The Hockey Roommate's Filthy Desire novel Chapter 168

Chapter 168

Chapter 168

SULTAN’S POV

*Julian, let me ask you something,” the coach said quietly, folding his arms. “Is everything alright with you? And don’t give me that traffic excuse again. I’ve known you for years. You look completely a mess, and your play today was a total disaster.” I didn’t look up at him. “I’m fine, Coach. Just a rough week.”

“You’re not fine,” the coach said sternly, tapping his clipboard against his leg. “If you don’t get a serious hold of yourself nght now, I am genuinely scared for you. More importantly, if you keep playing like this, I cannot risk the team’s success. I won’t let you play at the finals, Julian. I will bench you

The threat felt like a bucket of ice water being dumped over my head. Ice hockey was the only thing I had left to keep me sane, the only place where I could channel my rage.

“I will be sober and ready before then, Coach. I promise you,” I said, my voice dropping into a desperate whisper. “I’ll fix it.” “You better,” he sighed, turning away. “Go get that arm looked at.”

I didn’t go to the medical room. I just threw my regular clothes back on, grabbed my keys, and walked out to my car. My arm was throbbing with every beat of my heart, making it incredibly difficult to turn the steering wheel.

As I was driving back home through the busy afternoon traffic, my phone began to buzz loudly in the cup holder. I glanced down and saw the caller ID.

It was my mother. I let out a long, exhausted sigh and hit the speakerphone button. “Hello, Mom.”

“Julian, thank goodness you answered,” her sharp, elegant voice echoed through the car. She sounded stressed and frantic. “Are you actually planning on missing your cousin Chloe’s wedding? Because you should be at the family manor by now. The pre-wedding events have already started, and your father and I are the only ones here representing our branch of the family.”

I completely froze, my mind going totally blank. Chloe’s wedding. A wave of intense guilt washed over me as memories from weeks ago flashed in my mind.

It was then that I suddenly realized my cousin Chloe had personally given me her wedding invitation a while back. But during that exact time,

I was completely consumed with my manic plans to travel down to find Aria in Brandon’s city. I had been so obsessed with tracking Aria down that I had completely tossed the invitation aside and completely forgotten about it.

“Julian? Are you listening to me?” my mom demanded when I didn’t respond.

“Yes, Mom, I’m here,” I lied smoothly, rubbing my throbbing temples with my uninjured hand. “I didn’t forget about Chloe’s wedding, I swear. I’ve just been caught up with some incredibly intense team training for the upcoming finals.” “Well, you need to make time,” she scolded gently. “Chloe is your favorite cousin, and she expects you to be there.”

“I know, I know,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “I won’t miss it. I’ll show up on the actual wedding day. That’s two days away, right?”

r

“Yes, two days from now, in the morning,” my mother sighed, sounding a bit relieved. “Please don’t be late, Julian. Put on a nice suit and look presentable. I’ll see you there.”

“Alright, Mom. See you in two days,” I murmured, and ended the call.

I threw the phone back onto the passenger seat and let out a dark, bitter laugh. My life was completely falling apart at the seams, and now I had to put on a fake smile and attend a grand family wedding in forty-eight hours.

That night, the house was dark and completely quiet again. Leonie was out somewhere spending my money, which was the only saving grace of my evening. Even though I had told her to leave, she was still insistent on staying.

I was sitting on the edges of my ruined couch, a fresh bottle of liquor in my hand, when Blake called me. I picked it up on the first ring, desperate for any distraction. “Blake. Tell me you have some good news.”

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. When Blake finally spoke, his voice sounded heavy, carrying a tone that instantly made my stomach clench with anxiety.

*Julian, we need to have a serious conversation,” Blake said softly. “I went over to Aria’s house for dinner yesterday.”

I gritted my teeth so hard my jaw ached. The jealousy flared up instantly, hot and toxic. “And? What did she say? Did she ask about me? Is she still angry?”

“Julian, listen to me,” Blake interrupted, his voice full of pity, a pity that I absolutely despised. “If you don’t have a solid,

Chapter 168

foolproof plan to actually get Aria back you need to stop sulking around like a child. You are destroying yourself for nothing ”

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify