All Chapters of Boys Don’t Play Fair: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

131 Chapters

No Room For Errors

First Period. 0:00.The puck hit the ice, and right away, you could feel it Riverside Prep was fast, aggressive. They’d won six games in their last game, and honestly, they carried themselves like nothing could stop them.Barely two minutes in, Riverside was already pushing hard toward Westbridge’s goal. Noah gripped the edge of the bench, watching every second.The Riverside center took a shot. Westbridge’s goalie stretched and just barely kept it out. The whole crowd exhaled at once.“They’re good,” Joe muttered.“Yeah.”Jay wrangled possession and flew down the ice. Two defenders closed in, so he passed and got the puck back. Shot. The goalie caught it didn’t even flinch.Riverside swept it back down. They looked like they’d been practicing this forever. Relentless.Three minutes in Riverside scored.The buzzer blared. The Riverside fans shot to their feet. Westbridge’s

The Damage Start Here

Joe’s Room. 10:47 p.m.Joe sat on the edge of his bed, just staring down at his shoes.The left one still had Liam’s knot. He’d been stupidly careful not to untie it. Like maybe, if the lace stayed tied exactly the way Liam left it, that meant something. That it proved Liam cared at all.But now…Joe’s hands wouldn’t stop shaking.He kept seeing it. Over and over, like his brain had a scratch and the same scene just kept skipping back. Liam with Noah in the hallway. Liam reaching out touching Noah’s face, leaning in, kissing him.It wasn’t even how Noah had frozen up, or how he didn’t immediately shove Liam away. Maybe that was worse. The not-knowing. The way it all twisted up inside Joe’s chest.Did Noah like Liam too? Was that it?Joe’s throat felt tight. If Noah did if that’s why Liam kissed him maybe Liam had feelings for Noah, not Joe. Maybe that’s why Liam kept acting distant these days. Maybe he

SECRETS WE CAN’T HOLD

Saturday at Jay's House by 11:34am.Jay stood in his kitchen, just staring at all the food the cook laid out. Sandwiches, fruit, pastries honestly, enough for ten people, though it was just him standing there, not feeling hungry.Marie wiped down the counter. “Will you be eating here, Mr. Vale?”He shook his head. “No, I’m taking some of this with me.” He grabbed a container and started picking out sandwiches. He always remembered Noah liked turkey and cheese, even though he’d only said it once weeks ago. Jay just filed things away like that.Marie smiled a little. “Taking lunch to a friend?”“Something like that.”He added fruit, then hesitated before grabbing two chocolate croissants for no logical reason. He knew he was being a little much, but he didn’t care. He wanted to see Noah, talk about last night, and try to figure out what was actually going on between them.He shut the container and walked upstairs to grab h

Phase One: Tear Them Apart

At the Stairwell by 10:34am.Noah’s hands shook.“So that’s it?” he said. “You just wanted to? That’s your answer?”Liam barely reacted. He kept watching Noah, his face completely calm.“What were you expecting?” Liam asked.“I don’t know. An explanation. Maybe an apology?” Noah’s voice climbed. “You can’t just kiss someone and act like it meant nothing.”“I never said it meant nothing.”“Then what did it mean?”Liam waited. He pushed off the wall, coming closer.Everything in Noah wanted to pull back, but he stayed where he was.“I kissed you,” Liam said, slower now, “because I didn’t want to lose my chance.”Noah’s stomach knotted. “Chance for what?”“To stop you from screwing up.” Liam chose every word. “I saw you with Vale after the game. I saw him kiss you.”Noah went cold.“And I saw you kiss him back,” Liam pressed on. “So I had to talk to you. I had t

I Can’t Tell You Why

The Library. 12:23pm.Noah sat there, staring at a blank laptop screen. He’d made up his mind. He wasn’t backing down now. He had to go through with it for Jay, for Jay’s future. Even if it wrecked him in the process.He closed the laptop and stood. He already knew where Liam would be.The Senior Courtyard. 12:31pm.Liam lounged on a stone bench, scrolling aimlessly through his phone. Alone.Noah walked up, hands jammed deep in his pockets."Liam."Liam looked up. His face shifted almost surprised, but not quite."Carter." He set his phone aside. "Didn’t think you’d come find me this soon.""I’ve been thinking," Noah said, his voice low. "About what you said.""And?"Noah swallowed. "You’re right. Jay needs to focus. And I’m just... distracting him."Liam stayed expressionless, but something flickered in his eyes. "So what are you saying?""I’ll do it," Noah said. "I’

