LOGINHarper POVBy the time I get back to the house, the adrenaline from the game has finally started to wear off.And in its place—Is everything else.The way Logan looked at me after.The way he came to find me first.The way he kissed me like none of the other stuff mattered.I shouldn’t still be thinking about it.But I am.Of course I am.Because nothing about this is simple anymore.I push open the front door, stepping inside, the familiar noise of the house wrapping around me—voices, laughter, someone arguing over music in the background.Normal.Grounding.Exactly what I need right now.“Finally!” Lila’s voice cuts through the room.I barely have time to react before she’s in front of me, grabbing my arm and pulling me further inside.“You disappeared after the game,” she says. “Do I even want to know?”I give her a look.“No.”“That’s a yes.”“It’s a none of your business.”She grins.“So definitely a yes.”I shake my head, trying not to smile.“I went to his game. That’s it.”“A
Logan POVThe second I step back inside the arena—Everything feels colder.Not the ice.Not the air.Just… colder.Like whatever I had out there in the parking lot—With her—Got left behind the second that door closed.I roll my shoulders once, trying to shake it off as I walk down the hallway toward the locker rooms.But it doesn’t work.Because I already know what’s waiting for me.And I don’t want to deal with it.Not tonight.Not after that game.Not after—I stop just short of the locker room entrance.Voices.Low.Controlled.One of them—I know immediately.My jaw tightens.Yeah.He’s here.Of course he is.I push the door open.The locker room is quieter now.Most of the guys are either in the showers or already dressed, the chaos from earlier settling into something more contained.But over near Coach’s office—There he is.My dad.Standing like he owns the place.Talking to Coach like this is just another business meeting.Like this isn’t my life.Coach glances up first.S
Harper POVLogan’s mouth is still on mine when I realize how quiet it is.Not just inside the car—But everywhere.The parking lot is mostly empty now. The chaos from the game has faded into the distance, leaving behind scattered cars, dim overhead lights, and long shadows stretching across the pavement.It feels… isolated.Like we slipped out of the real world for a second.And maybe that’s why this feels so intense.Because there’s nothing else around us.No distractions.No expectations.Just Logan.Just the way his hand is sliding along my side again, slow and deliberate, like he already knows exactly what he’s doing to me.My breath catches, my fingers tightening in his shirt as I pull him closer.“Harper…” he murmurs against my lips.“Yeah?”“You’re making this really hard.”I smile slightly, breathless.“You’re the one who brought me here.”“Yeah,” he admits quietly. “That might’ve been a mistake.”“Was it?”He doesn’t answer.Because he doesn’t need to.The way his hand moves—
Harper POVLogan’s hand is still at my waist when we break apart.Not moving.Not letting go.Like if he does—Everything we just slipped back into might disappear again.The hallway suddenly feels too small.Too exposed.Too real.I glance around quickly, my heart still racing.“Okay,” I whisper, breath uneven. “We can’t do that here.”Logan lets out a quiet breath, his forehead dropping briefly to mine.“Yeah,” he murmurs. “Probably not.”“Definitely not.”A couple of players walk past at the end of the hall, laughing, completely unaware—or maybe very aware.I step back slightly, but his hand lingers for a second longer before he finally lets go.And I feel that loss instantly.Which is… not good.Logan runs a hand through his hair, exhaling like he’s trying to get control back.“Come on,” he says.“Where are we going?”“My car.”My breath catches just a little.“Logan…”“You can say no.”He always gives me that out.And I always—Don’t take it.“I’m not saying no.”His jaw tightens
Harper POVI shouldn’t still be here.That’s my first thought.The hallway outside the locker rooms has mostly cleared out now. The initial rush is gone—players have filtered back in, people have moved on, the energy has shifted from chaos to something quieter.But I haven’t moved.I told myself I’d leave.Five minutes ago.Ten minutes ago.And yet—I’m still standing here.Waiting.Which is ridiculous.Because Logan didn’t ask me to wait.He didn’t say stay.He just said he had to go.Team stuff.Normal.Reasonable.So why does it feel like I’m—“Hey.”I turn instantly.And there he is.Logan.Dressed now. Hair still damp from the shower, t-shirt clinging slightly to his shoulders, jaw just a little tighter than it was before.And I know.Immediately.Something’s wrong.Not obvious.Not to anyone else.But to me?It’s there.In the way his shoulders are a little more tense.In the way his eyes flick over me like he’s checking something.In the way his smile—Doesn’t quite reach.“You
Logan POV The locker room is loud.Louder than the arena, somehow.Music blasting. Guys yelling over each other. Sticks clattering against the floor. Someone’s already halfway through a celebratory speech that no one is actually listening to.We won.Not just won—Dominated.And normally, this is the part I like.The chaos.The adrenaline still buzzing through my system.The feeling of everything clicking into place.But tonight—Something feels different.Better.Cleaner.Like I didn’t just play well…I owned the ice.“Shaw!”Marco slams into me from the side, still hyped.“Where the hell has that been all season?”I shove him off lightly.“Been here.”“Bullshit,” he laughs. “You’ve been half a step off for weeks.”He’s not wrong.I grab a towel, tossing it over my shoulders.“Guess I found it.”Marco grins.“Yeah? Found it where?”My eyes flick toward the door.Without thinking.And that’s all it takes.Marco’s grin widens.“Ohhh, I see.”“Don’t.”“I didn’t even say anything!”“You
Logan POVI don’t decide to go to Harper’s.I just… stop not going.I’m sitting on my bed at the Ice House, phone in my hand, staring at her name like it might start blinking if I wait long enough.It doesn’t.Nothing does.No sign from the universe. No sudden clarity. No perfect moment.Just the s
Harper POVWhen the door clicks shut behind Logan, the quiet in my room feels louder than the entire house downstairs.I don’t move for a second. I just stand there, staring at the spot where he was, like the air might still be warm enough to prove he didn’t make the whole thing up.He came.Alone.
Harper POVThe house is loud in the way only a sorority house ever is.Someone is laughing too hard in the living room. The TV is on. A couple of girls are sprawled on the floor with notebooks and highlighters, arguing about something that sounds like it might be biology but might also be a boy. Th
Logan POvMy father calls at exactly the wrong time.I’m sitting in my car in the stadium parking lot, engine off, hands still on the steering wheel, staring at nothing.Daniel’s voice is still in my head.You’re not ready.You can’t handle being a brand.They’ll replace you.My phone lights up on







