The apartment was freezing. The radiator was clanking, a metallic sound that filled the silence between us as we dropped our gear bags. Practice was brutal; three hours of high intensity drills under Coach Mike’s watchful eye and neither of us had spoken a word on the walk back.
Jax was a ghost. He moved to the small kitchenette, his movements heavy and started a pot of coffee. He didn't look at me. He didn't even acknowledge I was in the room.
"You were quiet today," I said, leaning against the doorframe. My voice felt raw. "Even for you. Even Coach noticed."
Jax didn't turn around. "I was skating, Liam. That’s what I’m here for, right? "
"That’s not what I meant." I stepped further into the room.
"You looked... somewhere else. Every time the whistle blew, it was like you had to rem