The Distance Between Us

Noah’s Apartment. at 4:17pm.Noah dropped his backpack and flopped onto his bed, exhausted. His phone was already in his hand, though he couldn’t remember grabbing it.Three new texts.Jay: carter please just talk to me Jay: i don’t understand what’s happening Jay: did i lose you?Noah stared at the last one.His thumb hovered over the keyboard.No. You didn’t lose me. I’m trying to help you.But he couldn’t send it. There was no way to explain without breaking his promise to Liam.He shut off his phone and jammed it under his pillow, then lay on his back, eyes fixed on the ceiling, trying to convince himself he was doing the right thing.At Jay’s Room. by 4:23pm.Jay sat at his desk, laptop open and untouched. Phone face up beside the keyboard. No new messages.He’d sent Noah three texts since they’d talked on the street. Still nothing.He scrolled through their c

What Did You Say to Him?

At Lunch. Noah sat alone at the cafeteria table. Joe hadn’t shown up maybe hiding somewhere else. Jay was across the room, hanging with Mark and other seniors.Jay didn’t look his way. Didn’t text. Just kept to himself.Noah pushed food around and tried not to think about how much had changed in three days.By the time he was done, he checked the time and walked slowly to the library.3:27pm. First Floor Library.Noah sat at a table near the back, textbook open, heart pounding. The first floor library felt older, darker, heavier than the fourth. Tall shelves, thick tables, barely any windows. Not many students.Private.Footsteps. Liam showed up, backpack slung over his shoulder, looking calm as ever.“Carter,” he said, dropping into the seat across. “Glad you came.”“I said I would.”“I know. I wasn’t sure you’d follow through.” He pulled out his own books. “Day been alright?”

FAULT LINES

The locker room feels heavy, like the air itself is pressing in.Jay sits on the bench, still in his gear, hunched over, breathing like he just climbed a mountain.Liam leans against the lockers, arms crossed, face unreadable. He waits.Jay finally breaks the silence again. “What did you say to him?” His voice cuts through the room, sharp.Liam just tilts his head. “To who?”Jay’s tone drops, all warning now. “Don’t do that, Knox. You know who.”“Carter.”Jay stands up, all restless energy now. “Yeah, Carter. Monday, in the stairwell. Yesterday at lunch. What did you say?”Liam pauses, then shrugs. “I told him the truth.”“And that is?”“You need to focus. Distractions are risky. Your dad is watching. I told him what you should’ve said yourself.” Liam keeps his voice measured, not flinching.Jay’s hands tighten into fists. “You had no right—”“Somebody had to,” Liam says, push

You Chose Him

Wednesday. 3:42pm.Noah was halfway to the bike rack when he heard his name. Or, not his name 'Carter.'The way Joe said it, flat and cold, stopped Noah in his tracks.He turned around, slow. Joe stood by the doors, backpack slung over his shoulder, face impossible to read."Hey," Noah tried, careful."Don't." Joe walked over, jaw set. "Don't 'hey' me like nothing's wrong."Noah’s stomach cramped up. "Joe—""You've been avoiding me," Joe said, stopping a few feet away. He crossed his arms. "Three days now. You don’t sit with me, you don’t text me back, you act like I’m invisible in class.""I’ve just been busy—""Busy." Joe laughed, but the sound was hollow. "Right. Busy."Noah shifted his backpack. "I have a ton of homework. Swimming. Everything’s...""Stop lying to me."It was like the words cut the air in half.Noah went quiet, hands trembling a little.Joe stood there, fists clenched, but still calm not yelling. That made it sting even more."I know something’s up," Joe said. "I’v

I Miss You.

Thursday Morning. 5:47am. The Rink.Jay got to the rink early. Nobody else was there not a coach, not a single teammate. The only sounds were the hum of the refrigeration and his skates thumping across the rubber mats.He changed fast, barely noticing the cold. Everything he did was automatic, almost robotic. Laced his skates so tight they pinched. Grabbed his stick. Stepped out.The lights were still half dim, sunrise hadn’t touched the windows yet. He glided out, let himself warm up, slow circles at first. Then picked up speed. Ran through drills without thinking crossovers, tight turns, sprinting bursts. His breath fogged up. Legs burned. But he didn’t stop.At the far end, Jay lined up pucks and started to shoot. One after another. Top corner. Bottom. Right through the five-hole. Sharp, clean shots. No hesitation. Just him and the ice.His phone buzzed from his jacket on the bench. He ignored it. Didn’t need to check. He knew who wasn’t messaging him.6:34am. Team Practice Begin

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