LOGINAUTHOR'S POVKneeling on the filthy concrete of the parking garage, the metallic smell of blood mixed heavily with the exhaust fumes lingering in the air. Athena pressed her bare hands directly against the thick, jagged slash on Jeremiah’s left forearm. Dark crimson seeped rapidly between her fingers."We need to go to the ER right now, Jeremiah," Athena demanded, her voice shaking violently as she pressed down harder. "That needs stitches.""No hospitals," Jeremiah grunted, wincing as he shifted his weight against the dented minivan. "I’m not sitting in a waiting room for three hours answering police questions while they file a report. It’s just a graze.""Are you insane?" Athena yelled, her hazel eyes wide with panic. "You are literally bleeding out on the pavement!""I'm fine," Jeremiah rasped, his dark eyes snapping to her face, scanning her frantically. "Are you okay? Did he touch you?""I’m fine!""Guys," Tessa interrupted, hovering over them with her phone clutched to her chest
AUTHOR'S POVCatching the heavy metal door just before it clicked shut, Athena stepped directly into the narrow corridor outside the Ashford locker room. Her chest heaved, completely fueled by the sheer audacity of the morning's interaction. She wasn't going to let him just skate away and pretend the shift in the atmosphere hadn't happened.Jeremiah was walking toward the exit, his heavy duffel bag slung over his right shoulder."Jeremiah, stop walking for two seconds," Athena demanded, stepping squarely into his path.He paused, his jaw visibly tightening. He didn't meet her eyes, staring instead at the cinderblock wall just past her ear."I’m busy, Cole," Jeremiah said, his voice entirely devoid of the warmth he had shown her just twenty-four hours ago. "I have film to review.""Film?" Athena scoffed, gesturing to the keys dangling from his fingers. "You’re literally carrying your car keys. Why are you acting like I don't exist? You can't just ice me out after last night.""Because
AUTHOR'S POVStorming down the sweeping marble staircase of the Bel Air estate, Jeremiah gripped his car keys so tightly the metal dug into his palm. He just wanted to get out. Breathing the air in this house felt like inhaling glass.Crossing the massive foyer, a heavy hand slammed flat against the double doors, physically blocking his exit.Arthur Ashford stood there, his face completely rigid."Move," Jeremiah said, his voice a low, vibrating warning."You think locking yourself in a bedroom ends the conversation?" Arthur scoffed, keeping his hand pressed against the wood. "You are acting like a spoiled teenager. If you walk out that door and refuse to handle the Cole situation, I will freeze your trust fund by midnight.""Do it." Jeremiah didn't even blink. "Freeze it. Give it to Vanessa. Burn it in the backyard. I don't care.""I will personally call Julian Vance and have the athletic board dissolve the Falcons' charter." Arthur stepped closer, invading his son's space. "I will d
AUTHOR'S POVKilling the engine of his SUV, Jeremiah sat in the driveway of the massive Bel Air estate for a full ten seconds before pulling the keys from the ignition. The text from the family housekeeper had been urgent: his mother’s autoimmune flare-up had spiked, leaving her entirely bedridden.Pushing through the heavy mahogany front doors, the oppressive, museum-like silence of his childhood home instantly wrapped around his throat. He didn't bother calling out a greeting. Taking the sweeping marble staircase two steps at a time, he bypassed the pristine living rooms and headed straight for the master wing.Pushing the heavy oak door open, the smell of eucalyptus and sterile medical linens hit him.His mother lay propped up against a mountain of white pillows, looking pale and exhausted. But she wasn't alone. Sitting in the velvet chair beside the bed, aggressively scrolling through her phone, was Vanessa. The daughter of his father’s primary real estate partner, Vanessa had bee
AUTHOR'S POVWatching the heavy metal door begin to close, the reality of Athena’s utter indifference finally pierced Luca’s ego. The hurt instantly curdled into hot, blinding anger. She didn't get to just walk away from him. She didn't get to look at him with pure pity and go back to a guy who was currently stealing his championship spotlight.Lunging forward, Luca caught the edge of the door with his left hand and grabbed Athena’s upper arm with his right, forcefully jerking her backward into the humid Los Angeles heat."I said I wasn't finished talking to you," Luca snapped, his grip tightening on her jacket.Gasping, Athena stumbled back, her eyes flashing with sudden fury. "Let go of me, Luca. Right now.""You don't get to dismiss me like I'm some rookie you can just scratch from the roster. I built you up at Westbridge, Cole. You owe me a conversation."Before she could yank her arm free, the heavy facility door violently smashed open, slamming against the exterior brick wall wi
ATHENAStaring blindly at the whiteboard in the coaches' office, the dry-erase marker hovered uselessly in my right hand. I hadn't drawn a single play in twenty minutes. Every time I closed my eyes, my brain immediately hijacked my focus, dragging me right back to the quiet, heavy warmth of my apartment last night. I could still feel the phantom weight of Jeremiah’s hands on my waist, the sharp smell of his spearmint gum, and the absolute, terrifying safety of his chest against mine.For the first time since my transfer, the constant anxiety vibrating in my ribs was entirely gone.Then, my phone screen lit up on the desk, buzzing violently against the cheap wood.Dropping the marker, I leaned over and glanced at the notification. My stomach instantly dropped.**Luca [4:15 PM]:** *I’m parked by the loading dock. We need to talk. Five minutes, Athena. Please.*Swiping the notification away so hard my thumb hit the edge of the phone case, I flipped the device face-down."Okay, judging by
ATHENAThe second I slammed the heavy office door shut, the quiet of the room instantly suffocated me. The heavy thrum of the facility’s massive AC unit vibrating through the floorboards was the only sound left in the building. Tessa had taken her car and left to cool off, leaving Jeremiah and me a
ATHENAStanding completely still on the painted blue line, I pulled the collar of my jacket up against the chill. The air inside the Ashford arena was freezing, biting sharply at my nose, but the energy humming across the ice was entirely electric.I tracked the offensive line as they ran the newly
JEREMIAHThe next afternoon, the stifling Los Angeles heat was baking the asphalt outside, but inside Talia’s cramped, messy manager’s office, the air conditioning was blasting at full capacity.Sitting casually on the edge of Talia's cluttered wooden desk, I idly spun a black hockey puck on the wo
JEREMIAHSitting alone in the dead-silent locker room, I peeled the worn athletic tape off the blade of my stick at a painfully slow pace.The heavy, smoggy Los Angeles heat waited just outside the double doors of the facility, but inside, the freezing ambient temperature of the rink seeped through







