Se connecterAlex’s POV “Over there! What is taking you so long just to wipe a few drops off the floor? Do you think you have all day to stand around daydreaming?” The coach’s voice cracked through the air like a whip, sharp and impatient, echoing off the cold walls of the arena hallway. I stood frozen where I was, holding the damp rag in my hand, my knuckles turning white from how tightly I gripped it. I had dreamed of this place for as long as I could remember—stepping onto this ice, wearing this uniform, hearing my name called out as one of the best players in the world. But this… this was nothing like my dream. This was not glory. This was not respect. This was being treated like dirt, like a servant, like something that didn’t matter at all. I didn’t come here to clean floors. I didn’t come here to be ordered around like a dog. I didn’t come here for this team, or this coach, or any of this. Every breath I took, every step I made, every stupid thing they told me to do—I did it all for her
Alex’s POV “Over there! What is taking you so long just to wipe a few drops off the floor? Do you think you have all day to stand around daydreaming?” The coach’s voice cracked through the air like a whip, sharp and impatient, echoing off the cold walls of the arena hallway. I stood frozen where I was, holding the damp rag in my hand, my knuckles turning white from how tightly I gripped it. I had dreamed of this place for as long as I could remember—stepping onto this ice, wearing this uniform, hearing my name called out as one of the best players in the world. But this… this was nothing like my dream. This was not glory. This was not respect. This was being treated like dirt, like a servant, like something that didn’t matter at all. I didn’t come here to clean floors. I didn’t come here to be ordered around like a dog. I didn’t come here for this team, or this coach, or any of this. Every breath I took, every step I made, every stupid thing they told me to do—I did it all for her
Emily’s POV I stood frozen in front of my apartment door, my hand hovering over the handle, unable to bring myself to turn it. Every time I looked at that plain wooden surface, my mind flashed back to the camera I had found tucked behind my favorite painting—the tiny lens hidden so carefully, watching me sleep, watching me cry, watching every single thing I thought I was doing in private. I gripped my bag tighter, my stomach twisting with unease. How many more are there? I wondered. Is there one in here? In the living room? In the bedroom? Does he see me even when I lock the door? The hallway was quiet, but it didn’t feel empty. It felt like eyes were everywhere. “Just getting back, Em?” The voice came from right behind me—smooth, calm, and entirely too close—and I jumped so hard I nearly dropped my keys. My heart hammered wildly against my ribs as I spun around sharply, and there he was: Will. He stood just a few steps away, leaning casually against the wall as if he had been wa
Emily’s POVThe doctor pulled his stethoscope away and looked at me with gentle but serious eyes. “Your body is under too much strain, Emily. You are carrying a child, and right now, you are not giving either of you what you need. Too much stress, too little rest, too much fear. You must slow down. You must rest properly. Not just for yourself—but for the life growing inside you.”I nodded slowly, unable to find my voice, my hands resting lightly over my stomach as if protecting something fragile and secret. Every word he said settled heavy in my chest. I knew he was right. I felt it in every ache, every wave of dizziness, every moment my legs shook beneath me. But how could I rest? How could I slow down when Alex was still missing? When Will was still pulling every string? When every second felt like a second closer to something terrible happening?The doctor gave me one last quiet instruction, then stepped away to let Kael come forward. I watched him walk toward me, his steps slow a
Emily’s POV We sat side by side on the hard plastic bench in the hospital waiting area, the air around us quiet and heavy, broken only by the distant beep of monitors and the soft footsteps of nurses passing by. My hands rested in my lap, twisting nervously, my mind still tangled in everything that had happened. Kael sat with his elbows on his knees, staring down the long corridor leading to Peter’s room, his expression tense and watchful. “Kael,” I said softly, breaking the silence. “How well do you know Karen? Have you seen her lately? What is she doing now?” Kael let out a long, slow breath, shaking his head slightly. “I barely hear anything about her anymore. She hasn’t come to the arena in weeks. Not since… well, not since everything started falling apart. I guess… maybe there’s just no reason for her to be there now. Everything changed after that fight with Alex. She stepped back, and no one has seen much of her since.” We fell quiet again, our eyes fixed on the closed door
Emily’s POV When Kael pulled up outside the hospital, my chest felt tight and heavy, every breath shallow and strained. We walked quickly down the long, quiet hallway toward Peter’s room, and I saw the rest of the hockey team standing there—Peter’s closest friends, his teammates—huddled together outside the closed door, shifting on their feet, their faces etched with worry and confusion. They had come straight from practice, still in their tracksuits, some holding flowers, others carrying his favorite snacks, all of them ready to sit with him and talk and keep him company. “Hey,” Kael said, stepping up to them, his voice low and concerned. “Why are you all still out here? Why haven’t you gone in to see him yet?” One of the guys, Mike, shook his head slowly, his shoulders slumped. “They won’t let us in. The nurses and the security guards said no one is allowed inside except immediate family. That’s all they would tell us. We tried explaining we’re like family to him, but they just
Emily’s POV Alex was carrying me through the pulsing club lights like I weighed nothing.One strong arm wrapped under my knees, the other supporting my back. My cheek pressed against his bare chest, still warm from where I’d collapsed into him moments ago. The bass vibrated through his body into m
Emily’s POVMy legs felt loose and heavy at the same time as I stumbled back toward the bar. The music pulsed louder in my ears, each beat slamming against my skull. Kara’s warning from moments ago still rang in my head, but I pushed it away. “Another one,” I told the bartender, slapping my hand
Emily’s POVMy body moved on its own, hips swaying harder than I ever had before, arms raised like I could push the pain out through my fingertips. The bass thumped inside my chest, matching the angry beat of my pulse. Sweat clung to my skin. The black dress rode up my thighs with every sharp turn
Emily’s POVMy laughter died the second I pushed open the café door.There he was, Lucas, my boyfriend of thirteen months with another girl on his lap, kissing her like he was starving.His hands gripped her waist exactly the way they used to grip mine. Her long chestnut hair spilled over his shoul







