Chapter 137 WHAT HE COULDN’T LOSE

Chapter 137 WHAT HE COULDN’T LOSE
Later that evening Luca returned first.

The dorm was quiet when he pushed the door open. He dropped his bag near the desk, sat on the edge of his bed, and unlocked his phone without really looking at the screen.

A few minutes passed before the door opened again. Jack stepped inside, closed it softly behind him, and took off his jacket. Neither of them spoke.

Jack noticed the skate sitting near Luca’s bag. One lace hung loose, the end frayed slightly where it had come undone. He crouched without thinking, fingers already reaching for it.

Luca looked over. “What are you doing?”

Jack tied the lace in a clean double knot. “Your lace was loose.”

“I could’ve done it.”

“I know.”

Jack stood. No explanation. No expectation. He simply moved back to his own side of the room. Luca watched him for a long moment.

Something in his expression shifted not forgiveness, not yet, but a quieter kind of uncertainty that hadn’t been there that morning.

The room settled into silence. Jack sat on his bed, elbows on his knees, staring at the floor for several minutes. Finally he looked toward Luca.

“Can I ask you something?”

Luca glanced up from his phone. “What?”

Jack hesitated, choosing the words carefully. “Would you be okay if I tried?”

Luca frowned. “Trying what?”

Jack looked at his hands. “Being better. Not getting you back. Not asking you to forgive me. Just… trying to be someone you don’t have to be afraid of losing.”

Luca’s expression tightened. “Jack…”

“I know.” Jack stopped himself. “I know I don’t get to ask for anything.”

Luca studied him. The quiet stretched. Then: “Why are you doing this?”

Jack met his eyes. “Because I finally understand what I did.”

Luca looked away. Jack did not push. After a long silence Luca spoke again, voice low.

“I don’t know if I can trust you.”

Jack nodded. “I know.”

“And I don’t know if I want to.”

“I know.”

Another silence. Luca looked at him again. “You’re not going to argue?”

Jack shook his head. “No.”

“Why?”

Jack gave him a small, sad smile. “Because this time, I’m listening.”

Luca said nothing. He turned back to his phone, but his fingers were no longer moving across the screen. Jack noticed. He did not say another word.

They moved around each other carefully after that, gathering the last of their things for the afternoon session.

Jack sat on the edge of his bed checking something on his phone when it rang. He glanced at the screen.

Dad.

His whole expression changed for half a second shoulders tightening, jaw setting. Luca noticed from across the room.

Jack considered declining. Luca did not look at him directly.

“Take your call.”

Jack looked over. “It’s nothing.”

Luca gave him a small, almost indifferent shrug. “Then take it.”

Jack hesitated, then stood and walked toward the balcony, sliding the glass door open.

Luca deliberately moved to the opposite side of the room, giving him privacy without being asked.

Jack answered. His father’s voice came immediately, loud enough that even from a distance Luca could catch the anger, though not every word.

“You think telling your mother is going to help you?”

Jack closed his eyes. “Dad—”

“You ungrateful kid. Everything I’ve done has been for your future. Everything. And you’re willing to throw it away because of him?”

Jack gripped the balcony railing. “I didn’t throw anything away.”

“I asked you to break up with him.”

Silence.

“And yet you’re still refusing.”

Jack’s jaw tightened. “I did.”

His father stopped. “What?”

Jack’s voice was quieter now. “I did exactly what you asked. I broke up with Luca.”

His father’s anger did not disappear. “Then why are you still acting like this?”

Jack looked through the glass doors. Luca was sitting on his bed, tying his skate bag, deliberately pretending not to listen. Jack looked away.

“Because I don’t think I can keep doing it.”

His father started talking again. Jack did not let him finish.

“I’m done, Dad.”

He ended the call. Not dramatically. Just a quiet click. Jack lowered the phone. For several seconds he did not move. His shoulders had dropped. The anger was gone. What remained was exhaustion.

When he finally came back inside, Luca looked up. Their eyes met. Luca noticed immediately.

“Are you okay?”

Jack forced a small smile. “Yeah.”

Luca watched him for another second. He knew that was not the whole truth. But he also knew Jack did not want to talk. So he did not push.

“Okay.”

That was it. And somehow that small amount of understanding affected Jack more than a hundred questions could have.

A few hours later the team gathered again at the rink.

The atmosphere was different. The earlier tension had not disappeared, but everyone was focused. Coach blew the whistle.

“Warm-up! Five minutes!”

Players moved onto the ice. The cold air bit at exposed skin. Blades cut clean lines. Jack got into position. Across from him Luca adjusted his gloves.

Their eyes met briefly. Neither smiled. Neither looked away immediately either. Then Coach blew the whistle again and the session began.

The hockey itself carried the weight of everything unsaid.

Jack passed. Luca was already there. Luca shot. Jack knew where the rebound would go before it left the stick. They did not need to call for each other.

They simply moved, the old rhythm returning without either of them deciding it should. Sam noticed from the far side.

“They’re doing it again.”

Jay looked over. “Doing what?”

“That weird telepathy thing.”

Noah laughed under his breath. “You mean hockey?”

Sam shook his head. “No. That’s definitely relationship trauma with good skating.”

Jay laughed. Coach’s voice cut across the ice.

“Less talking! More hockey!”

During one sequence Luca received the puck near the slot. His shoulder position was not perfect.

