All Chapters of Ice In His Veins: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️Dear Awesome Readers,You made it to the end and I am so grateful you stayed with me. From the frozen lake to the Stanley Cup, from hatred to forever, you walked every step of this journey with Sebastian and Julian. Every hit, every tear, every whispered promise. Thank you so much for sticking with us till now. I truly appreciate you all big time. ❄️🏒This story lived in my heart for a long time before it reached yours. The boy who forgot. The boy who waited. The seven years of silence that finally broke into something worth fighting for. Knowing that you felt it too means everything to me.I still remember the day I first imagined Sebastian in that parking garage, confused and angry, not knowing why his stepbrother's words cut so deep. and Julian... beautiful, patient Julian, who loved someone who didn't even remember his name. Their journey tested me as much as it tested them. There were nights I sat staring at my screen, wondering if they would ever find their w

Eli Park was the pride of Seattle. At twenty-two years old, he was the youngest starting goalie in the Thunderbirds' history. His save percentage led the league. His reflexes were called supernatural, the fans loved him, the coaches trusted him and the media wanted more of him. But Eli lived in terror and fear. Every morning, he woke up with a weight on his chest and every night, he fell asleep wondering if this would be the day his brother finally destroyed him. Daniel was four years older. He was the golden child. The one who followed their father's rules, who would inherit the family business, who had never made a mistake. Daniel also knew Eli's secret. And he used it like a weapon against him. The blackmail had started about three years ago. Eli had just been drafted, he was young, scared, alone in a new city. Daniel had called him to congratulate him, then asked a simple question "Does the team even know you are gay?" Eli had frozen on the spot... "I will not tell anyo

The game against Vancouver was that night. Eli spent the afternoon in the hotel room, alone. Mack had left for a walk earlier, or maybe to find food. Eli did not care to ask him. He sat on the edge of his bed, staring at his phone. The screen was cracked from when he had thrown it. He should get it fixed, he just did not have time for it yet. His thumb hovered over Daniel's name. He wanted to call him, he wanted to scream at him, to beg him to stop. But he did not because begging did not work. Nothing worked. The phone buzzed in his hand. Eli flinched. Daniel: Big game tonight. Do not choke. Eli's hands shook as he typed. Eli: I will not. Daniel: You say that every time but I know you. You get nervous and your hands shake. You let in soft goals. Eli's stomach dropped. How did Daniel know? Was he watching? Did he have someone at the games? Someone reporting back? Eli: I am fine. Daniel: You are not fine, you are a mess but that is okay. That is why I am here to keep you fo

The restaurant was small and nearly empty. Mack had chosen it for a reason, because of the quiet corners and low lighting. No one who would recognize them. Eli sat across from him, his hands wrapped around a cup of tea, his eyes still red from the panic attack. Neither of them spoke for a very long time. Mack did not push it, he ordered food, poured water for them both and waited. Finally, Eli set down his cup. "Why did you help me?" he inquired. "Because you needed the help." "That is not a good answer." Mack leaned back in his chair. "What do you want me to say? That I felt guilty? That I owed you? That I have been watching you for years, waiting for a chance to make things right?" Eli's expression flickered. "Watching me?" Mack's jaw tightened, he had said too much unknowingly. "Forget it." "No." Eli leaned forward. "What do you mean, watching me?" Mack was quiet for a moment before he decided that a half truth was better than a lie. "I have followed your career. Sin

The bus ride to Calgary was long. Eli sat by the window, his headphones were on, the music was loud enough to drown out the chatter of his teammates. The mentor assignment had been in effect for two weeks now. He and Mack had trained together, eaten together, sat through weekly meetings with the coach. Eli still did not like him but the hatred had faded into something else, something that he can't name that felt like tolerance. Mack sat two rows ahead of him, staring out the window. He had not tried to talk to Eli on the bus and Eli was grateful for that, he needed his own peace. The game was against the Vancouver Storm. A storied franchise but the real draw was not the team. It was the retired legends sitting in the owner's box. Eli had grown up watching them. The stepbrothers who fell in love, the ones who won the Stanley Cup together and proved to the world that two men could love each other and still be champions. Eli wondered if he would ever have that... maybe in his d