LOGINMAYA'S POVThe fashion department was a total mess the next morning. Rolls of expensive cloth, heavy sketchbooks, and long measuring tapes covered almost every single table. The room smelled like coffee and fresh paper. Professor Vance spent the first hour of class walking around the room, looking at our first drawings for the Toronto Wolves charity dinner.When she got to my desk, she stopped. She picked up my sketch of a dark blue suit and held it up high for the whole class to see."This is exactly what the athletic board wants, Maya," Professor Vance announced proudly. "The lines are clean, the color is deep, and it looks very smart without being too flashy. Great job."A few girls at the next table turned around and started whispering to each other. While everyone else in the room was giggling and excited to meet the famous hockey players, my stomach felt completely sick. I forced a fake smile and thanked the teacher, but inside, I was dreading the entire thing. I didn't want t
KILLIAN'S POVI didn't let go of Maya’s hand until we were deep inside the concrete parking structure behind the arena. The noise from the cameras and the shouting reporters finally faded into a dull hum.I could still hear my coaches calling my name from the back exit, but I didn't care. Seeing her in the stands next to Carter had completely burned away my restraint.I shoved open the heavy metal door and pulled her into the shadows behind a massive concrete pillar. The moment I released her wrist, she stepped back, rubbing the red mark my fingers had left behind."Are you out of your mind, Killian?" she hissed, her voice shaking with anger. "There were live cameras right there. What is wrong with you?""What's wrong with me is seeing you with Blackwood," I said, my voice dropping to a harsh whisper. My jaw throbbed where I’d taken a hit during the game, but the fury in my chest swallowed the pain entirely."You took a ride from him this morning, and then you brought him to my game?
MAYA’S POVThe smooth, rhythmic hum of Carter’s car engine was a stark contrast to the absolute chaos inside my own head.I leaned my cheek against the cool glass of the passenger window, watching the campus buildings slowly draw closer. I had made him pick me up at a small coffee shop about three blocks away from the estate. I had walked the distance in the biting morning air, my feet aching in my sneakers, just to keep him from realizing where I actually lived. I didn't want him to know I was staying under the same roof as Killian. I couldn't handle the questions that would follow."You're very quiet today, Maya," Carter said, his voice smooth and calm as he kept his eyes on the road. "Still tired from the party?"I shifted in my seat, tightening my arms around my design sketchbook. "A little bit. It was just a very long night." Carter offered a warm, understanding smile, completely breaking the heavy tension I had been carrying since the library confrontation. Unlike Killian, who
KILLIAN'S POVThe shadows of the library swallowed us whole, but I didn't need light to know exactly where she was. I could hear her shallow, rapid breathing, and the scent of her sweet perfume was completely filling my head, making me lose my mind all over again.I kept my grip tight on her wrist, spinning her around until her back hit the locked wooden door with a soft thud. I stepped into her space, trapping her between my body and the hard wood."What the hell did Blackwood want from you?" I demanded, my voice a low, dangerous growl in the dark. I couldn't hide it anymore. The hot, ugly jealousy that had been clawing at my chest all night finally broke free. Watching him touch her arm on that balcony, watching him smile at her while I had to stand under those flashing cameras and pretend I didn't care, it had nearly pushed me over the edge.Maya gasped, her small hands coming up to push against my chest. "Killian. Let go of me. Are you insane?""Answer me, Maya," I hissed, leani
MAYA’S POVI spent the rest of the night hiding in the corners of the mansion, doing everything I could to completely avoid Killian.My heart was still beating wildly against my ribs, and my lips still burned from the raw, desperate pressure of his mouth. Inside the quiet darkness of the pool house, everything had felt so intensely real. His confession, his heavy tears, the tight grip of his hands on my waist, it had completely turned my world upside down. But now, standing in the bright, noisy house, doubt began to creep in. Was it real? I wondered, gripping my cup tightly as students brushed past me. Or was it just the adrenaline of the championship win?Before I could even try to settle my racing thoughts, the party shifted completely. It turned from a wild college celebration into a massive, organized media event. The music was turned down slightly, and the ballroom became a stage. Bright television lights flooded the space, and reporters from sports networks moved through the
KILLIAN'S POVThe kiss ended, but I didn't let her go. I couldn't. My hands stayed locked on her waist, pulling her tiny, delicate body flush against my chest. Her lips were swollen and red from my roughness, her breathing was shallow, and her eyes were wide with a mixture of shock and raw emotion.When she tried to take a backstep, grounding her heels against the floor of the pool house, my grip only tightened. I dug my fingers into the soft fabric of her green dress, anchoring her to me."Killian, let go," she whispered, her voice trembling as she pressed her palms against my chest. "We shouldn't be doing this. We can't.""No," I cut her off, my voice rough and desperate. "I’m not letting you walk away from me. Not after tonight. Not after what you just said."I leaned down, crowding her back against the wall until my face was inches from hers, forcing her to look directly into my eyes."Every single cruel thing I ever said to you, Maya, I only said it to push you away. I hated mys







