Chapter 57 Moving on
Leo kept walking, his eyes fixed on his car. "He seemed sincere, El. People make mistakes when they're under pressure. You saw him. He wasn't acting like the 'Golden Boy' today."
"He’s always acting, Leo!" I said, my voice rising. "He’s a snake. He realized he couldn't win by force, so now he’s playing the victim. He’s using your 'good guy' nature against you."
"And what if he isn't?" Leo asked, stopping at his car door and looking at me. "What if he actually wants to change? If I shut him out now, I’m just making him an enemy forever. If I help him, I turn an enemy into an ally. Isn't that what a good Captain does?"
"A good Captain protects his players!" I argued. "Jaxson is your best friend, Leo! How do you think he’s going to feel when he hears you're trying to get his attacker back on the ice early?"
"Jaxson wants to win, too," Leo said firmly. "He knows we need Julian’s scoring. I’m not saying I trust the guy completely, but I have to give him a chance to prove he’s changed."
"You're going to talk to Coach, aren't you?" I asked, my heart sinking.
Leo sighed and opened his car door. "Yeah. I am. I’m going to tell Coach that the team needs to move forward, not backward. It’s the only way to save the season."
He got into the car and started the engine, leaving me standing in the parking lot. I watched him drive away, feeling a cold shiver that had nothing to do with the weather.
The following Tuesday morning was bright and painfully cold. I had spent the night tossing and turning, replayng the conversation with Leo in my head. I wanted to believe my brother was just being a good leader, but a knot in my stomach told me he was being played.
I walked toward the rink to meet Jaxson for his physical therapy session. He was finally allowed to do light skating, no contact, no pucks, just getting his legs back under him. I wanted to be there to cheer him on.
But as I pushed open the heavy double doors of the arena, the sound that met me wasn't the quiet scrape of a single skater. It was the sound of laughter.
I froze at the top of the bleachers.
Down on the ice, two figures were skating side-by-side. They were moving in perfect sync, passing a puck back and forth with effortless grace. One was Leo, his Captain’s jersey bright under the rafters. The other was Julian.
They weren't fighting. They weren't arguing. Julian said something, and Leo threw his head back and laughed, slapping Julian’s shoulder with his glove.
"What is he doing here?"
I turned around to see Jaxson standing behind me. He was holding his gear bag, his face pale. He was staring down at the ice, and the look in his eyes broke my heart. It wasn't just anger. It was the look of someone who had been hit from behind when they weren't looking.
"Jax," I whispered, reaching for his arm. "I didn't know. Leo said he was going to talk to the Coach. I didn't think he’d bring him back this fast."
Jaxson didn't move. He watched as Julian executed a perfect spin-move, scoring a goal on an empty net. Leo cheered, skating over to high-five him.
"He’s my best friend," Jaxson said, his voice so quiet I almost missed it. "He’s the one who saw me hit that post. He’s the one who held my head while I was bleeding on the ice. And now he’s out there playing games with the guy who did it."
"I'll talk to him," I said, starting to move toward the stairs.
"No," Jaxson said, his voice turning hard. "I’ll do it."
He didn't wait for me. He walked down the stairs, his heavy boots echoing in the empty arena. He walked straight to the gate, stepped onto the ice in his sneakers, and slammed the metal door shut.
The sound echoed like a gunshot.
On the ice, Leo and Julian stopped. They turned toward the noise. Julian’s face immediately shifted into that humble mask he had used yesterday, but Leo looked guilty. He skated toward the boards, his blades spraying a fine mist of ice.
"Jax! Hey, man," Leo said, trying to sound casual. "You're early for your session."
Jaxson didn't say hello. He didn't look at the rink. He just looked at Leo. "Why is he on the ice, Leo? Coach suspended him for two weeks."
Leo glanced back at Julian, then back at Jaxson.
"I talked to Reed this morning. I told him the team is struggling with the drama. I told him Julian apologized and that keeping him off the ice was only making the Civil War worse. Coach agreed to let him do morning practices to show the team we're moving on."
"Moving on?" Jaxson asked. He let out a short, bitter laugh. "Moving on to what? Making him the hero again? I can't even take a full hit yet, and you're already back to being his best friend?"
"It’s not like that, Jaxson," Julian said, skating up behind Leo. He looked at Jaxson with sad eyes. "I’m just trying to earn back the team’s trust. Leo was kind enough to help me run some drills so I don't get rusty."
"Nobody asked you, Sinclair," Jaxson snapped. He turned back to Leo. "You're the Captain. You're supposed to have our backs. My back. Instead, you're out here laughing with a snake while I'm still taking aspirin for the headache he gave me."
Leo’s face hardened. He was tired of being the middleman. "Jax, I get that you're hurt. I do. But I have to think about the Vipers. We have a game on Friday. If Julian is ready to play and the team is ready to have him, I’m not going to hold a grudge just because you’re still angry."
"It's not a grudge, Leo! It's the truth!" Jaxson yelled. "He cheated! He's a liar! And you're letting him back in because you're scared of losing a trophy!"
"Maybe I'm just tired of the drama, Jaxson!" Leo shouted back. "I’ve spent every waking hour for three weeks dealing with your scandal, your injury, and your relationship with my sister. I just want to play hockey! If Julian is willing to put the work in, then he’s on the ice. Period."