Page 1 of Price of Victory
ONE
RHETT
The dorm roomfelt bigger with half the stuff missing.
I dropped my gear bag next to my bed and looked across at Lennox’s side of the room. His desk was clean, bed made with military precision, and the only sign he’d been back at all was the fresh laundry folded in a neat pile on his dresser. Everything else screamed, “I’m practically living somewhere else now.”
Not that I blamed him. If I had a boyfriend like Oliver waiting for me across campus, I’d probably be doing the same thing.
I started unpacking, tossing clothes into drawers and setting up my laptop on the desk. Through the window, I could see other students hauling suitcases and boxes across the quad. Move-in weekend always had this buzzing energy, like everyone was gearing up for something big. For me, that something was senior year and my last shot at making scouts notice me before graduation.
No pressure or anything.
My phone buzzed with a text from Lennox:Lumière at 7? Need to catch up and Oliver’s training tonight.
I typed back:See you there.
Lumière was our usual spot—a cozy campus bar tucked into the basement of the student union that served decent food anddidn’t ask too many questions about fake IDs. We’d been going there since sophomore year, back when the team was struggling and we needed somewhere to drink our sorrows away. Now, it felt like home.
I finished unpacking and grabbed a shower, trying to shake off the weird mood that had been following me around since I’d gotten back to campus. Everyone else seemed to have their shit figured out, and here I was, twenty-two years old and still feeling like I was waiting for my real life to start.
Lumière was busy when I got there, filled with students catching up after summer break. I spotted Lennox at our usual booth in the back and made my way over, dodging servers and groups of freshmen who looked like they were trying way too hard to seem sophisticated.
“Look who’s back,” Lennox said, standing up to give me a quick hug. “You look good, buddy.”
“Thanks. You look…” I paused, taking in his relaxed posture and the way his eyes kept drifting toward his phone. “Happy. Really happy.”
He grinned, and I swear he was glowing. “Yeah, well. Good break.”
We sat down and ordered our usual—burgers and beers, nothing fancy. Lennox filled me in on his summer break, which had apparently involved a lot of time with Oliver, hiking, and lazy lakeside moments that made me feel like I was watching a Hallmark movie.
“What about you?” he asked after the server brought our drinks. “How was it here?”
“Good. Quiet. Spent most of it training and hanging out with my parents.” I took a sip of beer. “They’re doing well. Dad’s excited about some new acquisition, Mom’s been redecorating the house again.”
“Still trying to convince you to join the family business?”
“Nah, they gave up on that freshman year. They’re pretty supportive of the hockey thing, actually.”
Lennox nodded. “That’s cool. Not everyone’s parents are that understanding about their kids chasing sports dreams.”
“Yeah, I’m lucky.” And I was. My parents had never put pressure on me to follow in Dad’s footsteps, never made me feel guilty for choosing hockey over board meetings. They funded my education, made sure I had everything I needed, but they stayed out of the way and let me figure things out on my own.
Our food arrived, and we spent a few minutes eating in comfortable silence. Lennox kept glancing at his phone, but not in an annoying way. More like he couldn’t help himself.
“So,” I said finally. “You and Oliver. Things are serious.”
It wasn’t a question. Anyone with eyes could see how gone Lennox was.
“Yeah.” He looked almost embarrassed by how happy he was. “I know it’s only been a few months, but…”
“But it feels right.”
“Exactly.” He paused, studying my face. “What about you? Anyone interesting?”
I shrugged. “Not really. Been focused on training, you know? Senior year’s going to be intense.”
“Come on, Rhett. You could have your pick of guys if you wanted. You’re smart, you’re athletic, you’re?—”
