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Chapter 3: The Night Everything Changed

 Jace's Pov

I had played enough games to know when everything was going my way, and that night was one of those nights.

From the moment I stepped onto the ice, I could feel it. My movements were sharp, my timing was right, and everything seemed to fall into place without me forcing it. The crowd was loud, but I was used to that. It had been like that for a long time, and I knew most of them were there because they expected something from me.

I never had a problem giving them that.

By the time the game ended, my name was already being shouted from different parts of the rink. My teammates surrounded me, talking over each other, hitting my shoulders, and laughing like we had not just spent the last hour trying to tear through another team.

“You carried that last play,” Luca said as he grabbed the back of my jersey. “I swear you do not even try anymore.”

“I am trying,” I replied, pushing his hand away. “You just cannot keep up.”

He laughed like he always did, loud and careless, and Mason stepped in beside me, shaking his head.

“You are both annoying,” Mason said. “Just take the win and relax for once.”

“I am relaxed,” I said, pulling off my gloves. “You are the one who looks stressed.”

“That is because I actually think about what happens after this,” he replied.

I did not respond to that. I already knew what he meant, and I was not interested in having that conversation again. Mason had a way of bringing things back to reality when I did not feel like dealing with it, and I usually ignored him when he did.

We moved toward the locker room together, still talking, still joking, and nothing about it felt different from any other day. That was how it always was. The same routine, the same people, the same energy.

It worked for me.

By the time I finished changing and stepped out, the hallway was already filling up. People were waiting, some for the team, some just to be around the noise. I recognized a few faces, but most of them blended together.

Then I saw her.

Aria was standing near the wall, exactly where she usually waited after games. She did not need to call my name or wave for attention. People noticed her the same way they noticed me, and that made things easier.

I walked over without thinking about it.

“You took your time,” she said as I got closer.

“You were watching,” I replied. “You know why.”

She smiled slightly, like she expected that answer, and crossed her arms.

“You could have passed instead of taking that last shot,” she said.

“And miss the chance to end it?” I asked. “That would not make sense.”

“It would if you trusted your team more,” she replied.

I looked at her for a moment before shaking my head. “We won,” I said. “That is all that matters.”

She did not argue with that, but I could tell she was not fully convinced. Aria liked things to look a certain way, and even when everything worked out, she still found something to question.

It did not bother me.

“You are coming tonight, right?” she asked after a moment.

“Where?” I asked.

She gave me a look. “Do not act like you do not know. Everyone is going out.”

I glanced past her for a second and saw Luca already talking to a group of people, laughing like he had planned the whole night himself.

“I will be there,” I said.

“You better be,” she replied before turning slightly as someone called her name.

I stepped back, letting her move away, and Mason came up beside me again.

“You are actually going?” he asked.

“I always go,” I said.

“That does not mean you should,” he replied.

I looked at him. “You are not coming?”

“I might stop by,” he said, “but I am not staying long.”

“That sounds like you,” I said.

He gave me a look but did not say anything else, and we both headed toward the exit with the rest of the team.

The night air was colder than I expected, but it did not matter. People were already gathering outside, still talking about the game, still holding on to the energy like it was not over yet.

I moved through them easily, exchanging a few words here and there, but not staying long enough for any real conversation. It was always like this after a win. Everyone wanted a moment, and I gave just enough without letting it drag.

By the time I got to my car, Luca was already there, leaning against it like he owned it.

“You are driving?” he asked.

“It is my car,” I replied.

“That does not answer the question,” he said.

“Yes, I am driving,” I said as I unlocked it.

He pushed himself off the side and got into the passenger seat without asking anything else. A few minutes later, two other guys from the team joined us in the back, still talking over each other about the game.

I started the car and pulled out of the lot, following the line of cars heading out.

The conversation inside was loud, but I did not mind it. It kept everything simple. No one was thinking too much, and no one was bringing up anything that did not need to be said.

For a while, everything felt normal.

We dropped the others off first, then headed toward the party. The place was already full by the time we got there, with music loud enough to be heard from outside.

Inside, it was exactly what I expected.

People, noise, movement.

I stayed for a while, long enough to show up, talk to the right people, and keep things moving. Aria found me again at some point, and we stayed together for a bit, but it never felt like something I had to think about.

Nothing that night felt like something I had to think about.

That was the problem.

By the time I left, it was late.

Luca had already gone off with someone else, and Mason had left earlier like he said he would. I did not bother looking for anyone else. I just got in my car and started driving.

The roads were quieter now.

Most people were already home, and the noise from earlier had faded into something distant. I rested one hand on the wheel and kept my eyes on the road, letting everything settle after the night.

It felt good.

The streetlights passed one after the other, and the road ahead stayed clear. I adjusted my grip on the wheel slightly and slowed down as I approached an intersection.

That was when I noticed the headlights.

They were coming from the side, moving faster than they should have been.

At first, I thought the driver would slow down.

Then I realized he was not going to.

Everything after that happened too quickly for me to react the way I normally would have.

I pressed the brakes, but it was already too late.

The impact hit hard enough to throw everything out of place, and for a moment, all I could hear was the sound of metal crashing against metal.

Then everything went still.