chapter Two

I don't care who you are. Just watch where you're going next time," I snapped, turning on my heel and marching toward the exit.

​Janice scrambled to follow right behind me. "Such an annoying dude," I muttered, my cheeks still burning from his intense gaze.

​"Annoying, but dangerously cute, girl," Janice responded, nudging my shoulder as we reached her car. She unlocked the doors, and we slid inside.

​"That's the problem with you,you get easily attracted to strange guys," I told her, clicking my seatbelt into place.

​"Ouch! But he is cute, babes. Admit it."

​"No, he's not!" I lied, turning my face toward the window to hide my expression. But deep down, I knew the truth. He was undeniably attractive. Those piercing eyes were incredibly sexy, but I was completely, utterly done with men. One had just shattered my heart into pieces; I wasn't about to let another near me.

​When we reached my house, Janice pulled up to the curb. "I'll pick you up in a bit so get ready for the game."

​"Okay, babes," I said, offering a weak smile before heading inside.

​The house was quiet, but I found my mom sitting in the living room. "Oh, hello, honey," she greeted, looking up from her book.

​"Hi, Mom," I responded, my voice carrying a heavy weight I couldn't quite mask.

​"Oh, sweetie..." She immediately stood up, her maternal instincts kicking in as she rushed over to me. "Have you been crying? What's wrong?"

​"Ashton and I broke up," I whispered.

​I expected her to be shocked, but instead, she wrapped her arms around me, gently stroking my hair. "It's okay, baby. To be completely honest, your father and I never liked him for you anyway. You deserve someone who treasures you."

​Hearing her say that brought a tiny bit of comfort to my aching chest. "I'll be fine, Mom."

​"Have you had anything to eat?"

​"Yes," I lied. I didn't have a single shred of an appetite, but I needed to get upstairs. "I'm going to go get ready for the game."

​I went up to my room, took a long, hot shower, and stepped out with a towel wrapped tightly around my body. I was in the middle of curling my hair in front of the vanity mirror when my phone beeped on the counter.

​Be there in a few minutes, the text from Janice read.

​Panic surged through me, forcing me to move faster. I quickly did my makeup, stepped into the outfit we picked earler. When Janice honked outside, I waved goodbye to my mom and walked out.

​Janice’s jaw practically dropped when I climbed into the passenger seat. "You look so incredibly good, girl!"

​"You too, Janice," I told her, smiling despite the heavy knot of anxiety twisting in my stomach.

​As we drove toward the arena, the reality of the situation began to set in. I was going to watch my ex-boyfriend play hockey on the exact night he brutally dumped me. Was I making a massive mistake?

​"I know exactly what you're thinking, but we are not turning around," Janice said sternly, keeping her eyes on the road.

​"I just feel so anxious, Janice. What if people stare?"

​"Well, you look beautiful, and that should boost your confidence. Trust me, the moment he sees you, he's going to regret letting you go."

​We finally pulled up to the stadium venue. The entire parking lot was filled with cars and moving crowds. The energy was electric, but it only made my heart race faster.

​"I really, really need to pee, Katherine," Janice gasped the moment we stepped out of the car. "Stay right here by the lot and don't go anywhere. I'll be right back!"

​"Yes, ma'am," I sighed, leaning against the side of the car as she wandered off toward the stadium restrooms.

​I pulled out my phone, scrolling mindlessly to distract myself, when a deep, smooth male voice sliced through the cool evening air.

​"Are you stalking me now?"

​I snapped my head up. My eyes widened as I met a startlingly familiar face.

​"Why would I do that? I don't even know you," I spat back defensively.

​"Yes... that fire in your eyes is exactly what amused me this afternoon," he murmured, a slow smirk spreading across his lips.

​My breath hitched. Without the dark sunglasses and the low-profile cap blocking his face, he looked entirely different. He was wearing a sharp, tailored casual suit that hugged his broad, frame flawlessly. It was the arrogant guy from the mall.

​"Oh. You," I stammered, trying to regain my footing. "You're the pervert from earlier! If anything, I think you're the one stalking me."

​Before he could respond to my jab, the click of high heels echoed behind us. I turned my head just in time to see a group of Bella’s popular friends walking past.

​"Well, if it isn't the boring kat that was dumped this morning," one of them sneered loudly.

​The rest of them broke into cruel, echoing giggles, throwing mocking glances my way as they headed toward the VIP entrance. My face burned with instant humiliation, and fresh tears threatened to spill over my tightly controlled makeup. I bit my inside cheek, trying to force them back.

​The stranger’s playful expression immediately vanished, replaced by a sharp, intense coldness as he watched the girls walk away. He turned back to me, his brow furrowed. "What was that about?"

​"Not that it's any of your business," I muttered, blinking rapidly to clear my vision, "but my boyfriend dumped me earlier today. I'm only here to watch him play because my best friend thinks it's better to stand tall than to hide away at home."

​The stranger stared at me for a long beat, his gaze softening into something deep and fiercely protective. "Well... that's a very courageous thing to do, Katherine."

​I froze, my heart skipping a beat. "How do you know my name?"

​"Your friend called you that when she was trying to hold you back from burning me ," he chuckled softly, the tension breaking. "So, who's the ex?"

​"Cole Saltzman," I replied, feeling completely confused. Why did this literal stranger care about cole?

​Just then, Janice came rushing back, panting. "So sorry, girl! Let's go" She stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes nearly popping out of her head when she noticed who I was standing with. "Wait... isn't this the cute guy from the mall?" she whispered loudly into my ear.

​"I can hear you, you know," the stranger chuckled, his eyes dancing with amusement.

​I rolled my eyes, my cheeks flushing warm. Before I could say anything else, a middle-aged man in a sleek corporate suit rushed up to us, looking completely stressed. He leaned in and whispered something urgently into the stranger’s ear.

​The stranger listened, giving a firm, authoritative nod. "Got it. Tell them I'm coming up now."

​The businessman bowed his head slightly and hurried off toward the stadium.

​The stranger turned his gaze back to me, an unreadable, confident spark gleaming in his eyes. "I think the game is about to start. Let's head inside, Katherine."

​I didn't know why, but Janice and I automatically followed him. He didn't lead us to the standard ticket lines. Instead, the security guards at the private VIP entrance instantly snapped to attention the moment they saw him, parting the ropes and bowing their heads to let us through without asking for a single ticket.

​The moment we stepped through the tunnel and into the massive, packed arena, a deafening, thunderous roar erupted from the crowd of thousands.

​“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!” the stadium announcer’s voice boomed over the mega-speakers, echoing off the ice. “PLEASE WELCOME TONIGHT’S HONORARY GUEST SCOUT. STRAIGHT FROM THE NHL... ETHAN VANCE!”

​I blinked against the glare, turning to look at Janice. We exchanged absolute, paralyzed glances of pure shock.

​The thousands of screaming fans weren't cheering for the high school teams.

​They were cheering for the man standing right next to me.