Taming A Hockey Rebel

Lila's Pov We reached the Coach's office, and I hesitated for a second before knocking. The door was closed, and I could hear faint music playing inside, something old and upbeat.“Come in!” The coach's voice called out.I pushed the door open, Harper right on my heels.The coach was sitting behind his desk, wearing a big smile like we’d just brought him the best news of his life. His white polo was tucked in, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and his desk was its usual mess, papers, water bottles, a whistle, and a half-empty coffee cup.“Ladies,” he greeted, gesturing toward the chairs in front of his desk. “Sit.”We exchanged a look before sitting down.“What’s going on?” I asked, trying to sound casual.“I’ve got a favor to ask,” he said, leaning back in his chair.That made me instantly suspicious. The coach's “favors” usually meant trouble.I raised an eyebrow. “A favor?”“Yes,” he said slowly, like he was building suspense. “There’s a new transfer student. Talented. Raw tale

Ryder's Pov The first days of school always sucked.But this one was supposed to be different. This one was supposed to be my shot. My clean slate.No screw-ups. No fights. No running my mouth at the wrong time. Just good behavior, good grades, and good plays on the ice.The coach said if I played well this year, kept my head down, and stayed out of trouble, I could qualify for a scholarship. College hockey. A real team.A real future.And if I could do that, I’d make Mom proud. I’d make Rosa proud.Thinking about my baby sister always twisted something in my chest. She was the reason I even said yes to all this. The reason I was willing to try, really try, after… everything.After juvie.I’d spent enough nights staring at a cement wall to know I didn’t want to go back there. It didn’t matter how tough I thought I was. That place stripped you down. Made you cold.So yeah. Fresh start. Play well. Be of good behavior. Win the scholarship. That was the plan.Problem was, I’d already sta

Lila's Pov I didn’t slow down until I was halfway down the hall. My pulse was still kicking hard in my ears, and not because I’d just rushed out of class.Of all the ridiculous things Ryder could have said… his fake girlfriend?The nerve. The absolute nerve.I spotted Harper leaning against the lockers, scrolling on her phone. She looked up as soon as she saw me.“Finally,” she said. “What took you so long?”I yanked open my locker. “Your new favorite hockey boy.”Her eyebrows lifted. “Ryder?”“Yeah.” I stuffed my books inside and grabbed my jacket.“What did he want?” she asked, stepping closer.I slammed my locker shut. “To make me his fake girlfriend.”Harper blinked. “I’m sorry, what?”“You heard me.”She stared at me for a second, like she was waiting for me to laugh and admit it was a joke. When I didn’t, her mouth fell open. “Are you serious? He just… asked you that?”“In the doorway. Blocking my exit like some big, arrogant wall.” I shook my head. “I told him no.”Harper look

RYDER’S PovThe sound of blades cutting into the ice is one of my favorite things in the world. It means I’m alive. It means I’m here.And right now, it means I have less than a week before our next game and no room to screw up.The rink was freezing, but sweat was already sliding down my neck under my gear. The coach was barking orders from the side, pacing the blue line like it owes him money.“Move your feet, Hayes! You’re not out here for a Sunday stroll!”I dug in harder, pushing past Mason as we raced for the puck. He tried to shoulder me, but I cut inside and stole it clean. The sound of my stick meeting the puck echoed through the rink. It felt good.We were not just playing with our team today. Mason’s teammates from his travel league were here too, mixing into the drills. The air is thick with competition, half these guys want to take my head off, and the other half want to see if I’m worth the hype.Fine. I’ll show them.I threw myself into every play. Sprinted down the ice

Ryder's Pov The locker room was alive with noise. Laughter. Shouts. The sound of sticks clacking together as the guys got hyped for the game. I was taping my stick when someone across the room yelled, “Tonight’s our night! Ryder’s bringing us to victory!” The whole room erupted into cheers. “Yeah, Ryder!” “Let’s go, man!” A couple guys slapped me on the shoulder as they passed. I forced a grin, but my eyes drifted across the room… straight to Mason. He was leaning back against the wall, arms folded, his expression flat. When he saw me looking, his mouth twitched into a smile, but not the friendly kind. I wanted to beat him up so bad. My knuckles tightened around the tape. I could walk over there right now. I could slam him against the lockers and make him pay for what he did to Lila. The thought burned in my chest. But I didn’t move. Not yet. The door swung open and Coach walked in. The noise dropped instantly. He stood in the center of the room, his voice carrying