Chapter 6 A tradition

The cold chill from the rink seeped through my sneakers, making my toes go numb. I rubbed my hands together, puffing out cold breath. Around us, the arena hummed with hundreds of screaming fans.

The game started and I leaned closer to Sophie, keeping my eyes on the ice where players moved with speed.

"So they’re actually brothers?" I asked. "They don’t look anything alike."

“They're brothers with different personalities. Cole is the golden boy, calm, sweet, and obedient. He grew up here with his parents, who are wealthy American businesspeople."

"And Jax?" I asked, watching the taller, broader figure skate aggressively near the blue line.

"Jax is a different story," Sophie said, her voice dropping to a whisper. "He spent his childhood in Russia with their maternal grandparents. They are heavy-hitters in the Russian Mafia. His parents only brought him back to America when they realized just how dark and dangerous that lifestyle was starting to affect him.”

I blinked, stunned. "So they’re Russian?"

"Part Russian," Sophie corrected, nodding as the referee blew his whistle. "Their grandparents are full Russian, and so is their mother. She actually fled the country years ago to escape an arranged marriage. Decades later, she finally showed her face to her family again, bringing along an American husband and two boys. But Jax was already molded by them. Most people around school believe Jax is the way he is because of how he was raised."

I frowned, watching Jax slash his stick against the ice. "That doesn't excuse his behavior. Being hurt doesn't give you the right to be a bully."

Before Sophie could reply, her eyes widened. Suddenly the crowd erupted into a roar. The horn blared, a deafening wail that shook the metal rafters of the arena. Cole had just assisted a beautiful play, putting the puck straight into the back of the net. The red light behind the goal flashed.

A smile broke across my face, and I clapped, watching Cole raise his stick in celebration. He looked so bright, so effortless. Meanwhile, his brother, Jax, was glaring at him from the other side, his hand gripping the stick.

The victory, however, was short-lived. Less than a few minutes after Cole scored, Jax hurled the puck into the net. He turned to his brother, smirking at him as his team celebrated him.

As the game continued, it turned tense, devolving into a physical battle.

Suddenly, a loud booming rattled the plexiglass right in front of us.

I gasped, my heart leaping into my throat. Lifting my head from my phone, I stared at the scene before me. Just a few inches away, on the other side of the scratched glass, Jax had pinned an opposing player. The impact was so hard I could hear the grunt of pain from the boy trapped against the boards.

Jax didn't look at his opponent. Instead, he slowly turned his head and locked his dark, icy eyes directly onto mine.

My breath hung in my throat.

A thick layer of sweat clung to his forehead, his chest heaving under his gear as he stared at me with intensity. The look on his face made my stomach flip, half in terror, and half something I couldn't register. It felt like he was silently telling me I was going to be the next one he pinned against the wall.

All the while, he kept his eyes locked on me, his mouth moving as he hissed trash-talk at the player he was crushing against the glass.

I scowled. I hated how easily he bullied people. I hated how much space he took up.

By the time the final buzzer rang, the scoreboard flashed a tie. The game had ended in an unsatisfying draw.

Standing up from my seat, I tried to shake off the chill. I looked for Cole, wanting to catch his eyes and give him a supportive smile. He'd played perfectly well, even though his brother tried to make him feel small.

But as I found him on the ice, my smile faded.

Jax was skating slowly around his brother while saying something to him. I couldn't catch what he was saying, but the hardness in his gaze and the way Cole stared back at him was enough to tell me everything I needed to know.

Cole's brows furrowed deeply. Within seconds, the brothers were standing chest-to-chest, exchanging vicious words. Jax stepped closer, his gloved hand balling into a fist, ready to throw a punch when three of their teammates quickly threw themselves between the brothers.

“Are you nervous?” Sophie asked.

“Why wouldn't I be? They're about to tear each other apart and everyone is chanting for a fight.”

"It’s like a tradition for them now."

"A tradition?" I was horrified.

The teammates tapped Jax's shoulder lightly as he continued to glare at his brother. Pushing an elbow into one of them, Jax walked away from the ice.

"Why do you think the arena is always this packed?" Bri asked. "Half the people here don't care about the hockey. They come for the sibling rivalry. They believe the drama is what makes the ticket price worth it."

I let out a long, shaky breath of relief, my chest deflating.

As the tension on the ice dissipated, Cole shook off his teammates' hands. He ran a hand through his damp hair, taking a deep breath to steady himself. He turned his head, scanning the front row of the stands.

When his eyes finally landed on me, the anger quickly washed away from his face. He offered me a soft but tired smile.

Through the thick glass, his lips moved, and I could easily read the words.

Thank you for coming, Summer.