All Chapters of The Ice King’s Fake Fixer: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

FEYA“I don’t actually think ‘dumb’ is the right word for him, Coach Wallace. It’s scientifically imprecise.”I didn’t look at Jaxson Rivers when I said it, mostly because looking at people is a sensory nightmare, but also because I was busy counting the number of acoustic foam tiles on the office ceiling. There were forty-two. Three were peeling at the corners. It was deeply distressing.“Feya,” Coach Wallace sighed. He sounded like a man who had spent the last twenty years inhaling locker room steam and regret. “Not the time, please.”“I’m just saying,” I continued, my voice flat and even. I kept my hands tucked into the oversized sleeves of my charcoal sweater so I wouldn’t pick at my cuticles. “Dumb implies a lack of intellectual capacity. Mr. Rivers has capacity; he just chooses to prioritize a frozen disc of vulcanized rubber over basic literacy.”“Excuse me?” The voice came from the chair to my left. It was deep, slightly raspy, and currently vibrating with enough irritation t

JAXSONJaxsonThe ice was sharp, bright, and loud. The scrape of twenty pairs of skates sounded like a chainsaw tearing through my skull. I didn't care about the noise, though. I cared about the puck. Or rather, the two pucks that were currently gliding across the blue line.I took a shot, aiming for the one on the left. The stick hit empty air. The real puck bounced off the boards, and the whistle blew.I bit back a curse, my fists curling in frustration. “Alright, wrap it up!” Coach Wallace barked from the bench. “Good hustle, boys. Hit the showers.”In the locker room, the guys were already tossing around plans. “Yo, Rivers,” Tommy yelled, throwing a towel at me. “Alpha House is having a pre-playoff rager. Everyone’s going. You in?”“Nah,” I said, not looking up as I unlaced my skates. My eyes were burning, a dull, pulsing ache throbbing right behind my forehead. “I’m good. Just tired.”“Tired?” Caleb Sterling, my best friend, slipped onto the bench next to me, an easy smile in h

FEYA"Get out," Maya snapped, stepping between him and my corner of the room. Her combat boots clicked loudly against the floor. "She is having a severe sensory overload because of your stupid blog post, and you walking in here like a wrecking ball isn't helping."Jaxson didn't look at her. His piercing blue eyes were fixed entirely on me. He took a slow, deliberate step around Maya and dropped to one knee, lowering his posture until he was at eye level with my curled-up form."Feya," he said. His voice was lower now, losing its usual arrogant edge, though it still had that raspy vibration that scratched at my ears. "Just…look at my chin or something. Come on.”I forced my eyes open, shifting my gaze to the sharp line of his jaw. It was perfectly even. The bastard. I took calming breaths. "The photographs…," I said, my voice cracking slightly. "I know," Jaxson said, standing up and running a hand through his unruly black hair. He looked completely stressed, a sharp vein pulsing near

FEYA"Feya doesn't do freelance work anymore," Jaxson said, his tone entirely casual as he threw an arm over Caleb’s shoulder. He offered a relaxed, easy laugh that sounded so completely genuine. "She’s strictly exclusive to the athletic department's tutoring pool now, man. Wallace would have my head if I let anyone else steal her."Caleb laughed, shaking his head. "Hey, fair enough. If she got you a B-minus in Advanced Physics, she's basically a miracle worker. I just didn't know you two were... an item.""Life is full of surprises, Sterling," Jaxson grinned, giving Caleb's shoulder a friendly shove. "Go grab your coffee. We’ll see you at practice.""See you there, Captain," Caleb said, his smile very bright as he finally stepped aside. He gave me one last, polite nod before turning toward the counter.The moment Caleb’s back was turned, Jaxson’s arm dropped from my shoulders. The easy grin vanished from his face, replaced by a tight, pale expression. He grabbed my hand again and p