Chapter 4

Maxine’s POV

The second I stepped out of that room, I couldn’t breathe as everything hit me all at once.

I didn’t stop walking because if I did, I would fall apart right there in the middle of the hallway, and I refused to give him that kind of power over me again.

My heels clicked too fast against the polished floor, my vision slightly blurred as I tried to focus on anything but the sound of his voice echoing in my head.

The way he had called three years like it was three days made my throat tighten painfully as I swallowed hard. 

Turning a corner blindly, I barely registered where I was going until I saw the restroom sign ahead.

Without thinking, I pushed the door open rushing straight to the sink but I didn’t make it.

I dropped to my knees, gripping the edge of the toilet as everything I had forced down came rushing up.

My stomach twisted violently as my body betrayed me in the worst way possible.

I hated that after everything, after three years of rebuilding myself piece by piece, he could still have an effect on me. 

When it finally stopped, I stayed there for a moment, breathing heavily, my forehead resting against my arm.

“Get up,” I whispered to myself hoarsely but I didn’t move because the moment I did, the memories came uninvited. 

I could still remember that night. It was his last game before he went pro. 

The way the arena had been buzzing was louder than anything I had ever heard. The crowd was chanting his name like he was already a star.

He had been so happy and alive.

I could still see it in the way he had skated toward me after the game, pulling me into his arms like nothing else mattered.

“I did it, Max,” he had said, breathless, grinning like the world was his. “I actually did it.”

And I had smiled so wide that my cheeks hurt.

“I never doubted you,” I had told him, my hands on his face and my heart so full that it scared me.

“I need to focus,” he had said later that night, his tone different. 

I remember laughing at first, thinking he was joking but he wasn’t.

“I mean it, Max,” he continued, running a hand through his hair. “The NHL… this is everything I’ve worked for, I can't afford distractions.”

Distraction, that was what I was to him. 

The word had sliced through me like a blade.

“And I’m a distraction?” I had asked, my voice quieter than I intended.

He hesitated and that hesitation told me everything. 

“No,” he said quickly. “That’s not what I meant…”

“But that’s what you said.”

“Max…”

“You chose this,” I whispered, stepping back. “You chose this over me.”

“I’m not choosing…”

“Yes, you are!” I yelled, tears burning my eyes. 

The silence that followed was heavy and suffocating. When I couldn't bear it anymore, I walked away because I wasn’t going to beg someone to choose me. 

A sob ripped from my chest as I pushed myself up, stumbling toward the sink.

“Stop it,” I whispered harshly, gripping the edges of the basin.

My reflection stared back at me. I looked pale. shaken, and nothing like the composed doctor I had been just minutes ago.

“Pull yourself together, Maxine.” I muttered, snapping in a deep breath. 

When I was relatively calm, I turned on the tap, splashing cold water onto my face, until the sting grounded me.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed in my pocket, breaking through my thoughts.

With my hands slightly shaking, I pulled it out.

Adeline: You good?

I stared at the message for a second then typed back quickly.

Me: Yeah. First day nerves. I’m fine.

It was a complete lie but she didn’t need to know that.

I slipped my phone back into my pocket, grabbing a paper towel and patting my face dry carefully.

By the time I finished, my expression was back to neutral making me look controlled and untouchable.  

“Good,” I muttered to myself.

That’s what he was going to see, nothing more.

Tucking my hair behind my ear, I stepped out of the restroom, my mind already shifting back into work mode but that didn't last as I walked straight into something solid.

Or rather someone.

Strong hands caught my arms instantly, steadying me before I could stumble back.

“Easy there.” The voice was deep and unfamiliar.

Slightly disoriented, I blinked as I looked up. 

Stunned, I froze as this was the last place I was expecting to see him. 

It was Davian D’Amato, captain of the Las Vegas Ace and face of the franchise. 

You would have to be living under a rock not to know who he was because he was plastered across billboards, magazines, and sports channels. 

But seeing him in person was something else entirely.

For a second, my brain completely blanked because the media didn’t do him justice.

He was taller than I expected, easily towering over me. His build was broad and powerful in a way that screamed strength without trying too hard. 

His shoulders filled out his shirt effortlessly, the fabric stretching just enough to hint at the muscle underneath.

His hair was dark almost black and was slightly tousled like he had just run a hand through it. 

He had a sharp jawline and high cheekbones with a straight nose that looked like it had been broken once and set perfectly. 

His eyes were a pair of deep, piercing brown that held a quiet intensity, like he was always observing and calculating.

And right now, they were looking directly at me.

Amusement flickered in them.

“Rough day?” he asked, lifting a brow slightly.

I blinked again, my brain finally catching up then I glanced up and my stomach dropped.

I was in the male restroom.

“Oh my God.” I gasped. 

“I…” I stuttered, heat rushing to my face instantly. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize…”

He tilted his head slightly, gesturing toward the placard above the door with a subtle nod.

“Yeah,” he said lightly. “That one’s usually a giveaway.”

Mortified didn’t even begin to cover how I felt. 

“I wasn’t paying attention,” I rushed out, stepping back immediately. “That’s completely my fault, I…”

“It’s fine,” he cut in, a small smile tugging at his lips.

Of course it was fine.

He wasn’t the one who just ran into the wrong bathroom like an idiot.

“I’m really sorry,” I repeated, already turning to leave before I could embarrass myself further.

“Wait,’ he said. 

I paused, glancing back at him.

He studied me for a second, like he was trying to place me.

“Are you the new team doctor?” he asked. “The one the guys won’t stop talking about?”

“They’re talking about me already?” I asked, my brows pulling together slightly. 

He huffed a quiet laugh. “You would be surprised how fast news spreads around here.”

I hesitated for a second before nodding. “Yeah, that’s me.”

I straightened slightly, slipping back into professionalism.

“Dr. Maxine Vaughan,” I said, extending my hand for a handshake which he took without hesitation.

“Davian D’Amato,” he said, though he didn’t need to.

“I know.”

“Figured.” He replied, a corner of his mouth lifting. 

For a brief second, there was something almost easy about the interaction.

We were just meeting for the first time so it felt strange.

“See you around, Doc,” he said, releasing my hand.

“Yeah,” I murmured. “See you.”

Once I was back in the hallway, I exhaled slowly, rubbing my temple which was throbbing lightly. 

The media had done Davian dirty. They made him look good but in person, he was unreal.

There was something about him that cameras couldn’t capture.

The presence, confidence and the quiet kind of dominance that didn’t need to be loud to be felt.

Trying to clear the thoughts making rounds in my head now, I shook my head. 

“Focus,” I muttered under my breath.

“You didn’t come here to admire hockey players, you came here to work.” I added but still, a small, traitorous part of me replayed the moment in my head.

Before I could spiral any further, the sharp sound of the PA system cut through the hallway.

“Medical team to examination room three. Repeat, medical team to examination room three.”

Groaning softly under my breath, I muttered, “At this rate, I doubt if I would ever have free time.”