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Chapter 11: Under Review
publish date:
2026-06-25 06:57:49
Latest chapter
Across The Ice: Falling for my ex’s biggest rival Chapter 12: More Than Three Words
The second interview happened three days later, which felt both too soon and somehow overdue. I would have happily pretended the first one counted as a complete piece of journalism, but Melissa had taken one look at my draft and shut that idea down immediately. Apparently, an article composed of Dean Mercer answering in single-syllable words did not qualify as compelling content. She said it with a straight face, which made it worse. I tried to argue. I lost. So I went back. Practice had already wrapped up by the time I got to the rink, which was the only reason I didn’t turn around and leave. The place still smelled faintly like ice and sweat, and players were drifting out in loose clusters, laughing, arguing, already halfway into whatever came next for them. Ryan was in the middle of it all, talking to three different people as he had cloned himself. Dean, on the other hand, was exactly where I expected him to be, sitting off to the side on a bench near the entrance, phone in
Across The Ice: Falling for my ex’s biggest rival Chapter 11: Under Review
The problem with finding a file with your name on it is that it doesn’t leave you alone afterward. It sits there in your head, quiet but stubborn, like something unfinished. I tried to ignore it. I really did. For almost two days, I kept telling myself there had to be a normal explanation. Something boring. Something that didn’t mean anything. Maybe it was tied to Easton. Maybe it was just paperwork. Some administrative thing I didn’t understand. Maybe Mercer Athletics kept files on everyone, and I just happened to notice mine. I kept circling those ideas, trying to make one of them stick. None of them did. “That’s creepy.” Ava didn’t even hesitate. I had barely finished explaining before she said it, already reaching for another fry as she’d just solved a puzzle. “It isn’t creepy,” I said, though even to me it sounded weak. “It’s absolutely creepy.” She chewed, unfazed. “A billion-dollar company has a file with your name on it.” “It could be work-related.” “It cou
Across The Ice: Falling for my ex’s biggest rival Chapter 10: Mercer Athletics
Things had settled into something that almost resembled stability. Not the kind that erased problems, but enough that I could move through my days without constantly waiting for everything to fall apart. Tuition still loomed like a threat I kept postponing, my life still split awkwardly between Northbridge and Easton, and the internet still treated me like a storyline they could dip into whenever they felt like it. But I had classes, work, and a routine that held together more often than it didn’t. It wasn’t peace, but it was close enough that I stopped questioning it. That should have been my warning. Melissa didn’t knock when she walked in, didn’t hesitate, didn’t ease into anything. She moved like she always did—already halfway through her agenda before anyone else caught up. “I need a favor.” I didn’t bother pretending enthusiasm. I leaned back slightly, watching her over my laptop. “That depends entirely on what kind of favor.” “A media event.” Too simple. Melissa’s version
Across The Ice: Falling for my ex’s biggest rival Chapter 9: Unfinished Business
I almost turned around when I saw him, not in any dramatic way, just a quiet pivot that would have let me disappear back into the flow of campus traffic and pretend I’d forgotten something. It would have been easy—clean, even—but Mason spotted me before I could commit to it, straightening like he’d been waiting for this exact collision. Leaving after that would have been obvious, and I wasn’t interested in giving him the satisfaction of calling it avoidance. “Iris.” I exhaled, already tired of the conversation we hadn’t even started. “Mason.” Seeing him didn’t hit the way it used to. A month ago, his voice alone could derail my entire day, send me spiraling through every word and implication. Now it felt more like an interruption—unwelcome, inconvenient, something I’d rather not deal with but couldn’t ignore. “You’ve been ignoring me.” “I thought I was being subtle,” I said, shifting my bag higher on my shoulder as students streamed past us, laughter and conversation carrying on
Across The Ice: Falling for my ex’s biggest rival Chapter 8: Rumors
By my second day at Easton, I had something that almost resembled a routine. It wasn’t comfortable, not yet, but it had structure—Northbridge during the day, Easton in the evenings, and whatever scraps of energy remained went into assignments and the quiet effort of holding myself together. It worked well enough to keep me moving. What surprised me more was how quickly it stopped feeling strange. A week ago, walking into Easton’s arena with a media badge would have felt like stepping into someone else’s life. Now I nodded at security without hesitation, navigated the hallways without thinking, and slipped into the rhythm of the place as if I’d always belonged there. Life didn’t wait for readiness; it simply adjusted around you until you caught up. “You’re late.” I glanced up from my desk to find Blake leaning against it, arms crossed, wearing the kind of expression that suggested he’d been waiting specifically to say that. “I’m three minutes early.” “Exactly,” he said, pointing as
Across The Ice: Falling for my ex’s biggest rival Chapter 7: First Day
Ava’s reaction came through the phone at full volume, forcing me to pull it away before she could permanently damage my hearing. She didn’t bother easing into it, just launched straight into disbelief and celebration, repeating the news like it might vanish if she didn’t say it enough times. “You got the job? At Easton?” “Yes,” I said, trying—and failing—not to smile as I paced my room. “Lower your voice.” “No.” “Ava.” “No.” Her refusal was immediate and predictable, and somehow that steadiness grounded me more than anything else had in the past few days. She kept going, talking over herself, emphasizing every word like she was announcing it to a stadium instead of one person on the other end of a call. “You got the job. The job. The one that could literally save your degree.” That part landed differently. Not dramatic, just factual in a way that settled into my chest with weight. I dropped onto my bed, pressing my hand into the mattress as if confirming something solid existe
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