For half a second he remembered Jack’s hand from earlier at the senior rink, the way Jack had asked before touching him, the careful pressure, the quiet instruction.

Luca adjusted the shoulder himself. He shot. The puck hit the back of the net cleanly.

The team erupted. Luca turned instinctively toward Jack. Jack was already looking at him.

For one second neither of them remembered they were supposed to be apart.

Jack smiled, not the cocky version, just something small and genuine. Luca’s lips curved too.

Then he caught himself. The smile disappeared. But it was too late. Jack had seen it. And so had Luca.

The practice game grew more intense. The opposing side pressed harder.

Jack took a solid hit along the boards and went down. Luca immediately moved toward him.

“Jack!”

Jack got back up, shaking it off. “I’m fine.”

Luca’s expression tightened. “You don’t look fine.”

Jack gave him a look. “You worried about me?”

Luca paused. “Don’t make it weird.”

Jack almost laughed. “Wasn’t going to.”

But the smile stayed between them. Then the puck came flying their way.

Luca took it. Two defenders closed in. Jack moved without thinking.

Luca saw him. He passed. Jack scored. The team cheered. Jack turned immediately toward Luca. This time he did not hesitate. He pointed at him.

“That was you.”

Luca shrugged. “You scored.”

“Because you passed.”

“You’re welcome.”

Jack smiled. “Anytime.”

The word hung there. Because once, anytime had meant something different. Luca’s expression changed. Jack realized it too. Neither said anything. Coach’s whistle saved them.

Later the game grew faster. Jack fell half a step behind. Luca reached for him.

Jack caught Luca’s wrist not possessively, not forcefully, simply to stop him from skating into another player. Their eyes met. Jack immediately released him.

“Sorry.”

Luca looked at the hand that had touched him. Then back at Jack.

“It’s okay.”

That mattered. Earlier the same touch would have triggered anger. Now it did not. They kept playing. Later Luca got trapped against the boards. Jack came in hard.

“Left.”

Luca moved left. Jack blocked the defender.

“Go.”

Luca went. They worked together perfectly. Another goal. The whole team celebrated. Jack and Luca ended up face-to-face, breathing hard, sweat on their faces.

Neither moved. For a second the noise around them seemed to disappear.

Practice began winding down. Players were tired. Jack sat on the bench removing his gloves when Luca dropped down beside him not too close, but closer than before. Luca took a long drink from his bottle. Jack glanced sideways.

“Your shoulder?”

Luca rolled it once. “Fine.”

“You sure?”

Luca looked at him. “You ask too many questions.”

Jack smiled faintly. “You answer too few.”

Luca almost smiled. Then he caught himself. “Maybe.”

A pause. Jack did not push. He simply nodded. Their shoulders were almost touching. Neither moved away.

This was the shift not forgiveness, not reconciliation, just comfort returning before either of them was ready to admit it.

Coach blew the whistle.

“That’s enough! Practice is adjourned.”

Everyone started moving. Some players headed toward the locker room. Others stayed behind to collect equipment. Then the rink doors opened.

A man in formal clothes walked in, a folder in one hand. He was not dressed like a coach.

The team’s conversation gradually died. Coach noticed him. His expression immediately became serious.

The man approached. “Coach Parker?”

Coach stepped forward. “Yes?”

“I need to speak with you.”

Coach glanced at the players still on the ice. “About?”

The man looked around the rink. “It’s regarding a disciplinary matter.”

Jack’s expression changed. Luca noticed. The man opened the folder.

“The board has reviewed the incident involving two members of the team.”

Silence. Jay and Noah exchanged a look. Noah’s hand slowly dropped from his bag. Coach’s face hardened.

“This can wait until tomorrow.”

“I’m afraid it can’t.” The man looked directly at Coach. “We need to discuss it now.”

Coach looked at his players. “Everyone, locker room.”

Nobody moved immediately. Coach raised his voice. “Now.”

The team began leaving. Jack looked back. Luca did too. The man remained standing beside Coach as the last of the players filed out.

Inside the office the door closed with a solid click.

Coach stood behind his desk. The board representative sat across from him.

Then Jack, standing just outside the open doorway with the rest of the lingering players, noticed someone else.

His father was there.

Jack froze. His father looked directly at him. No greeting. No expression. Just that familiar, cold look.

Luca, standing beside Jack, noticed the change in his face. Then he looked at the man in the suit. Then back at Jack. Something was wrong.

The board representative opened the folder. “We’re here because the board has made a decision regarding the violation of the team’s relationship policy.”

Coach’s jaw tightened. “I’ve already spoken with the board.”

“Yes.” The man looked down at the file. “But further review was requested.”

Jack’s father remained silent. The representative finally looked toward the doorway.

“I need Jay Anderson and Noah Mercer in here.”

Coach called for them. Jay and Noah exchanged a nervous look. Coach said nothing. The door opened fully. Jay walked in first. Noah followed. The representative pointed to the chairs.

“Sit.”

They did. Jack looked from Jay and Noah to his father. His stomach dropped. Because suddenly this did not feel like a disciplinary meeting anymore. It felt like something much bigger.

The representative closed the folder. “There has been a serious discussion about whether both of you should remain part of this program.”

Silence. Jay’s face fell. Noah reached for his hand beneath the desk. Coach looked furious. Jack’s father watched without speaking. And Luca, standing beside Jack in the hallway, noticed something in Jack’s face that had not been there before.

Fear.

Not for himself.

For them.