The Girl With Coffee

Three weeks in and this forced training shit was still hell.

Every morning at 5 AM we showed up, did our time, and tried not to kill each other. Mason was improving — slowly — but he still moved like a hockey player pretending he belonged on figure skates. I still hated the way he took up so much space. The way his voice echoed. The way his stupid cologne somehow always lingered even after he left.

I told myself the only reason I noticed any of it was because it annoyed me.

This morning felt heavier than usual.

Mason was late again. When he finally walked in at 5:25, he looked exhausted, like he’d been fighting with his own brain all night.

He dropped his bag without a word and started lacing up.

I didn’t greet him. He didn’t greet me too.. That was our thing now.

We got on the ice and trained in near silence. Every correction I gave him came out sharper than necessary. Every time he almost fell, I caught him on instinct, then immediately let go like touching him was contagious.

Halfway through the session, the rink door opened.

Lila Harper walked in carrying two coffees, looking a little nervous but smiling brightly when she saw me.

“Ezra! Hey,” she said, voice warm. “I saw your car outside again. Figured you might want this.”

She held out one of the coffees. Black, just how I like it.

I blinked. “Uh… thanks?”

Mason, who was a few feet away pretending to stretch, went completely still.

Lila’s cheeks turned pink. “I’ve been watching you skate during games. You’re really good. Like… stupid good. I’ve kind of wanted to talk to you for a while but never knew how to approach you.”

Behind her, Mason made a quiet scoffing sound.

I took the coffee because it would’ve been rude not to. “That’s… nice of you, Lila.”

She smiled wider, then glanced at Mason. “Oh, hi Mason. Didn’t see you there.”

Mason gave her a tight nod. “Hey.”

An awkward silence stretched for a second before Lila laughed nervously. “Anyway, if you ever want to grab lunch or just talk skating stuff, let me know. No pressure.”

She waved and left, the door clicking shut behind her.

The second she was gone, Mason turned to me with a smirk that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Damn, Cole. She’s cute. And she’s clearly into you.” He raised an eyebrow. “You should go for it.”

I narrowed my eyes. “What?”

“You heard me. Pretty cheerleader bringing you coffee? That’s like… beginner level romance. You should take her up on it.”

I stared at him. “You’re telling me to go out with her?”

“Why not?” He shrugged, but his voice had an edge. “You’re single, right? Might as well enjoy it while you can.”

Something ugly twisted in my chest. I didn’t like the way he said it — like he was trying to push me away and test me at the same time.

“I’m good,” I said flatly.

Mason laughed, short and dry. “What, you too good for cheerleaders now?”

“I’m too busy dealing with your clumsy ass every morning,” I shot back.

He smirked again, but it looked forced. “Whatever. Just saying… if a girl like that was bringing me coffee, I wouldn’t say no.”

We went back to training, but the vibe was off. Every time I corrected his form, the touches felt sharper. Every time our eyes met, there was this weird tension underneath the usual hatred.

By the end of the session, we were both sweaty and annoyed.

As we were packing up, the door opened again.

A new guy walked in — tall, light brown hair, easy confident stride. He was carrying skates and looked like he belonged here.

“Morning,” he said, smiling at both of us. “I’m Kai. Just transferred in. Coach said I could use the ice early. You guys are the ones doing the early sessions, right?”

Mason’s shoulders tensed again.

“Yeah,” I answered. “Ezra. This is Mason.”

Kai’s eyes moved between us, curious and a little too sharp. “Nice to meet you both. I’m on the figure skating side too. Heard you’re pretty solid, Ezra.”

He gave me a grin that felt a little too friendly.

Mason made a low sound in his throat.

Kai didn’t seem to notice. “If you ever want to run some drills or just skate together sometime, I’m down. I like training with people who push me.”

Mason’s hand flexed at his side.

I nodded. “We’ll see.”

Kai gave us both one last smile and skated off.

The second the door closed, Mason turned to me.

“Another one?” he said, voice dripping with sarcasm. “First Lila, now this dude. You got a fan club or something?”

I rolled my eyes. “Shut up.”

“I’m just saying… maybe you should take one of them up on their offer. Might loosen you up a bit.”

The way he said it pissed me off more than it should have.

“Maybe I will,” I shot back, even though I had zero intention.

Mason’s jaw tightened. He grabbed his bag and headed for the door without another word.

I stood there for a moment after he left, staring at the empty ice.

I still hated Mason Reid.

But for some stupid reason, the idea of him pushing me toward Lila and Kai made my chest feel tight in a way I really didn’t like.

I shook it off and left the rink.

This was temporary. Just for six weeks, then we could go back to pretending the other didn’t exist.

At least… that’s what I kept telling myself.