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Hundred and Thirteen

Author: Lovely
last update publish date: 2026-08-22 21:51:16

ATHENA

Sunlight battered the sprawling green lawns of the UCLA quad. Friday afternoon campus life buzzed around us in a chaotic blur of flying frisbees, iced coffees, and sprawling picnic blankets. The heat sat heavy on my shoulders, baking the dark fabric of my t-shirt.

"I am telling you, he is maximum delulu," Tessa said, shoving her phone screen directly into my face.

Blinking against the glare, I stared at a TikTok video of a frat boy earnestly explaining why his girlfriend shouldn't be all
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  • Rejected by my team, Claimed by the Rival   122

    ATHENAPacing the hardwood floor of her penthouse, Sienna chewed her thumbnail to the quick. The designer acrylic cracked under the pressure. Jeremiah’s threat echoed in her skull. *I will bankrupt your family.*The burner phone vibrated on the glass coffee table.Snatching the cheap plastic device, she hit the green button."Talk," she demanded, keeping her voice tight."You failed." Arthur Ashford’s tone lacked any emotion. "You let my son back you into a corner.""He ambushed me! You said he was occupied!""I said he was distracted. You executed a sloppy locker room stunt. Childish.""I can fix it," Sienna pleaded, gripping the phone hard. "Just give me the resources. Tell your men to back me up.""My men do not take orders from panicked teenagers," Arthur replied. "However, I abhor unfinished business. You get one final opportunity to prove you are a partner, not a liability.""What do you want me to do?""The old practice arena on the east edge of campus," Arthur instructed. "It

  • Rejected by my team, Claimed by the Rival   121

    ATHENA Heavy bass vibrated through the floorboards, matching the frantic pulse drumming in my throat. Neon pink and blue strobe lights sliced through the haze of the packed living room, illuminating hundreds of sweating, shouting college students. The victory party raged inside a massive off-campus rental house, fueled by cheap beer and the chaotic high of the Westwood Classic.Leaning against the kitchen island, I pulled at the hem of the dark blue hockey jersey. Jeremiah’s away sweater swallowed my frame, the fabric dropping midway down my thighs to function as a makeshift dress. The heavy embroidered 'C' rested over my heart. Wearing his name in front of half the athletic department felt like wearing a neon sign, and I loved every second of it."You are gaslighting me right now, Liam," Tessa yelled over the thumping trap music. She pointed a red plastic cup at her boyfriend, spilling a few drops of foam onto the scuffed hardwood. "I am literally the greatest wingman in Westwood hi

  • Rejected by my team, Claimed by the Rival   120

    ATHENA Deafening noise shook the rafters of the Ashford arena. Thousands of students packed the stands, pounding their feet against the metal bleachers in a synchronized, chaotic rhythm. Flashing neon signs and giant foam cutouts of Jeremiah’s face bobbed in the student section.Stepping onto the thin red carpet rolled out over center ice, the cold air bit through the fabric of my tailored black suit. I kept my posture rigid. The athletic director stood between the face-off circles, holding a microphone and a commemorative puck.Blades scraped hard against the fresh ice.Jeremiah stopped inches from the edge of the carpet, sending a shower of white snow dusting across the red fabric. He wore his dark blue jersey, the captain’s ‘C’ stitched over his chest. His massive frame blocked out the glare of the overhead stadium lights. Pushing his visor up, a wicked, heavy smirk curved his lips."You look nervous, Coach," he murmured, his voice dropping low enough to bypass the director's micr

  • Rejected by my team, Claimed by the Rival   119

    JEREMIAH Smog hung low over the industrial park, turning the Los Angeles morning into a hazy, washed-out grey. Parking my SUV behind a shuttered warehouse two miles off campus, I killed the engine. The silence inside the cab felt heavy.A silver sedan pulled into the alley, tires crunching over broken glass and discarded gravel. It parked nose-to-nose with my truck.Briggs stepped out. He wore a nondescript black jacket and jeans, looking like a standard contractor, but the rigid way he carried his shoulders betrayed his military background. He walked to my open window and tossed a thick, unmarked manila folder onto my passenger seat."We maintained the perimeter," Briggs said, leaning his forearms against the door frame. "Two guys on the front entrance, one watching the alley fire escape. Your manager is safe inside the apartment.""Did you spot any movement?" I picked up the folder, unbending the metal clasp."Four distinct drive-bys between midnight and 4:00 AM." Briggs pointed at

  • Rejected by my team, Claimed by the Rival   118

    ATHENAThe buzzer blared, vibrating through the thick plexiglass of the arena bench. First period of the semi-finals wrapped up, leaving my White Squad clinging to a fragile one-goal lead.Wiping sweat from my forehead, I tapped my clipboard against the boards. The players filed past me, chests heaving, adrenaline masking their exhaustion."Great shift, Davis," I told the center as he climbed over the wall. "Take ten. Drink water. Do not let your heart rate crash."We needed the primary tactical whiteboard. The small dry-erase marker in my pocket offered zero room to map out the aggressive neutral zone trap required for the second period.Leaving the roaring chaos of the ice, the concrete tunnel offered a stark contrast. The air grew stale, smelling of old rubber and freezing ammonia. My boots hit the floor in a steady, determined rhythm. Bypassing the visiting men's room, I headed straight for the designated girls' locker room near the training staff offices.Pushing the heavy swingi

  • Rejected by my team, Claimed by the Rival   117

    ATHENAA deafening bass rattled the rubber mats beneath my black heels. The Westwood Classic brought out a feral, unfiltered energy in the student body. Glancing up into the packed rafters, neon poster boards formed a chaotic sea of inside jokes and ruthless trash talk.*DELTA SIG SKATES LIKE MY GRANDMA.**I'M ONLY HERE FOR JEREMIAH ASHFORD.**WHITE SQUAD ATE AND LEFT NO CRUMBS.*Standing behind the bench, I adjusted the lapels of my tailored black blazer. Swapping my usual oversized hoodie for a sharp, professional suit was a calculated move. The athletic board sat in the lower bowl, watching my every move. They expected a college sophomore to crack under the pressure of coaching a live roster. I intended to give them a tactical masterclass instead."Line two, you're up!" I shouted over the blaring hip-hop track shaking the arena glass.Miller and Davis hopped the boards, their skates hitting the ice with a sharp crunch. They lined up against a squad composed entirely of wealthy frat

  • Rejected by my team, Claimed by the Rival   Four

    (Athena's POV)If embarrassment could kill, I would've died twice this week. The first time was at the rink and the second was standing in front of a black gate with “ASHFORD HOCKEY” painted across it in peeling silver letters while Tessa stared at me like she was waiting for me to come to my sens

  • Rejected by my team, Claimed by the Rival   Three

    (Athena's POV)Shame!That was all I felt before I could even open my eyes. It was heavy and ugly, like my body remembered before my mind could register. And when I finally blinked awake, the white ceiling above me swam into focus. I was at the College hospital. Great.I let out the smallest bre

  • Rejected by my team, Claimed by the Rival   Two

    (Athena's POV).For a second, I thought I heard him wrong because there was no way Luca Ryder had just looked straight past me and called who?“Sienna?” My rival?The crowd screamed, while I just stood there, frozen at the edge of the rink with my hand still over my mouth like a complete idiot, t

  • Rejected by my team, Claimed by the Rival   One

    (Athena's POV)“Ew. Girl! Stop staring at him like that before I throw up.”I laughed under my breath, gripping my hockey stick tighter as I turned to look at Tessa, my best friend.We were near the player's bench, the rink screaming loud around us as both schools packed the arena like tonight mean

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