Page 3 of Unbound

I pull on gray sweats and a Waterfell athletic tee, then let Seven meander to the door as I fold down my sheets and set my hockey bag by my desk, my lucky sweatshirt folded perfectly atop it, the chewed edge of the sleeve tucked away.

As I go to turn off the lamp, a small rush of anxiety threatens, and I decide to keep it on.

Don’t be ridiculous. Turn it off. No one needs the nightlight. She doesn’t need it anymore, just like she doesn’t need you—

I leave, the lamplight still casting an amber glow over my room.

Impulsively, I check my phone again—no new notifications. It’s not surprising, but it doesn’t hurt any less. I haven’t heard from her, or even seen her, since October.

Seven nudges my leg when he realizes I’ve frozen—just a check, to make sure I’m okay.

My hand taps his head and I start toward the kitchen, attempting to leave the memory of her behind, safe in my room. To pretend I didn’t wake up to empty, cold sheets the next morning. That I didn’t worry about her so much over the months after that I started driving through downtown Waterfell over Christmas break to make sure she was okay. That she was safe.

Checking the group chat to see if anyone is up yet, I send a quick text to Holden inviting him to our “family breakfast,” as Freddy has taken to calling it. His response irks me: Is Toren invited?

I can say yes, knowing the well-hated defenseman on our line won’t show. But the word still feels like some sort of betrayal.

Toren Kane hit Rhys on the ice during our Frozen Four game last year, ending his season as he was stretchered off. My best friend, broken and bleeding and terrified—and I couldn’t do anything to help him.

Then, our coach decided to recruit Toren—despite his history with our team and his reputation on the ice.

I was fully prepared to hate the guy when he was announced, to follow my captain and best friend’s lead and do what needed to be done to get him off Rhys’s line.

But since then, Toren has started making my job easier. He is easily the best defenseman that I’ve ever played with. That was hard to ignore, but I did, because my loyalty will always be to Rhys.

But then I saw him defend Ro—Freddy’s tutor-turned-girlfriend and Sadie’s best friend. He didn’t know the girl, didn’t care about anything other than stopping an asshole from hurting a defenseless person. After that, it became harder not to like him.

But I’m a good secret keeper, even if I don’t have many myself.

Though, I have one secret I keep above all else. The most important one.

“You’re the only thing I’ve ever cared about. Ever. And I—”

Shaking away the sound of her voice—though it’s far away and swimming in a sea of painful memories—I start to work on our usual pregame breakfast, turning my music on and letting “World Spins Madly On” by the Weepies play through our speakers in the kitchen. I check the group thread again—no one has answered Holden’s question, so I don’t either. When it comes to Toren Kane, I’ll follow Rhys’s lead.

I gather eggs for omelets, mix and buttermilk for pancakes. Plenty of meat and carbs for a late-afternoon game. A full menu spread for our very full house. It’s warm and loud with love, but it doesn’t do much to stop the constant hollow ache in my chest. A permanent scar of something missing.

A high-pitched giggle signals the end of my slower morning ritual; Liam appears first, followed by Rhys dressed only in his boxers as he scoops the seven-year-old up off the hardwood and over his shoulder.

“Morning, Bennett,” my best friend says with a smirk, speaking over the loudly screeching child. “Sorry about that.”

Rhys’s girlfriend Sadie, a figure skater at our school, rounds the corner after them, face burning red. Last summer the two struck up a secret friendship that inevitably turned into more. She was able to fix the things that were broken in my best friend more than I ever had—for that, she has my unending loyalty. She and her little brothers—both of whom stay with us now and again. Usually, they stay with Rhys’s parents—Max and Anna Koteskiy—but when they miss their sister and the timing works out, they stay in our spare room.

“All good. I’m making breakfast. For everyone.”

Rhys nods. “I’ll inform the lazy ones.”

“Put me down—”

“I told you, Liam, no more coming into our room without knocking or we’ll have to lock the door,” Sadie grumbles, eyes wide awake at an earlier hour for her than I’m used to.

“Oh? Did the little man see more of my captain than he should?” Freddy yawns through his joke, smacking a shoulder into the doorframe as he stumbles into the kitchen in only a pair of boxer briefs.

“He’s currently seeing more of you than anyone ever should,” Sadie snaps. “Put some fucking clothes on.”

Liam laughs louder now, face red from lack of breath because he’s so tickled. “You said a bad word, Sissy.”

“Yeah, Sissy,” Freddy laughs, hip checking the much smaller girl as he passes her. “Besides, I’m literally wearing the exact same thing as your boyfriend!”