The words detonated.
Chase’s head snapped toward Jax. The laughter in the passway died, players freezing mid-step.
Jax didn’t move. Didn’t deny. His eyes held Chase’s. And Chase’s fist flew.
Chase’s fist cracked against Jax’s face, the sound echoing down the hall. Jax staggered back into the bench gate, the clang reverberating as the arena exploded with shouts. Bodies scrambled between them. But Jax didn’t raise a hand. Didn’t strike back. He just wiped the blood from his mouth and stood there, chest heaving, while Chase came at him again.
The second hit landed harder. Jax’s head snapped sideways, blood streaking his jaw. His hands clenched, body coiled as if he could break Chase in two if he wanted—then loosened again. He took it. Silent.
Chase roared, shoving against Luke and Theo who were trying to hold him back. Rage poured out of him, hot and jagged. “You—my sister? My best friend?!”
Luke’s voice cut low, steady—the kind of tone that usually reached Chase when no one else could. For half a second, I thought it might work. But the rage in Chase’s eyes burnedright through it, like even Luke’s leadership couldn’t touch him anymore.
Avery’s voice cracked through the chaos. “Chase, stop!” She lunged, fingers gripping his arm, but he shook her off so violently she stumbled back into me.
I caught her. Barely. My chest rattled with every shout, every metallic bang as Chase slammed Jax against the lockers again.
“Hit me back!” Chase spat the words in Jax’s face. His fist drew back a third time.
Jax didn’t move. He looked at him—really looked, eyes steady, almost pleading without words. “I’m not hitting you, Chase. I’ve liked Avery for a long time. I would never hurt her. I was going to talk to you this weekend about dating her.”
That only fanned the fire. Chase broke loose from Theo’s hold. His fist crashed into Jax’s ribs, folding him forward with a grunt. Pain etched his face, but still no retaliation.
The hall erupted into a battlefield. Teammates wedging themselves between, shouting over each other. Luke dragged Chase back; Theo stood in front of Jax.
Avery broke then. Tears streaked her face as she shoved forward. “Enough! Please, enough!” Her voice shredded against the walls.
Chase froze at the sound of her sobs. Just for a second. His chest heaved, fury vibrating through every muscle. He wasn’t done, but Avery’s sobs cut through some of the rage.
I pulled her into me, arms tight around her shaking shoulders. “Stop, Chase. This isn’t really about you.”
Jax straightened slowly, pressing a hand to his ribs, blood dripping from his mouth. He didn’t look away from Chase. Didn’t wipe the mess from his face. Just let it sit there, proof of the beating he refused to return.
Chase’s hands were still balled, knuckles raw and split. His breathing thundered. For a heartbeat, I thought he’d swing again.
But he didn’t. He ripped free of the guys’ hold, spun, and stormed toward the locker room, slamming the door so hard the walls shook.
Jax’s eyes closed. His chest rose and fell, ragged. Avery wrenched from my arms and crossed to him, hands hovering as if she wanted to touch but didn’t dare. “I’m so sorry.” Her voice broke on the words.
Jax’s eyes opened, softened. He pulled her into his embrace, cradling her head against his chest. “It’ll work out.”
Would it? I wasn’t so sure. I couldn’t shake the image burned into my skull—Chase’s fist colliding with Jax’s face. The sound. The betrayal written across both of them.
The guys slowly cleared out. Theo murmured something about checking on Chase. Luke hovered close, shoulders drawn tight. Before Theo got to the locker room doors, Chase shoved the doors open, fury radiating off him in waves of heat. His eyes locked on us—not just me, not just Luke, but Theo too.
“You knew.” His voice was flat, low, deadly.
Luke stiffened. “Chase?—”
“Don’t.” Chase’s glare cut as sharply as a blade. “Don’t you dare stand there and pretend. You didn’t think maybe I deserved to know Jax was hooking up with my sister?”
Theo shifted, weight bracing as though he was ready if this turned physical again. “We didn’t know for sure.”
“Bullshit!” Chase’s roar rattled the stands. His chest heaved. He looked between the three of us, betrayal carved deep into every line of his face. “You all knew something. And you said nothing to me.”
My throat closed, words useless. Because he wasn’t wrong.
Luke stepped forward, hand half-raised. “It wasn’t for us to tell you. And Jax and Avery were probably trying to keep it from blowing up. Trying to protect?—”
