7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Elias

Sixteen Years Old

"Are we there yet?" Jarman's grumble echoed through the dense forest as we trudged up the steep path. I had hiked this trail early the day before, bursting with excitement to bring him back so he could see.

"Come on! Think of it as training for the new season," I urged, casting a hopeful glance over my shoulder.

"It's summer, Mouse,” he complained, voice laden with obvious discontent. "My one time to veg out and eat junk food, not hike up a steep mountain."

"Full of complaints! And we have summer hockey camp in two weeks, so this is just the cardio to get you ready," I retorted, trying to keep the mood light.

He groaned but begrudgingly followed behind me. I knew he was only cranky because I dragged him out before sunrise .

"This better be worth it. We could be snuggled in bed right now.”

I turned to face him, locking onto those warm brown eyes. "Come on, grumpy bear. You trust me, right?"

He sighed, but I caught that familiar quirk of his lip. "Yeah, yeah," he conceded. He tried to play it cool, but I knew he trusted me with his life—like I would never let anything happen to him. We reached the end of the wooded incline and without hesitation, I grabbed his hand and pulled him up over the hill.

We paused on top of the rocky edge, greeted by the breathtaking sight of the sparkling blue Alaskan water. The sun rose in the sky, casting golden and pink hues that danced among the treetops.

"Wow," Shane breathed, eyes wide in awe. I couldn't help but grin goofily. I spread out a blanket and retrieved breakfast sandwiches—courtesy of Anne—and a thermos of hot chocolate.

Jarman looked at me with an expression I couldn't quite decipher, his warm eyes intense and it briefly took my breath away. But the moment passed, and he took a seat on the blanket, keeping a good distance from me as he watched the sunrise.

I shifted closer and handed him his drink. "Beautiful, isn't it?" I asked, meeting his gaze once more.

He let out a heavy sigh. "Yeah, beautiful."

Present

Coming to Canada had been a mistake. It felt as though my heart was trying to claw its way right out of my chest. Tears streamed down my cheeks, and I had long given up trying to wipe them away—it didn’t do any good.

Defeated, I dragged myself to the guys’ shared condo. The door swung open at the sound of my knock, revealing a disheveled Hunter.

"Mouse...Jesus, are you okay?" he asked, concern etched into his features.

I silently pushed past him. Talking had proved futile, serving only to distract me from the important details about my friend. I stormed into Jarman’s room, grabbed my bag, and turned to leave. My gaze swept across the room, noting the absence of a single picture of us. It felt like a stab in the heart, as if Jarman moved here and completely erased our friendship. I couldn't fathom why.

As I turned to leave his room, I took a quick mental note of the condo that Jarman now called home. A door creaked open, revealing Ty, just as ruffled as Hunter.

“Oh, you guys too? Great. Fucking great. Do I look like a raging homophobe or something? Is that why none of you felt comfortable telling me?”

I knew I was on a rampage but I just couldn’t understand. My mind flicked through all our past encounters, trying to pinpoint where I might have given off the impression that they couldn’t trust me.

"Mouse, no! We just... we’re trying to lay low. We didn’t want you to accidentally let it slip—we both have a lot on the line." Tyler’s attempts to justify himself fell on deaf ears.

The only thing I could hear was my father in my head, the same words I’d heard my entire life. But now, it hit differently. It felt like a betrayal, a stark realization that being myself came with its own set of consequences. And suddenly, I felt alone .

The pressure on my chest intensified, squeezing the breath from my lungs.

“If you think I would out you,” I whispered, voice choked with emotion, “then you clearly don’t know me at all.”

I pushed past Hunter, ignoring his calls behind me and moved until I was seated in an Uber headed for the airport. With trembling hands, I booked a flight back home, desperate to escape the weight of betrayal.