14

DAVIES

“One more stunt like this, Davies, and the captain's patch comes off.”

Dean Miller’s voice hit my back like a whip. My boots crossed the threshold of the disciplinary office, leaving the stuffy room behind. Closing the frosted glass door, a rough exhale pushed past my lips. My draft stock hung by a very thin thread. Smashing a student's phone on camera did not help my bad boy allegations. It just fed the campus blogs more garbage.

Turning down the polished corridor, a familiar figure blocked my path.

Chloe stood dead center in the hallway. Her arms were crossed tight over a neon pink crop top. Dark mascara smudged under her eyes, proving she had shed a few tears over her ruined device. She tapped her white sneaker against the floor tiles, radiating pure fury.

“Look, Chloe,” taking a step forward, my hands slipped into my pockets. “About last night—”

“Save it, Davies.” She held up a hand, cutting off my apology before it even started. “You are actually sick for that. Literally unhinged. You cannot just go around destroying people’s property because you are having a bad day. My entire life was on that phone. My drafts, my contacts, my Wartburg Gossip Live account. You are cancelled.”

“I was dealing with a psycho,” frustration tightened my jaw. “You blinded me with a ring light in a dark parking lot. Reflexes took over.”

“Reflexes?” Chloe scoffed, rolling her eyes toward the ceiling. “You swung at me like I was a rogue hockey puck! You owe me a thousand followers for missing the prime time stream. Keep your energy away from me.”

She spun on her heels, ready to storm down the hall.

Before she could take two steps, Maya appeared from the stairwell.

My girl moved with effortless grace. She wore a simple beige trench coat over a black turtleneck. Catching Chloe’s arm gently, Maya stepped right into the line of fire.

“Chloe, wait,” Maya said, her tone smooth and calm.

“Don't defend him, Maya,” Chloe snapped, though her posture softened just a fraction. “He is a menace.”

“He is an idiot,” Maya agreed without hesitation, shooting me a sharp side-eye. “He handles his anger like a caveman. But you have to understand where his head was at. Nathan sent me a threat. A real, dangerous threat regarding my sick mother. Davies went to the tavern to protect me. He was running on pure adrenaline.”

Chloe blinked, her anger pausing. “Nathan threatened your mom? For real?”

“Yes.” Maya nodded, her brown eyes pooling with fake vulnerability. She played the PR game better than any sports agent I ever met. “You are the voice of Wartburg, Chloe. Everyone listens to your streams because you report the truth. We respect your hustle. Davies just lost his temper. He did not mean to disrespect your platform.”

A heavy sigh left Chloe’s lips. Her shoulders dropped. Maya’s words stroked her ego perfectly.

“Fine,” Chloe mumbled, tossing a stray piece of blonde hair over her shoulder. “But I am still without a phone. I cannot post anything. My brand is dying as we speak.”

Stepping forward, my hand pulled a sleek, sealed white box from my jacket pocket.

Holding it out, the shiny picture of the latest iPhone 16 Pro Max caught the fluorescent hall lights.

Chloe gasped. Her hands snatched the box faster than a goalie making a save.

“One terabyte,” my voice stayed flat. “Unlocked. Upgraded camera for your little gossip streams. We are even.”

Chloe inspected the box like it held pure gold. A tiny, reluctant smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “This does not fix your anger issues, Captain. But... I accept the peace offering. Just don't let it happen again. Chat will not be so forgiving next time.”

Clutching the phone to her chest, she power-walked down the corridor, already ripping the plastic seal with her manicured nails.

Maya watched her turn the corner before crossing her arms and looking up at me.

“You are such an asshole,” Maya stated, shaking her head.

“What?” A defensive scoff left my chest. “I bought her the most expensive phone on the market. How does that make me the bad guy? She walked away happy.”

“You assaulted her equipment, Davies. You cannot just throw money at every single problem and expect people to bow down.”

“It was not my fault,” taking a step closer, my towering frame cast a shadow over her. “She shoved a camera in my face right after I nearly choked a guy out. Plus, I did her a favor.”

Maya raised a single, judgmental eyebrow. “A favor? Please explain the math on that.”

“Her old phone was a piece of junk,” a cocky grin spread across my face. “The camera quality was trash. It looked like she was streaming off a potato. I basically upgraded her brand. Now she can catch my good side in 4K resolution. It is a win-win situation.”

Maya stared at me. Her expression remained deadpan. Not a single muscle moved on her beautiful face.

