MasukNOAH’S POVFor the first couple of seconds, the woman simply stares at me as though she’s trying to figure out whether I’ve completely lost my mind. Then she lets out a short, disbelieving laugh, her eyes traveling over me from head to toe again.“You must be very entertaining, aren’t you?”But I keep a straight face.“I mean it.”Her laughter dies almost immediately. The fact that I’m standing here completely serious seems to catch her off guard.After a moment, she shrugs as though she couldn’t care less.“Alright, then. Follow me.” She turns and heads deeper into the club, continuing to throw instructions at waitresses and workers as we go. I follow closely behind until we reach a door marked with a small sign. She pushes it open, revealing a wardrobe room filled with girls getting dressed and preparing for their performances.The moment they notice me walking in behind the woman, their conversations gradually die down until only low murmurs remain. Several pairs of eyes turn to
NOAH’S POVFor my own sanity, I don’t even bother heading to the arena today. After dealing with Miles and Tyson this morning, I honestly don’t think I’ll be able to concentrate with either of them anywhere near me.I’ll just email Coach Eddie when I get home and tell him I came down with a sudden fever or something believable enough to keep him from asking too many questions.So, after classes, instead of heading to the arena, I make my way straight back to the apartment. I don’t get very far, though, because the sweet smell of coffee and freshly baked pastries reaches me from a nearby café, practically begging my suddenly grumbling stomach to give in.I glance toward the entrance.Well, I could use a little pick-me-up.I change direction and step inside.“Hi. What can I serve you—” The girl behind the counter stops mid-sentence when our eyes meet.“Emelda?” I blink in surprise. So this is the café she told me she worked at.“OMG, Noah!” Emelda exclaims, her face lighting up as she
MILES’ POVThe puck slides across the ice toward me, but I react a second too late. By the time I manage to get my stick in its path, it has already slipped past my blade.“Fuck.” I mutter under my breath.I push harder against the ice and turn around, chasing after it.“Again!” Coach Eddie’s voice cuts across the rink. I grit my teeth and skate back into position.The drill starts again, but no matter how hard I try, I can’t push away the image of Noah’s face from this morning. Those scared eyes staring back at me before fear gave way to anger, leaving nothing but fury and unforgiveness behind them.Was I really that harsh on her? I know I was, but…I immediately force the thought out of my head when I receive the next pass cleanly. My next move, however, is sloppy because of that brief distraction, and I send the puck too wide, completely missing the spot where Davis is waiting.“Jesus Christ, Miles!”Coach Eddie’s whistle shrieks through the rink, bringing everyone to a stop.“Wh
NOAH’S POVI try to open my mouth and answer him, but my tongue feels glued to the roof of my mouth, partly from shock and partly from the fear crawling through me.“I said…” Miles speaks slowly through gritted teeth when my silence stretches on. A muscle is ticking in his jaw now, and his eyes look even darker and more frightening than they did moments ago. “Do. You. Fucking. Understand?”This time, I immediately nod my head and swallow hard. My palms have turned clammy, and I can feel tiny beads of sweat forming above my upper lip.“Use your fucking words, Noah.”“Yes.” The word finally escapes my throat in a whisper.Only then does Miles slowly pull away from me, removing his hands from either side of my body before taking a step back.A long, shaky breath leaves my mouth, one I didn’t even realize I had been holding, and my knees almost buckle beneath me.For a few seconds, I simply stand there, trying to calm my racing heart as the fear that had gripped me only moments ago slow
NOAH’S POVI don’t leave Miles’ side for the rest of the night. After helping him back into his bed, I sit beside him and use the little first-aid knowledge I have to clean the cut on his palm, disinfect it, apply some healing ointment, and carefully wrap it with a fresh bandage. Again, thankfully, the wound isn’t deep. Once the bleeding stops, I’m relieved that it doesn’t seem serious enough to require a hospital.Still, I don’t trust myself to leave him alone.I stay beside him for the rest of the night, keeping an eye on him in case he starts sleepwalking again and accidentally hurts himself. As I watch him sleep, a strange warmth settles in my chest, mixed with worry and pity that I can’t seem to shake off.Even in his sleep, his brows remain drawn together, and every now and then, a small troubled sound escapes his lips. He tosses and turns beneath the covers, his expression tightening as though he’s trapped inside some horrible dream he can’t escape.It’s honestly hard to bel
NOAH’S POVThe next day, Miles and I are the hottest topic on campus again.The pictures from last night have spread everywhere, along with the drama at Maisie’s party, and apparently everyone has something to say about it.I’m trying my best to ignore the whispers as I walk through campus, but it’s difficult when they seem to follow me everywhere.Even in class.“Maisie getting humbled that badly was the highlight of yesterday,” a girl whispers somewhere behind me. “She really thought she could pull one of those mean stunts on Miles’ girlfriend and get away with it?”“Beats me. Did you see the way Miles stood up for her?” Her friend sounds almost dreamy. “Gosh, I envy that girl. And those pictures of them making out in the car? Did you see those?”The first girl laughs quietly.“That bitch Maisie must be fuming right now.”I keep my eyes on the front of the classroom, pretending I haven’t heard a word.For the rest of the lecture, I do my best to tune everyone out and get used to the







