ENCHANTED -'๑'- JACK HUGHES

thirty eight

☄. *. ⋆ ID NEVER SING OF LOVE IF IT DOES NOT EXIST
BUT DARLING, YOU ARE THE ONLY EXCEPTION
paramore

STELLA

MY HEART was shattered. For Jack, for Cole, for Trevor, even for Matt. After five consecutive wins, it all came up to tonight. The last match to win the gold, to bring it home to America.

But we lost. We lost by one singular goal. I was in shambles thinking about the state of mind the boys were, they watched their opposing team celebrate with gold colored confetti that could've been theirs. Watched them all wear reflecting medals and cheer loudly.

Jack was the first one off the ice. And I was running like a lunatic to the locker room. For the first time throughout this trip, the locker room was silent. No celebrating or the coach screaming, just deafening silence.

When the door opened, I froze. It wasn't Jack, instead it was Trevor. The small pout on his lips made me frown. Trevor was rarely ever not in his cheery mood but he was miserable.

He didn't say anything to me as he rested his forehead on my collar bone, a tired sigh leaving his lips as he held me.

"Oh, Z." I whined, my eyes darting behind him where Cole was equally as sad, the shorter boy joining our embrace. "Cole."

I had witnessed first hand what this team could do and it absolutely shattered me to think all of their hard work was thrown in the trash.

"This is it." Cole shook his head. "We're all getting drafted and it's less likely we'll play together ever again. This was our one last fucking game and we blew it."

I pouted, Trevor standing up fully now. "I don't care what you guys say, you killed it out there. You tried, okay? That's what matters."

Cole forced a smile, appreciating my words. "Thanks, Stella."

"Jack's in bad shape." Trevor cleared his throat. "I've never seen him that upset. He wouldn't even talk to us or coach. I'm worried."

If I couldn't handle seeing Trevor and Cole
mope, I had no clue how I was going to face Jack. "What do I do?"

"I don't think he wants to talk to anyone right now." Trevor said with honesty, Cole nodding in agreement. "Why don't you sit with us on the bus, Stells? Just let him breathe."

I wanted to fight and say that, that would be wrong but I didn't. The last thing I wanted to do was step on his toes, he'd come around eventually. That was the only thing I could say to myself for ease.

Trevor and I squeezed into the bus, me happily taking the aisle seat as I just wanted to see him. The boys began to load onto the bus, no smiles, no sense of emotion. Just emptiness.

Jack was the last to get on the bus, his bag hung around his shoulder as his head was down. He lifted it momentarily, locking eyes with me as he passed, his fingers pressing into my shoulder gently.

I turned my head as I watched his backside, he moved all the way to the back of the bus, plopping down as he kicked his feet up on the open seat, gesturing he didn't want company.

When we arrived back at the hotel, I went straight to my room, fighting my own heart as I desperately wanted to cling to Jack.

I rubbed my eyes, changing into Jacks T-shirt as I looked at myself in the mirror, brushing my teeth. The imagine flashing through my head of Jack being alone with his bottled emotions was enough to make me spit out my toothpaste and head to his room.

I paused in front of the door, nerves beginning to bottle up as I shook my head, knocking.

The door open after a few seconds and the sight was enough to make me yearn. Jack's eyes were glossy and red, his skin pale and small sniffles were leaving his nose. He had been crying.

"Oh, Jack." I muttered, eyeing him carefully. "Can I come in?"

Jack nodded, shutting the door behind me as I walked over to his bed which had still been made. I worked quickly to toss the pillows to the side, making room for the two of us.

I sat down, sitting slightly upright as I held my hand out for him. "Come here, Jack."

Jack didn't say anything as he walked over to me, placing his entire body on top of mine as he rested his face into the crook of my neck.

I ran my fingers through his hair as he held me tightly and I felt that this was the most intimate we'd ever been. He was falling apart.

"I'm sorry about the outcome." I finally spoke, knowing I was walking on eggshells. "I'm so fucking proud of you, Jack."

Jack moved down slightly, resting his chin just above my breasts to fully look at me. I wiped my thumbs beneath his eyes, feeling how swollen and damp they'd been.

"I could've done better." His voice cracked. "I lost it for us, Stella. This is it for me. I'm never playing a game with this program again and this is how we end it?"

"I wish you could see that it's not your fault all the time." My voice was sallow, holding a gentleness to it as I continued to stroke his cheekbones.

Jack blinked, shaking his head. "And here I am, acting like a fucking baby. I shouldn't burden you with this."

I grabbed his shoulders as he tried to crawl off of me, forcing him to stay in place. "Hey. Stop, Jack. It's okay to let yourself feel. Please don't try and shut me out. I'm here."

Jack leaned up, kissing me softly before pulling back and moving the strands of hair from my face. "Stella?"

"Yes, Jack?" I darted my eyes between his, my heart beginning to beat faster. "What is it?"

"I'm sorry." He pressed his lips together. I could feel myself flinch.

He was still hovering over me at this point. I was holding his face in my hands. "What are you sorry for?" I began to panic. Was he breaking up with me?

"I love you." The three words slipped past his lips with ease, his droopy eyes scanning my features as he seemed to wait for my reaction.

I didn't believe in love, Jack. At least that's what I swore. But from the day we shared our first kiss, you stitched up my temple, you danced with me in the streets in Sweden, in all of those moments, I loved you.

"I love you." I smiled, tilting my head to the side as I traced his lips with my fingers. "I love you, Jack."

"God." Jack blinked with relief, lowering himself to kiss me, pulling back just to kiss me again. "I love you."

I Love You. Three words that were engraved in my mind, till the end.

LEZS GOOO