Chapter 35 Callum
Chapter Thirty-Five: Callum
The drug test is fucking negative, so I don’t know why Coach is still holding me here.
He’s got me, Asher, Warren, Ben, and Justin sitting around like a bunch of idiots who need a lecture on why drugs are bad.
He drags it on and on, repeating himself, and circling back to the same points about team integrity and respect and responsibility.
But I can’t focus on any of it.
I can’t stop thinking about Tiger.
The way she leaned into me in the car. The way she looked at the house like it might swallow her whole. The gun wound wrapped in bandages. Her resilience through all of it.
There has to be something I’m missing. Something beneath the surface that I haven’t put my finger on yet.
She’s handling this too well. If my dad shot me, I wouldn’t want anything to do with three hockey stooges showing up and disrupting my life even more.
Honest to God.
Pussy would be the last thing on my list.
I cut off Coach mid-sentence. “Have you considered that it was Rowan who sabotaged the samples?”
Asher’s head whips toward me. He looks at me in disbelief.
But Ben nods slowly. “Yeah. Why is it just us in here?”
Coach’s face reddens. “You’re here because I saw footage from the party the other night, and you five were the—”
“Told by who?” I scoff. “Rowan?”
Coach snaps. “He is the team captain—”
“Call him in here right now. I swear I saw him getting ready to skate with Zeff earlier, so he’s probably still out there.”
“I can’t stand this kiddie he-said-she-said bullshit anymore—” Coach storms toward the door and slams it behind him so hard the walls shake.
I shrug and look at Asher. “Looks like your friend is going to be in big trouble.”
Asher scratches his face nervously. “I don’t even know why I’m here.”
Ben leans back in his chair with his arms crossed. “Because your bestie sold you out.”
Warren and Justin sit quietly on the other side of the table. They haven’t said a word this entire time.
Asher scowls at Ben and opens his mouth like he’s about to argue.
“Just admit it, Ash,” I smirk. “You were only sucking up to Rowan to stay out of situations like this.”
Asher glares at me. His jaw clenches.
I turn my head away and sigh. “But you were never safe. Rowan has a stick so far up his ass he can taste wood.”
The door opens.
Rowan walks in still wearing his full gear. Skates and all.
“Look at that,” I say, smirking.
Rowan takes a seat next to Justin, pulls off his gloves, and sets them on the table. “What’s going on?”
“We just want to know why we’re all on your shit list,” I say.
Rowan shakes out his hair and runs his hand through it like he’s trying to look casual. “I saw all of you smoking at the party.”
Ben scoffs. “What the fuck?”
“My test is negative,” I say flatly.
“So is mine,” Warren adds.
“Mine too,” the rest of the guys echo.
Coach walks back in looking exhausted. “That’s enough. Rowan is the team captain, and he’s just looking out for the team. Right, Rowan?”
Rowan nods once. “Right.”
The door opens again. Zephyr walks in looking sweaty from his ice time with Rowan.
Coach says, “Alright, Rowan. You’re taking a test right now. Come with me.”
Zephyr and Rowan exchange a look. It’s quick but loaded with something I can’t quite read. I watch them both carefully, wondering what the hell that was about.
As soon as Coach and Rowan are out of the room, I turn to Zephyr. “What the fuck was that?”
Zephyr raises an eyebrow but doesn’t answer.
“You’re all buddy-buddy with Rowan now?” I ask.
“He’s got some shit going on,” Zephyr says carefully.
I click my tongue. “He did it, didn’t he? He’s the one who sabotaged the samples, and he’s pointing blame at everyone else.” I almost laugh, can’t fucking help but think I’m right.
Ben whistles low. “Our team captain is about to be in big trouble.”
Zephyr shakes his head. “I never said he did it.”
“You didn’t have to,” I say, crossing my arms and leaning back in my chair. “Can’t wait to see what his results are.”
So we wait.
Ten minutes pass. Then fifteen.
I’m checking my phone. Texting no one. Just killing time.
Asher’s bouncing his leg. Warren and Justin are whispering to each other. Ben’s staring at the ceiling like he’s counting tiles.
Finally, they walk back in.
Coach looks like he’s aged five years.
“You guys are free to leave,” he says casually.
I shake my head. “After all that, Coach?”
“Just go home, Brixton.”
I shrug. “Nah. Not until I know if our captain’s test was negative or not.”
The guys don’t move. Nobody stands. Nobody reaches for their bags.
Coach exhales slowly through his nose. “We can discuss this tomorrow.”
“Fuck no,” I snap, wanting to laugh.
Ben smiles at Coach. “It’s positive, isn’t it?”
Justin shakes his head like he can’t believe this is happening. Warren sighs heavily.
“Where is he?” I ask.
“Waiting in the other room,” Coach says sharply. “And you’re not going to talk to him. Understand me? Every single one of you needs to get out of here. No contact with him for the rest of the day. Understand?”
We all stare at Coach.
“I said, do you understand?”
“Yes, Coach,” we mutter in unison.
We leave the room and file out of the locker room one by one.
Zephyr and I walk to the parking lot together, glancing at each other but not saying anything until we reach our cars.
“Can you believe that?” I ask. “Fucking Melrose. What a snake.”
Zephyr just shakes his head.
I pull out my phone and see Jax texted the group chat between the three of us.
What did Coach want?
Then sometime after.
Don’t come back for another few hours.
I stare at the second text.
I even read it twice.
Zephyr rolls down his window. “Is Jax fucking serious?”
I shrug. “What the fuck do you think they’re doing?”
Zephyr stiffens and then he quietly says, “You think?”
“Fuck this, man. I’m going straight over there.”
“What if they’re fucking?”
I scoff. “They better not be.”
Zephyr stares into the distance. “Nah, I don’t want to know.”
“Tsst. Suit yourself, Zeff. I’m going over there right now.”
I get in my car and start the engine. I sit there for a second staring at Jax’s text.
Don’t come back for another few hours.
This fucker wants Tiger all to himself. Something’s happening that Jax doesn’t want us walking in on.
And I’m trying really hard not to think about what that might be.
But I’m thinking about it anyway.
I pull out of the parking lot and race toward Jax and Zephyr’s.
When we arrive, I step out of my truck and stare at the house. Zephyr parks in the driveway and walks in with me.
“Jax?” I call out in the empty house. My eyes meet with Zephyr’s. I walk down the hall and knock on his bedroom door.
No answer.
Zephyr’s standing behind me when I open the door. Empty.
I walk to the guest bedroom. “Tiger?”
I open the door. Empty.
“Where the fuck are they?”
Zephyr storms into the kitchen and opens the garage door. I look over his shoulder.
“They’re not here.”