登入Ryan’s POVThe school hallways were a blurry, deafening mess of noise, but I couldn't hear any of it.I leaned against my locker, my head throbbing. I hadn't slept a single wink after the party ended. The mansion had grown completely quiet hours ago, but my brain refused to shut down.Every time I closed my eyes, a chaotic loop of images played in my head. I saw Ava laughing on her bedroom floor, throwing a pillow at me. I saw her sound asleep beside me, her head resting naturally against my shoulder while I held her waist. I saw the breathtaking smile she gave me right after I scored the winning goal.And then, I saw her walking out the front door, Ethan’s hand firmly planted on her lower back. I tried to think about Iris. I tried to force myself to picture her face, to remember our relationship. But a terrifying realization washed over me. I couldn't remember the last conversation I had with Iris that lasted more than ten minutes. Everything with her felt like a script we were supp
Ava’s POVThe smell of fresh coffee and cinnamon was the first thing that woke me up.I blinked against the soft morning light, temporarily confused by the unfamiliar gray walls and the plush sports posters surrounding me. Then it clicked. I was in Ethan’s room.I sat up slowly, pulling the thick comforter up to my chin. My cheeks instantly burned with a wave of sudden embarrassment. Last night, when I left the party with Ethan, a reckless part of me had completely expected something to happen. I had been so desperate to wipe the image of Ryan from my mind that I was ready to throw myself into something else.But Ethan hadn't pushed. Not even a little.Instead, we had ordered late-night fries, watched a random horror movie on his couch, and talked until my eyelids got heavy. When I started yawning, he simply smiled, kissed my forehead, and guided me to his room. I got out of bed, smoothing down my rumpled clothes from the night before, and walked out into the kitchen.Ethan was stand
Ava’s POVStudents jumped to their feet, screaming from every single direction. The referee stood completely frozen at center ice, while Daniel just stared after Ryan’s retreating back in total disbelief."What the hell is he doing?""Did he just quit?""No way!"Coach looked absolutely ready to murder somebody on the spot. His face was a dark, terrifying shade of crimson.Daniel recovered first. A slow, arrogant smile spread across his face, and he lifted his hockey stick high into the air toward his supporters."Well," Daniel called out loudly, his voice echoing off the glass. "Looks like we finally have our answer."A heavy chorus of boos immediately rained down on him from the stands. Daniel’s smug smile faltered.Before the crowd could get any louder, Coach’s whistle shrieked through the arena, sharp and piercing. "Enough!"Silence crashed down instantly. Coach skated hard over to the center circle, glaring at the remaining players."No captain will be decided today," Coach annou
Ava’s POVThe morning of the captaincy game felt like the entire school had consumed five gallons of caffeine. Students wore hockey jerseys over their hoodies instead of regular clothes. The teachers kept shouting and threatening everyone with weekend detention, but absolutely nobody was listening to them.Everyone only cared about two names.Ryan Carter. Daniel Hayes.And the captaincy that was hanging between them.I hadn't slept at all the night before. Not really. Every single time I closed my eyes in the dark, I saw Ryan. Then I saw Iris pinned against the counter. Then I saw Ryan again, staring at me with those miserable, drunk eyes. The image simply refused to leave me alone, looping in my head until my skull ached."Tell me you're not actually serious about this, Ava."Lily's sharp voice cut straight through my thoughts.I blinked, looking up from my locker. She was standing right beside me with her arms crossed tightly over her chest. She didn't look angry. She just looked i
Ava’s POVThe second I got upstairs, I slammed my bedroom door and turned the lock.Then I slid straight down against the wood, burying my face in my knees, and cried. I rarely did that. It was a sign of weakness to me.Even when my mother treated me as a second priority. The image was completely burned into my mind. Ryan. Iris. The silver moonlight cutting across the kitchen counter. His large hands gripping her hips, and the way he had looked up at me afterward. The raw shock in his eyes. The hollow way he had whispered my name. Like somehow I was the intruder. I pressed my palms against my eyes, forcing the image away. This was completely ridiculous. Ryan wasn't mine. He never had been. He belonged to Iris. He always chose Iris, over and over again.So why did it feel like my chest was being ripped apart?The knock on my door came twenty minutes later. Three soft, hesitant taps.My entire body stiffened against the door."Ava," a deep voice called out from the hallway.Ryan.I s
Ava’s POVThe restaurant was quiet, lit by soft candles that cast long shadows across the white tablecloth. It was the kind of place people came to when they wanted to talk without being overheard.Ethan smiled across from me, his eyes warm as he handed back his menu to the waitress. "I’m really glad you said yes, Ava. I know this weekend was a lot for you.""Thanks, Ethan," I said, forcing a small smile. "It was. A lot happened.""Yeah, I heard," he said, leaning his forearms on the table. He lowered his voice. "Actually, the whole school is talking about it. Well, mostly about the hockey team."I froze, my fingers tightening around my water glass. "The team? What do you mean?""Daniel," Ethan said, shaking his head. "He’s already telling everyone that the captaincy is his now. He’s spreading a rumor that the coach completely lost trust in Ryan after the police got involved at the resort.""That’s a lie," I said immediately. My voice was sharper than I intended, and a few people at t







