, the atmosphere in the locker room was toxic.
Jaxson’s locker was empty, just a dark, wooden hole in the wall that reminded everyone of the scandal.
I stood in the hallway, hidden behind a stack of practice mats. I shouldn’t have been there, but I couldn’t stay in that house alone. Not when every floorboard reminded me of the way Jaxson looked before he ran out the door.
Inside the room, I heard the heavy thud of a hockey bag hitting the floor.
"So, he’s really gone?" Marcus’s voice boomed. He sounded happy. "The coward actually bailed before the playoffs. I told you, Cap. The kid was a fluke. He got what he wanted from your sister and ran back to whatever hole he crawled out of."
I flinched, my back hitting the cold brick wall.
"Shut up, Marcus," Leo snapped. His voice sounded like gravel. "He has a family emergency. Coach knows. I know. That’s all you need to worry about."
"A family emergency? Right." Marcus laughed, and I could hear the sound of him pulling on his skates. "More like he knew he couldn't show his face after that video. The 'Viper Poll' has him at zero percent, Leo. Even the freshmen are placing bets on how long it takes for the school to pull his scholarship."
"I said shut up!" Leo roared.
The room went silent. I peeked through the crack in the door. Leo was standing over Marcus, his face a mask of pure exhaustion.
He looked like he hadn't slept in a week. His eyes were red, and his shoulders were hunched under the weight of his Captain’s jersey.
"We have a game in forty-eight hours," Leo hissed. "If I hear his name come out of your mouth again, you’re spending the rest of the season on the bench. Do you think I like this? Do you think I’m enjoying the fact that my team is falling apart and my family is the lead story on every gossip blog in the city?".
Leo grabbed his helmet and shoved past the team, storming out toward the ice. The rest of the guys followed slowly, whispering to each other. They didn't look like a championship team; they looked like a group of strangers.
I spent the morning in the campus cafe, trying to look like a normal student. But every time someone walked by with a phone in their hand, I felt like they were pointing a weapon at me.
Chloe found me sitting in the back corner, staring at a cup of cold coffee. She slid into the seat across from me, her face full of concern.
"He hasn't called?" she asked softly.
"Nothing," I whispered. "I sent him ten texts. I told him I’d help. I told him I don't care about the scandal. He just... he disappeared, Chloe. It’s like he never existed."
"He’s protecting you, El," Chloe said, reaching over to squeeze my hand. "Leo told me a little bit about what’s happening back in Jaxson’s hometown. It’s bad. If Jaxson’s dad is involved, it’s not just about money. It’s about safety."
"I have money," I said, my voice rising with desperation. "I have savings. I could pay the debt. I could save his house."
"And how would you explain that to your father?" Chloe challenged. "He literally checks every cent you spend. If you move that much money, he’ll know exactly where it went. He’d use it as an excuse to bury Jaxson forever."
I sank back into my chair. She was right. I was a prisoner of my own last name.
That evening, the "Vipers' Pit" was silent.
The other players who lived there were out at a team dinner, a dinner Jaxson wasn't invited to.
I was in the kitchen making tea when Leo walked in. He looked drained. He didn't look at me as he went to the fridge to grab a protein shake. He looked at a flyer stuck to the fridge, a bright purple advertisement for the University Theater's new play.
For a second, his expression changed. The hardness in his eyes vanished, replaced by a strange, longing sadness. He touched the edge of the paper with his thumb, lingering there for a moment too long.
"Leo?" I said quietly.
He jumped, pulling his hand away as if the paper had burned him. He turned on me, the "Bad Brother" mask sliding back into place.
"What are you doing up?" he barked. "I told you to stay in your room."
"I’m just getting tea, Leo. I’m not a criminal." I stepped closer, looking at his tired face. "Thank you for lying to Marcus today. I heard you in the locker room."
Leo looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. "I told you, I’m doing it for the team. We need his points if we’re going to win."
"Is that the only reason?" I asked. "You don't care about him at all? After everything? He was your best friend."
Leo slammed his shake down on the counter. "He lied to me, Elena! He touched the one thing I told him was off-limits! You think it’s easy for me? Every time I look at you, I see the girl I’m supposed to protect, and every time I look at him, I see the guy who made my job impossible."
He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "You think you’re the only one who has to hide things? You think you’re the only one who wants a life that doesn't fit the 'Vance' brand? Grow up. Some of us have to play the part so the rest of the world stays quiet."
He turned to leave, but stopped at the door. "By the way, Dad called. He’s coming down Friday for the game. He wants us both at dinner afterward. He said he’s bringing a 'guest' from the NHL board. If Jaxson isn't back by then, Dad is going to find out he’s gone. And if he finds out why..."
Leo didn't finish the sentence. He didn't have to.
I went up to my room and locked the door. I pulled out my laptop, intending to study, but a new notification popped up on my screen.
It was an email from an encrypted address.
Subject: Don't tell Leo.
I clicked it. There was no text in the body of the email. Only a single attachment, a video file.
My heart hammered in my chest. I clicked play.
The video was dark, taken from a shaky cell phone. It showed a small, run-down house in the middle of a storm. A man was standing on the porch, screaming and kicking at the front door. I recognized the man from the photos Jaxson had shown me once. It was his father.