Mag-log inChapter One Hundred Twenty TwoThe days after the trial were strange.Not bad. Just strange. Like the world had shifted and Jay was still trying to find his footing. He woke up every morning expecting to see Viktor's face. He checked the windows twice before going to bed. He didn't open the door without looking through the peephole first. Every single time.Cole noticed. He didn't say anything. He just stayed close.They fell into a new rhythm. Quiet mornings. Slow breakfasts. Long walks. The apartment felt bigger now. Lighter. Like something heavy had finally been lifted." You're different," Cole said one morning. They were sitting on the couch. Coffee in their hands. Sunlight streaming through the window."Different how?""Calmer. Like you're not waiting for something bad to happen.""Maybe I'm not.""What changed?"Jay thought about it. "I stopped being afraid.""Of Viktor?""Of everything."Cole put his arm around him. "That's good.""It feels good."Jay went back to the studio.
Chapter One Hundred Twenty OneThe trial was quick.Viktor's confession was everything the prosecution needed. No jury. No long speeches. Just a judge reading the charges and passing the sentence. Twenty years. No chance of early release. The kind of sentence that meant Viktor Petrov would be an old man by the time he saw the outside world again.Jay sat in the front row with Cole. His wrist was still bandaged. The cut was healing. But the memory of the knife, the cold metal, the pressure of Viktor's fingers on his arm, those things stayed. They would stay for a long time.Cole held his hand the entire time. His grip was firm. Grounding. When the judge announced the sentence, Cole squeezed tighter."It's over," Cole said.Jay looked at him. "Is it?""It is."Jay wanted to believe him. He really did.Viktor was led away in handcuffs.He didn't look back. He didn't say anything. He just walked. The guards flanked him. His shoulder was still bandaged from where Jay had stabbed him. Five
Chapter One Hundred TwentyThe police took Viktor away in handcuffs.Jay watched from the doorway. His wrist was wrapped in a white bandage. The cut wasn't deep. It didn't need stitches. But it had bled enough to scare him. His arm was still shaking.Cole stood next to him. His throat was bruised. Purple fingerprints were already forming on his neck. The paramedic had checked him out. He was fine. He said he was fine. But Jay could see the tremor in his hands.Viktor was shoved into the back of a police car. His shoulder had been bandaged too. He'd needed five stitches. Jay had given him those stitches. It felt strange to think about. Strange that the same hands that held Cole's face were the ones that swung the knife.Maria appeared next to them."You both need to come to the station," she said. "Give your statements.""Now?" Jay asked."Now."They followed her to her car. The night air was cold. Jay wrapped his arms around himself. He was still in his t-shirt. He hadn't thought to g
Chapter One Hundred NineteenThe knock came at 11pm.Jay was in the living room, sketchbook open on his lap, pencil in hand. Cole was in the shower. The water was running. Steam was curling out from under the bathroom door. Jay didn't think twice. He set the sketchbook down and walked to the door.He didn't check the peephole.That was the mistake.He opened the door and Viktor Petrov was standing there. Bigger than Jay remembered. Broader. His face was hard. His eyes were cold. He was wearing a black jacket and jeans. No gloves. No mask. He wanted to be seen."Menisa," Viktor said.Jay's heart slammed against his ribs. He tried to shut the door. Viktor's foot stopped it. His hand pushed it open. Jay stumbled back. His heel hit the leg of the coffee table. He almost fell."Don't," Jay said."Don't what?""Don't come any closer."Viktor stepped inside and closed the door behind him. The sound of the lock clicking into place made Jay's stomach drop. He couldn't breathe. Couldn't move. H
Chapter One Hundred Eighteen The envelope was waiting for them when they got home. Jay picked it up first, his fingers trembling as he turned it over. No stamp. No return address. Just his name scrawled across the front in handwriting that made his stomach drop. He knew that handwriting. He'd seen it on too many letters. "Cole." The name came out smaller than he meant it to. Cole was already beside him, his jaw tight, his gray eyes fixed on the paper. He didn't say anything. He just took the envelope from Jay's hands, tore it open, and pulled out the single sheet inside. Jay watched his face as he read. The muscle in his jaw twitched. His knuckles went white around the paper. "What does it say?" Jay asked. Cole didn't answer. He just handed the letter over. Jay read it once. Then twice. His hands were shaking by the time he finished. The words were simple. Direct. Threatening. Viktor Petrov wasn't done with them. He would never be done with them. "He's not going to st
Chapter One Hundred Seventeen : Jay pov The morning after Viktor's suspension, I woke up to the sound of rain hitting the window. The sky was gray. The streets were wet. The apartment was cold. Cole was still asleep next to me, his arm around my waist, his breath warm on my neck. I didn't move. Didn't want to wake him. I just lay there thinking about everything.Viktor. The suspension. Twelve games. It wasn't enough. It was never enough. Men like Viktor didn't stop because of a suspension. They stopped when they were broken. Or when they were dead.Cole stirred. His arm tightened around my waist."You're awake," he mumbled."I'm awake.""You're thinking.""I'm always thinking.""Too loud."I smiled. "Go back to sleep.""Can't. Too awake now."He pulled me closer. Buried his face in my hair."I love you," he said."I love you too."The phone rang at 9am. Richard."Jay," he said. "How are you?""Good. Tired. Cole is still sleeping.""He deserves the rest. The suspension is a good thing
Chapter Six: Cole pov(18+) Three days passed. Three days of stolen glances at the gym. Three days of almost touching and pulling away. Three days of lying to Maya over the phone while my chest burned with guilt and want. I couldn't take it anymore. "You're distracted." Coach Hartley pulled m
Chapter Five :Cole pov I didn't sleep. Not one hour. Not twenty minutes. I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, replaying the feel of Jay's hand on my chest. The way his fingers pressed against my ribs. The way he whispered my name. Tell me to stop. I didn't. Then why are you still touch
Chapter Four : Jay pov Three days later, Maya asked me to do her a favor. "Can you drop this off at Cole's?" She handed me a small envelope. "His wallet. He left it at my place last night." I stared at the envelope like it was a snake. "Why me?" "Because I'm stuck at work and you're close
Chapter Three : Jay pov I told myself it didn't mean anything. The staring. The way my chest went tight when Cole Ashford looked at me. The fact that I replayed every word of that gym conversation while lying in bed at 2am, staring at my ceiling, my heart beating too fast. It didn't mean anythi







