YOU BELONG WITH ME // Jack Hughes

Chapter 06 - And she'll never know your story like I do

MIA

The next day, we got up before the sun was up and headed to the lake house. We have this tradition that started when Jack and I were 10. Our parents wanted to spend Christmas in a place where we could play outside and they could enjoy it too. It was my father who found the place. It was the perfect Christmas and we all enjoyed it so much, we wanted to come live here. Of course we couldn't so Ellen had the idea that once a month, we would spend a weekend there, together. It was pretty consistent until Quinn was drafted. Then Jack. Then I started uni. Then Luke was drafted. We missed six months since Luke started uni. So it was good to have a bit of familiarity after all these stressful months.

Quinn was already there when we arrived, skating on the frozen lake, shooting some pucks on a net. Luke just put his skates on and they started to play against each other. Jack still wasn't talking to them. Or them to him. He went straight to his room.

"They've been like this since before the last game" Jim said as he passed by me with his suitcase. "Don't mind them, they'll probably fight each other in a couple of hours then everything will be back to normal"

"I hope so" I said to him and he patted me on the shoulder.

I found a chair and sat by the lake, reading a book. After a few minutes, Luke went inside the house and Quinn came to me, breathing hard.

"Wanna play?"

"On this thin ice? You two are insane" I said turning a page.

"You used to be more adventurous" he complained and sat by my side on the ground. "Luke told me you've been bothering him about his fight with Jack"

"I'm not bothering him" I say, closing my book. "I just asked why they fought and neither him or Jack tell me what happened"

"Just forget about it," he says looking at the lake. "It's not worth it"

"If it's not serious why none of you tell me?" I didn't hide that I was upset. "You're not even talking to Jack"

"Because I don't want to" he says dreary and I huff.

"Besides," I say as I remember. "Mathew told me Luke and Jack said my name when they were arguing"

"Mat Barzal?" he looks at me. "When I catch him..."

"Nothing. You won't do a thing"

"That's true" he punched my leg. "Yes, it has something to do with you"

"Then I have the right to know" I'm almost begging at this point.

"Fine, I tell you" he sighs. "It started because of the matching costumes you two wore at the Halloween party" I frowned and he quickly added. "Luke told me this part. He said it happened by chance but Grace didn't like it and left the party. Jack drank and was looking for you"

"And he found me. We even had an argument"

"But before he found you, he talked to Luke. He didn't even try to go after Grace. Luke said he shouldn't be after you and that he should go talk to his girlfriend, make things clear to her" I nodded. "But he said he just wanted to talk to you. Luke decided to let it go at the time. After a couple of days, we were video calling, gaming, as usual, when Grace appeared in his room. They started to argue and he forgot to mute the call. We heard everything"

"Yikes"

"Yeah, yikes" he stopped for a second, breathing. "To be fair, I had a disproportional reaction to the what I heard"

"But how did I end up being in this?"

"Just listen" he shushed me. "I won't tell everything but what I know is that Jack isn't in love with Grace. I think he barely likes her. He's with her because it is convenient" I thought he sounded a little mean but I kept quiet. "Jack likes another girl"