The words echoed in my brain. My smile faltered.

“Okay, wait,” rubbing the back of my neck, a strange heat crawled up my ears. “That sounded terrible out loud. You are right. I am an asshole.”

A loud, genuine laugh burst from her lips. The sound echoed down the empty hallway, bright and musical. It hit my chest like a physical blow, chasing away the dark mood left by the disciplinary meeting. Seeing her smile after the hell Nathan put her through felt like a massive victory.

“At least you are self-aware,” Maya teased, bumping her shoulder against my bicep. “Come on. We have Economics in five minutes. If we are late again, Professor Higgins will fail us both.”

Walking down the bustling campus paths, students parted for us. Whispers followed our every step. Eyes darted to my bruised jaw and Maya’s confident stride. The fake dating contract was doing exactly what we planned. I was no longer the reckless playboy. I was the guy who bought his girl’s peace at any cost.

Classes dragged on in a blur of boring lectures and ticking clocks.

The second the final bell rang, my focus shifted. Hockey.

We headed straight to the ice arena. The smell of frozen water and athletic tape hit my senses the moment we pushed through the double glass doors. The air inside the rink felt electric. Something big was brewing.

Guiding Maya through the concrete tunnels, we walked straight into the Westbridge locker room.

The boys were already there, half-dressed in their gear. Julian sat on a bench, taping the blade of his stick. Chad was chugging a blue sports drink. The usual chaotic chatter died down the second Coach Vance walked through the back office door.

Vance held a thick white clipboard. His face looked grim, but a dangerous spark lit up his dark eyes.

“Take a seat, boys,” Vance barked.

I leaned against the metal lockers near the doorway. Maya stood right beside me, her shoulder pressing into my arm. She fit into this world perfectly. The guys did not even blink at her presence anymore. She was part of the team.

“The board just finalized the brackets for the Winter Invitational,” Vance announced, his gruff voice echoing off the cinderblock walls. “Scouts from Boston and Detroit confirmed their attendance. This is the biggest stage of the year. This tournament dictates who gets drafted and who goes to work at a desk job next summer.”

A tense silence blanketed the room.

“We drew the opening night slot,” Vance continued, flipping a page on his clipboard. He looked up, his gaze locking directly onto me. “Friday night. Prime time. Westbridge versus Dogfang.”

The room erupted.

“Let’s go!” Chad roared, crushing his plastic bottle and throwing it into a trash can.

“Dog meat!” Julian yelled, slamming his hockey stick against the rubber floor mats. “We are putting them down! No cap, it is going to be a massacre!”

The boys started barking like wild dogs, feeding off the aggressive energy. Playing Nathan’s team in the opening round was a gift from the hockey gods. Dogfang thought they ran this division. They played dirty, relied on cheap shots, and talked too much trash. Next week, we would settle the score on the ice.

Looking down, my eyes found Maya.

She did not flinch at the loud noise. She did not look scared.

Instead, a slow, wicked smile curved her lips. Her dark eyes gleamed with a calculated, dangerous light. She stared straight ahead at the white dry-erase board where Vance had written the word 'DOGFANG' in bold red marker.

“What is going on in that beautiful head of yours?” my voice dropped low, meant only for her ears amidst the locker room chaos.

Maya tilted her head, looking up at me. “He told me he would ruin my life. He threatened my mother because he thinks he holds all the power. He thinks he is untouchable because he wears a captain's patch.”

“He is a dead man skating.”

“No,” Maya whispered, her smile widening into something dark and vengeful. “Death is too easy. I want him humiliated. I want those pro scouts to watch you skate circles around him. I want you to break his ankles, crush his pride, and strip him of his title in front of the entire school.”

A dark thrill shot straight to my core. Hearing her talk like that, plotting the downfall of her toxic ex, turned me on more than anything else. She wasn't just a damsel in distress crying over a breakup. She was a queen plotting a war.

“You want a show?” reaching out, my thumb traced the soft curve of her jawline.

“I want a massacre,” she corrected, echoing Julian’s words. Her brown eyes burned with fierce determination. “This is the perfect opportunity, Davies. We do not just beat Dogfang. We destroy Nathan's future.”

“Consider it done.”

My hand slid to the back of her neck, pulling her close. I pressed a hard, promising kiss to her forehead. The locker room continued to roar around us, the boys hyping each other up for the bloodbath to come.

Friday night could not come fast enough.