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I meant what I said to Tommy last night about his brother. Jax looked exhausted. He had deep, dark circles beneath his eyes, and his lips were pinched together like he was in pain. Jackson’s brown orbs were missing their usual shine. There was no happiness surrounding him.
“But you like it, right?” I asked. “You’re living your dream.”
Jackson shrugged. “I mean, yeah, of course I love it. My teammates are great, and I’ve made a few good friends. Wyatt and Beau are cool.”
“But?” I prodded.
Jackson scrubbed a hand down his face. “It’s not like being home. I miss my family and friends.”
“Maverick’s a fucking mess,” I blurted. Jackson’s eyes flashed with anger. “I don’t know what happened between the two of you—”
Jackson held up a hand to stop me. “Maverick and I are no longer friends, Blake. I understand your concern, but he made his bed.” His gaze drifted to where the teams were skating back out onto the ice. “I miss him.”
“You could reach out to him. Just go over to the Frost house and knock on the door. Mav’s always there unless we have a gig. We have practice tomorrow. You could just show up with me, and he’d have no choice but to talk to you.”
He shook his head. “I’m not welcome at his house anymore. His parents made sure of that. I think it would be best if we just kept living our lives the way we have over the past couple of years.”
“Best for who, Jax?”
“Everyone.”
Jackson’s eyes welled with tears, and his chin trembled as he watched the teams get ready for the final period. I had so many questions, but I knew he would never tell me. Whatever had happened between the two of them, it had broken Jackson’s heart and changed Maverick into a sullen, broody man.
“Do me a favor, Blake?” Jackson was still avoiding my gaze. “Take good care of my brother? Love and support him, no matter what happens.”
I tried to swallow the lump in my throat. “Always.”
“Promise.” When he finally glanced at me, Jackson’s eyes were red and watery.
“Yeah, of course. I promise. I love Tommy,” I assured him.
Jackson gave me a tight smile, and then the game restarted, making conversation nearly impossible. That didn’t stop me from watching Jackson from time to time. He carried a sadness with him that he’d never had before. He had always been a happy guy, a lot like me, and as much as he still pretended to be that man, he no longer was. His eyes gave him away.
Once the game ended, with Canfield winning in a shutout, Jax and I waited for Tommy. A few people in the stands came over to say hello to Jackson, some asked for pictures, and some even asked for autographs. He took it all in stride, smiling, laughing, and nodding in agreement with everyone. But when they left, he sank back into the chair and buried his face in his hands. Was it the pressure of hockey that was getting to him now or was it something else?
“Can you do me another favor?” He turned his head to look at me. When I nodded, he sat up. “Will you watch over Maverick for me? Make sure he’s staying safe and not doing anything stupid.”
I huffed. “It’s a little too late for that, Jax.”
“What does that mean?” Jackson asked.
I worried my lip between my teeth as I thought about what to tell him. “Maverick is prickly. Mean, even. He starts fights with everyone and doesn’t seem to care when he gets the crap beaten out of him. I’m scared that he and Killian are going to kill one another.”
Tommy’s happy shouting stole our attention away from one another as he hurried up the steps and planted a wet kiss against my mouth. “Hey, Bug.”
“Hey.” I blushed under his gaze before I climbed to my feet. He slipped his arm around my waist to pull me against his side.
Jackson smirked. “You two are cute.”
“We’re fucking adorable,” Tommy teased and kissed me again, this time with a little more force behind it.
Jackson rolled his eyes. “Come on then, adorable. Let me take you out to dinner to celebrate.”
***
People wouldn’t leave Jackson alone once we were seated in the booth at Holiday Restaurant. Everyone seemed to recognize him, and even though he didn’t turn a single person away, his patience was wearing thin. But that wasn’t what pushed him over the edge.
“You’re so popular, Jax.” Tommy sucked down his entire cup of water in a matter of seconds.
