Chapter 3

Sky

"You've got it all wrong," I said firmly. I looked straight at Steve. I took a quick breath and forced my voice to stay steady. "What I mean is, I hit him because I am so worried. I hate seeing him hurt like this. I hate that he got dragged into this mess. I am his girlfriend. It is my duty to stay by his side. But I am scared out of my mind. I am just as upset as he is."

I crossed my arms tight like I was holding myself together. I hoped my eyes looked sincere enough. Steve stared at me for a long moment. He studied my face. Then he glanced at Drake. Slowly, his sharp look softened just a little.

"Fine," Steve said flatly. He stepped closer to the bed. "I am sorry for what happened out on the ice."

His words sounded empty. There was no care in his voice at all. I knew right away he did not mean it. Surely, he was only here because his coach ordered him to come. He had to say sorry to keep his own reputation clean. He did not care one bit that Drake was hurt.

My heart jumped right into my throat. My mind went blank for one scary second. He almost found out everything. If our secret got exposed now, we would lose all we worked for.

Drake glared back at Steve. He did not even nod.

"You don't have to pretend that you're sorry, Steve. We both knew that you did it intentionally. You're scared to lose, that's why you resorted to such cheap and dirty tricks," Drake snapped at him. He really has a sharp tongue.

"I really hate your proud and arrogant attitude, Drake." Steve clenched his fist firmly. "I promise I will win against you when we face each other on the rink."

"Oh, yeah. I will wait for it. But make sure you don't use dirty tricks again. It lowered the standard of the hockey players," Drake struck once again.

Steve didn't argue with Drake and just left the room after throwing a sharp gaze at him.

After Steve left, a heavy quiet fell between us. Drake was hard to get along with. I wonder how his team acted in front of them? Were they scared to talk with him?

###

Days passed one by one. I stayed at the hospital after my shoot was done. I was tired and wanted to rest or visit my grandma, but my manager said I had to act like a loyal and caring girlfriend. So I did exactly that. I stayed at the hospital and took good care of Drake.

When nurses or doctors walked in, I fixed Drake’s blanket gently. I held his hand. I smiled and asked how he felt, like I'm a very loving and caring girlfriend. Nurses smiled at us. They all thought we were a loving couple.

But the moment the door clicked shut, the warmth vanished fast. We would pull our hands away at once. We sat as far apart as the small bed allowed. Tension hung thick in the air. Every small thing the other person did annoyed me. And I knew he felt the exact same way.

"I need to use the restroom," he said while I was inside his private hospital ward.

I stood up slowly. "Alright. Let me help you."

"Do not bother," he grumbled. "I can manage."

He tried to swing his legs over the edge. But his injured leg would not carry his weight. He winced hard and grabbed the side rail. I hurried over before he could fall.

"Stop being so stubborn," I said. "You clearly cannot do this alone."

I slipped one arm around his waist. He leaned his heavy weight on my shoulder. We moved very slowly, step by step. My heart beat fast for no clear reason. Being this close to him felt strange. Warmth spread where our bodies touched.

Inside the restroom, the space was tight. When he turned to steady himself, his bad foot slipped on the smooth tile. He tipped forward fast. I reacted instantly. I wrapped both arms tightly around his chest to hold him up.

We stopped moving all at once. Our faces were inches apart. I could see every line of his lashes. I could feel his warm breath brush my lips. My heart thumped wildly against my ribs. It felt like it would burst right out.

I saw that a soft flush rose to his neck. For a heartbeat, neither of us looked away. Something soft and new pulled between us.

Then Drake pulled back sharply. He cleared his throat loudly. He looked everywhere but at me.

"Thanks," he mumbled stiffly.

I stepped back too. My hands trembled a little. "You are welcome."

We helped each other in awkward silence after that. We walked back to his room even slower than before. I told myself that the fast thumping in my chest was just from worry. It had to be. I still disliked his attitude very much.

When we reached the bedside, I held his arm while he sat down. Then I guided him to lie back against the pillows.

"You can stop acting now, Sky," Drake said suddenly. His tone turned cold again. "No one else is watching. You do not have to pretend to be sweet or devoted here."

Irritation flared hot inside me. Did he really think every nice thing was just a show? Fine then. I gave his shoulder a firm push.

"Have it your way," I snapped.

But before I could pull back fully, his hand shot out. He caught my wrist tightly. In one quick motion, he tugged me toward him. I lost my balance completely. I fell right down onto his chest.

My palms landed flat over his hard chest. I gasped softly. Heat rushed up to my cheeks. I froze there. He froze too. His dark eyes searched mine. That strange pull came back twice as strong. My pulse raced so fast it made me dizzy. I stared into his eyes and forgot to breathe. For a second, the whole world stood still.

Then the door flew open hard.

"What are you two doing?"

A sharp, angry voice cut right through us. I scrambled to sit up fast. Standing by the doorway was a woman with shiny golden hair and perfect makeup. She looked like she owned every inch of this place. She walked straight toward me in quick, angry steps.

Before I could even speak, her hand swung through the air. A loud, sharp crack echoed. Pain stung hot across my cheek.