CHAPTER 4: THE PRICE OF FIVE MINUTES

LENA

There were only two things on my mind.

Get that interview with Cole. Save your scholarship.

I repeated those words over and over again like a mantra. I was going to kindly do this interview and didn't care what it cost me.

Cole might be arrogant. But I am just as stubborn and was unwilling to back down without a fight.

The moment I stepped on the ice. My breath hitched as something hit me in an instant.

There he was. Cole Arden. In his full glory. Someone the whole school adored, Northcrest star hockey player, most celebrated sports player.

He was shirtless, a shirt thrown over his shoulder and a helmet held in one hand. My eyes slowly trailed his chest, abs, and bulging biceps.

For a moment, I just stood there. Staring at him with intent and couldn't give a damn if I was called out as a pervert.

Then a voice shouted, “Take a picture. It lasts longer.”

The other boys laughed. Different words of mockery were thrown around and my cheeks became flushed with embarrassment. 

I tried to ignore them and focus my attention on Cole who was staring me down like I had ruined his mood by walking in—and maybe I did—but I didn't care.

I cleared my throat. “I–I'm here for the interview,” I said, my voice low.

He spared one glance at me, before turning away. My jaw hung open, annoyed that he just walked around and acted like I didn't exist. 

I followed him. “I know you don't want to do an interview. Trust me, I don't want to interview you either. But I really need this.”

“Is this your attempt at flattering?” He asked once.

Flattering? When did I ever try to flatter him?

He walked into the boys' locker room and changed into casual wear. He was about to take off his pants, when his eyes darted towards me.

“Are you going to keep staring at me?”

The realization hit me hard. “O–oh. Sorry,” I fumbled over my words, and turned around quickly, biting my lips in embarrassment. 

Two in a row!

“I just need five minutes,” I continued, still looking away from him. “Just five minutes of your time is all I need and I can assure you that I won't cross any boundaries and it would be strictly professional.”

“Turn around,” he ordered. 

I turned slowly. My eyes met his gorgeous orbs and I had a flashback. My mind went back to the pictures. The way his eyes glowed earlier on.

I shrugged off the thought. 

I forced a smile. A very fake and tight-lipped one. “So, what do you say?” I asked, trying to hold on to the flicker of hope I had left.

He looked me straight in the eye. “No,” he said bluntly.

My face fell. He wasn't going to say yes, no matter how hard I tried to butter him up. His decision was final and I had to find another way to get him to agree.

My scholarship was on the line here.

He grabbed his bags, not even bothering to spare me one glance, and walked out of the locker room. I ran out, trying hard to catch up with him.

Cole kept ignoring me completely. He didn’t even look back once as he walked out of the locker room.

 I stood there for a second feeling stupid, then I grabbed my bag and followed him anyway. My scholarship was on the line. I couldn’t just give up like that.

He walked fast across campus, long strides like he wanted to get away from me. I had to almost jog to keep up, but I stayed on his tail the whole way. The cold air was biting at my cheeks but I didn’t care. I needed this interview.

Eventually, he stopped in front of one of the nicer apartment buildings near the edge of campus. It looked like the kind of place athletes stayed in. 

Cole pushed the door open and went inside without saying anything. The door shut behind him with a loud click.

I stood outside for a minute, heart beating fast. Then I took a deep breath and knocked.

Noah answered the door. He looked surprised to see me standing there, but he gave me that easy smile of his.

“Hey, newspaper girl. What’s up?”

“I need to talk to Cole,” I said quickly. “Please. It’s important.”

Noah glanced over his shoulder, then stepped aside and let me in. “Come on. But I don’t know if he’s in the mood.”

The apartment was nicer than I expected. Kinda messy with hockey gear everywhere, but still better than my dorm. Cole was in the living room, dropping his bag on the couch. The second he saw me, his face changed.

“What the hell is she doing here?” he asked Noah, voice hard.

Noah shrugged. “She knocked, man.”

Cole turned to me, arms crossed over his chest. “Get out. I already told you no.”

I swallowed hard. This was embarrassing, but I had no choice. “Please, Cole. I really need this interview. My position on the paper is at risk and so is my scholarship. I can’t fail this.”

He just stared at me, cold as ever. Didn’t say a word.

I hated how desperate I sounded, but I kept going anyway. “Look, I’ll do anything. Just give me five minutes. That’s all I’m asking. Please.”

Cole paused. Then a small smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth. It wasn’t friendly. “Anything?”

My stomach twisted. I knew I might regret this, but I nodded. “Yes. Anything.”

He watched me for a long moment, those icy blue eyes studying my face like he was trying to figure me out.

The silence stretched until it felt uncomfortable. Noah had stepped back into the kitchen, pretending he wasn’t listening, but I knew he could hear everything.

“Alright,” Cole said finally. “There’s something I want you to look into. I have a feeling Damien Holt, that captain from Ridgeview, has a secret relationship with Marcus Vale.”

I frowned. “Who’s Marcus Vale?”

Cole’s smirk faded a little. “One of the biggest NHL scouts in the region. He decides who gets pushed forward in the draft, who gets the big recommendations, and who gets blacklisted. He can make a player’s career or completely sabotage it. I think Damien’s been feeding him information and getting special treatment behind the scenes. You want your big story? Dig into that. Get proof. Then maybe I’ll sit for your interview.”

I stood there, processing what he just said. This wasn’t what I expected at all. It sounded risky. Messy. The kind of thing that could blow up in my face.

But it was something. Something that I could not comprehend.

I bit my lip and nodded slowly. “Okay. I’ll do it.”

Cole’s eyes stayed locked on mine. That same strange tension from before was back, making the air feel thicker. I didn’t know what I had just agreed to, but there was no turning back now.

My heart was still racing as I waited for him to say something else.