Breaking The Line

CHAPTER 6: What Milo Doesn't Know

Dave sat in his quiet apartment that evening with his phone in his hand.

The rain continued its steady rhythm against the windows. He had gone through all the usual post practice routines. Shower. Simple dinner. Reviewing game tape from the previous season. Checking training schedules for the upcoming days. Everything felt normal on the surface. But inside his mind kept returning to the same place. The hallway collision. Zarela’s face. The way she had said his last name like a professional shield. The staff profile photo that confirmed everything.

He needed to call Milo.

He owed his best friend the truth. Or at least part of it.

Dave stared at the contact for a long time. His thumb hovered over the call button. He took a deep breath and pressed it. The phone rang twice before Milo picked up.

Hey captain, Milo said with his usual upbeat energy. How is everything going up there in Frosthaven? Preseason treating you okay?

Dave forced his voice to stay casual and steady.

It is going well, he replied. The new guys are showing a lot of potential. Training camp has been intense but productive so far. The team is coming together. How about you? How are things on your end these days?

Milo launched into a long detailed update. He talked about the prospects he was currently working with. A couple of young forwards who had real NHL upside. Some frustrating league politics involving player development. A funny story about a recent scouting trip. Dave listened closely. He laughed at the right moments. Asked follow up questions to keep the conversation natural. The easy rhythm of their long friendship felt familiar and comfortable.

But the real reason for the call sat like a heavy stone in Dave’s chest.

He waited for a natural lull in the conversation. Then he asked the question that had been burning in his mind all day.

Did you know Zarela was moving to Frosthaven?

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. Several seconds of silence that felt heavier than they should have.

Milo finally answered.

Yeah. I knew. She applied and got the job completely on her own. Did not even mention my name during the hiring process. I thought it was fine. She is an adult now. She earned it fair and square.

Dave sat very still on the couch. His grip tightened slightly on the phone.

Milo continued speaking. His voice stayed even but there was a quieter undertone beneath the words.

“Just do not make it weird, Dave”.

The simple sentence landed with surprising force.

Of course not, Dave replied. His voice came out steady and controlled. Professional. Exactly like the captain everyone expected him to be.

They talked for a few more minutes about lighter topics. Upcoming games. Mutual friends in the league. Then they said their goodbyes and hung up.

Dave set the phone down on the coffee table and stared at it for a long time.

Milo knew.

He had known the entire time that his sister was moving to Frosthaven to work for the Wolves. He had not warned Dave. He had not reminded him of the old promise. He had simply trusted him. Completely. Without question.

That trust felt heavier than any direct warning ever could.

Dave stood up and walked slowly to the large window overlooking the city. The rain streaked down the glass in endless patterns. Frosthaven looked dark and moody outside. The distant lights of The Den arena were visible through the weather. Somewhere in that building Zarela was probably settling into her new routine. Reviewing notes from her first day. Building the independent life she had always wanted.

He thought back to that summer night thirteen years ago. The backyard full of laughter and grilling smoke. Zarela at fifteen arguing passionately about hockey strategy. The way he had watched her when he thought no one was looking. Milo pulling him aside later. The quiet serious look in his best friend’s eyes.

She is not for you, man. Promise me.

Dave had given his word easily back then. It had felt simple. Straightforward. He was eighteen and focused on his own rising hockey career. Zarela was just his best friend’s little sister. The promise had not felt like a burden at the time.

Now it felt like chains.

Dave ran a hand through his hair and let out a long slow breath. The trust Milo had just shown him sat uncomfortably in his chest. His best friend believed in him. Believed he would keep his word even with Zarela working in the same organization. Even after all these years.

That belief made everything harder.

Dave turned away from the window and tried to distract himself. He reviewed more game tape. Answered a few work emails. Prepared notes for tomorrow’s captain duties. Normal things. Routine things. But his mind kept drifting back to the conversation. To the quiet way Milo had said do not make it weird. To the absolute faith behind those words.

He went to bed earlier than usual that night. Turned off all the lights. Lay down and stared at the dark ceiling. Sleep did not come easily.

He tossed and turned for hours. The rain continued its steady drumming against the windows. The conversation with Milo replayed again and again in his head. The casual acceptance. The quiet reminder. The deep trust that Dave was not sure he deserved anymore.

Old memories mixed with new reality. Summer lake houses. Zarela’s laugh across the yard. The way she used to look at him when she thought no one noticed. The hallway collision yesterday. Her professional wall going up instantly. The way his own body had reacted despite thirteen years of careful distance.

Dave finally drifted into a restless sleep sometime after midnight. His dreams were fragmented and uneasy. Old promises. New temptations. Milo’s trusting voice. Zarela’s eyes in the hallway. The Wolves logo shining under bright arena lights.

When he woke up the next morning the rain was still falling. Gray light filtered through the windows. Dave sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed his face with both hands.

Today he would see her again at The Den.

Today he would have to act completely normal. Professional. Like the reliable captain the entire organization counted on.

The trust Milo had placed in him felt like the heaviest burden he had carried in years.

He stood up slowly and started getting ready for another day.

The promise he made thirteen years ago echoed in his mind with every movement.

Do not make it weird.

Dave hoped with everything in him that he was still strong enough to honor it.

Because if he failed the consequences could destroy more than just his friendship with Milo. They could break the team. His captaincy. The careful life he had built. And the fragile new start Zarela had worked so hard to create.

All of it.