เข้าสู่ระบบZephyr's Point Of View "Please welcome the Ice Reapers and their leading Captain, Zephyr Knox, right here from Belmont Academy!" Loud cheers and roaring applause instantly filled the massive arena. A group of cheerleaders led by Sable were down on the sidelines doing their energetic routines, but the very first thing I did when I arrived on the ice rink wasn't wave to the crowd or acknowledge the noise. I immediately started scanning the stands, looking for one specific blond-haired girl. Elowen. While my teammates were busy skating around and soaking in the pre-game hype, I looked from left to right, almost making complete circles on my skates across the ice, searching every row of the bleachers. I still didn't see her. Why wasn't she here yet?I thought, a tight knot forming in my chest as I doubted whether she had even bothered to show up. Had she forgotten that she was supposed to
Elowen's Point Of ViewBeing mortified was an understatement for what I was feeling right now. My blood ran ice cold."Oh, my God, Isa..." I sobbed, pressing my hands over my mouth as fresh tears spilled over. "I am so, so sorry. I am so sorry you went through all of this."I wrapped my arms around her, pouring every ounce of love and protection I had into her trembling body. "Listen to me," I vowed fiercely, staring right into her eyes. "I am so sorry for how I acted yesterday. I swear to you right here, right now—I will always, always have your back. No matter what happens, no matter where we are, no one and nothing will ever come between us again. Especially not boys. Do you hear me?"Isa sniffled, nodding slowly as she leaned forward to rest her forehead against mine.And right at that exact, fragile second... Her phone rang loudly from inside her purse on the floor.The sound was so sudden and jarring that Isa sprang up from the chair in alarm.
Elowen's Point Of View "Yes, yes," Isa nodded, throwing her arms around me as she buried her head deep into my chest. My heart went out to her, shattering into a million pieces. In that instant, I completely redirected every ounce of hot anger I had felt toward Sable and channeled it all straight at Isa's monstrous father. I had just said earlier how much I despised bullies. But did I ever truly tell you how much I hated an abusive, violent father? Isa's entire life had been a living hell. She had always been abused by her father—both physically beaten and mentally torn down at every turn. He would beat her over every slightest, most ridiculous provocations, screaming into her face that she looked just like her mother, who had abandoned him years ago for an older, richer man. He told her over and over again how much her mere face annoyed him to the core, because he had loved her mother so desperately
Elowen's Point Of ViewAhhhhhh!!! I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs.Cedric had smiled at me. He had hugged me. He had even kissed the back of my hand, and then he had gently helped me find a seat right here in the stands.He had looked down at me and said—and I quote: "This would be the best seat to watch the game." Then he kissed the back of my hand again before excusing himself, telling me with a wink that he would be right back.Ahhhhhh!!!! I was so elated. I wanted to scream, jump right here in the middle of the bleachers, and do a ridiculous little twirl.Where was Zephyr? My eyes darted around the crowded arena, desperately searching for him. I needed to tell him right now that his plan was actually working.The fake-dating scheme was progressing to perfection. I couldn't even lie to myself—my stepbrother was an evil genius.I continued to scan the area, but I couldn't spot that slightly messy, long-ish hair th
Zephyr's Point Of View Coach Jones had been standing right in front of me, talking about defensive zone coverage and neutral trap strategies that we needed to run in today's game. I wasn't paying attention. I couldn't. My mind was entirely stuck on the memory of Elowen's sad, swollen eyes from earlier this morning. The anger that had flared up in my chest seeing her like that was still burning. I had tried to ransack my brain to figure out if I had somehow done something wrong before I left her yesterday. I had left her in a good mood, right? She couldn't possibly have been crying because of me. Something else entirely must've made her cry, and I swear that if it turned out to be Cedric... But it can't be Cedric, right? Was it her father? Come to think of it, I realized I didn't actually know much about her fam
Elowen's Point Of View The Following Morning, I stepped out of the bathroom, my damp hair clinging to my neck. I put on my undies and pulled Zephyr’s oversized hockey jersey over my head. The fabric fell halfway down my thighs, swallowing me whole. The following morning had arrived way too fast, and I already knew the day was going to be a nightmare.Yeah, I'd foreseen that it would. I let out a sigh as I stepped up to the bathroom vanity and looked at my reflection in the mirror. My eyes looked like someone had punched me in both sockets—completely swollen, puffy, and an angry, blotchy red. I hadn't slept a wink the entire night. Between fighting with Isa over the phone, letting her walk out on our lifelong friendship, and my brain refusing to shut off, I had spent hours staring at the ceiling and crying until my tear ducts were completely dry. I looked pathetic. Absolutely pathetic.
Zephyr In spite of my best intentions to avoid adhering to my mother, here I was in her fucking car on our way to meeting my “new family.” “You could at least try not to look like a fucking criminal for one day.” My mother’s voice sliced through the car like broken glass. I kept my eyes on
Elowen"I don't do virgins, blondie." It had been nine solid months since that night, and yet the embarrassment still lingered heavily in my chest whenever I remembered the events that occurred. “I want to hold another party, in celebration of you getting into Whitmore College!” Isa shrieked thr
ElowenI didn’t even have the luxury to react before his hot mouth came down on mine. My eyes widened. How did things get to this point?In the next second, my back was pressed against the cold wall as his tall, muscular frame trapped me.I tried to push him away, but his grip on my neck tightened.
ElowenThe stupid thing was that I could still hear the annoying sound of his laughter five minutes later. In my head.I pushed through a crowd of dancing people and headed straight for the kitchen.My face was still burning. No. Burning wasn’t the right word. I was mortified. I grabbed the first







