Rebel Yell

Chapter: Bound

"Get the puck! Jack, get the puck!" Bobby roared as Jack and another guy from the opposite team slammed up against the boards. I wasn't sure who pushed who, I just winced as I looked back down at my phone.

"Amber? Hello?" Julia asked on the other end of the phone.

"Julia?" I asked, "Can you hear me yet? this fucking piece of shit phone! I'm in a hockey hut outside, the reception is shit!" I explained. I've been trying to get a hold of Julia since she called me back at the house but at first when I tried to call her back, the phone was busy and then we left the house and headed to the outdoor rink and I've been having shitty reception ever since.

"Hello?" She asked again, clearly not hearing me.

"Fuck sake!" I shouted, making a guy beside me stare at me weirdly.

Sighing, I put my phone back in my pocket with my hands. It wasn't bitter cold outside, but it was cold enough that I was already wishing I would have worn a hoodie or something underneath my thin jacket. Even though my teeth were chattering and I was shaking from being so cold, I couldn't help the huge grin across my face as I watched Jack body checking into others while playing hockey. Not because he was doing that.. but because I was happy again. Happy to be back home, regardless of the circumstance of Evelyn's shooting... but happy to be be back around all of the Mercer brothers and especially happy to be back with Jack.

I don't know if what Evelyn said to Jack earlier on the night she was killed, was right. About the "if you love something, let it go. If it comes back it's your's.. if it doesn't then it never really was". It's clear I needed to move away after the miscarriage... needed to find myself as I've only ever known Jack in the relationship sense. Yes, I loved Billy and Billy made me feel happy... but not like Jack does. Though, I'll be the first to admit that I often think about Billy, hoping that he's okay and isn't in jail or involved in even worse shit than he already is involved in on a regular basis.

After the game, I stood behind Jerry, Angel and Bobby as they were loading up their hockey bags into the back of Jerry's crossover. Jack was casually walking over to us with a large, heavy black hockey bag over his shoulder and a hockey stick in his hand. His hair was blowing in the wind and his blue eyes were twinkling as he smiled in my direction, almost making me melt right then and there.

"Your wheels make me want to go out there and steal an American car." Angel said to Jerry in a joking tone.

Jack and Jerry put the last bit of hockey equipment in the back of Jerry's vehicle before Jerry shut the trunk door, staring over at Angel, "Well before all that nostalgia wears off.. and ya'll plan out blowing out of town... we got some important business to take care of."

"Like what?" Angel asked softly.

"We have to go see ma's lawyer on Monday... do you think ya'll can handle staying under the same roof this weekend?" Jerry asked as we all got into his vehicle.

"Not giving us enough credit, little brother." Bobby chuckled as he looked back at Jack, Angel and I in the backseat.

"Did you get a hold of Julia?" Jack asked me quietly.

"Julia?" Bobby asked looking at Jack and I both over his shoulder.

"Yeah, she's living in Boston now..." I told Bobby, "She tried to call me but we've been playing phone tag for the past hour."

"What's she doing there?" Bobby asked slowly.

"She's working there at the hospital." I replied.

"Looks like you missed out." Angel teased.

"...Yeah." Bobby replied shortly, looking away.

"Hey, good game that was huh Bobby?" Jack asked, in hopes of changing the awkward subject that was just brought up.