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078

Author: Aya Starr
last update Huling Na-update: 2025-09-22 13:25:44

COLEEN

I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection like maybe if I looked long enough, I’d find some kind of answer in the glass. My hair was curled, makeup subtle but enough to feel dressed up. I tugged at the hem of my black top for the tenth time, frowning at how it sat against my jeans.

“I look ridiculous,” I muttered.

From the couch, Mark’s voice floated into my room. “You look fine, Coleen. Stop stressing.”

I poked my head out, glaring at him where he lounged with his guitar across his lap, lazily strumming a few chords. “Fine isn’t good enough.”

“Fine,” he said, plucking another note, “you look hot. Happy?”

“Not really,” I said, retreating back to the mirror.

Mark sighed so loudly I could practically see the exaggerated eye-roll. “What’s the problem, exactly? It’s just a party.”

“Just a party,” I repeated, pulling my hair over one shoulder. “Do you remember the last one I went to? The one Alicia invited me to?”

“The one where you stormed out because Hayden was talk
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  • The Hockey Star Regret    081

    HAYDENThe first thing I noticed when I woke up was the silence.No buzz from my phone on the nightstand. No new messages waiting. Just the quiet hum of the heater and the faint sounds of campus life drifting in from outside my window.For a moment, I let myself lie there, staring at the ceiling. Twenty. The big one. The milestone everyone made a big deal about.I had finally escaped my teen years, so it was a really big deal, except, apparently, not in my life.I reached for my phone anyway, swiping it awake. Two messages.Jason: Happy birthday, man. Don’t think you’re skipping drinks tonight.Alicia: Happy birthday, lover boy. Don’t do anything dumb. See you later.I smiled faintly at Alicia’s message. Of course she remembered. She always did. Jason, too. He’d probably hounded Logan to text me, though Logan hadn’t yet.But that was it.Nothing from my parents. Not a single word.Not that I was surprised. Birthdays had never mattered much to them. Not mine, anyway. They’d been too bu

  • The Hockey Star Regret    080

    COLEENThe cursor blinked back at me like it was mocking me. A blank Word document stared from my laptop screen, the title bar reading: ENG 103- Comparative Literature Essay.Beneath it, nothing. Not a single word.I groaned, shoving my chair back and burying my face in my hands. I’d been at this for hours, flipping through my notes, rereading the prompt, skimming the novels again, but it was like my brain had shut down.I was usually good at English. Not amazing, but good enough to string together a decent essay. But this professor? It was like he wanted me to decode the meaning of life from two 19th-century novels and make it sound groundbreaking. Nothing I came up with seemed right, and the deadline was breathing down my neck. You would think that I would think that my love for reading novels would translate to me actually acing the course but you would be sorely mistaken.“You okay?”I lifted my head at the sound of Hayden’s voice. He was leaning against my bedroom doorframe, his

  • The Hockey Star Regret    079

    HAYDENI stared at my phone like the words might rearrange themselves into something better if I glared hard enough. But they didn’t. They just sat there, mocking me.Dad: This girl is a distraction. Don’t let her ruin your chances. Focus on hockey. Nothing else matters.Mom: Sweetheart, we’re worried. Don’t let your emotions cloud your judgment. You need to think about your future, not some girl who won’t last.My jaw tightened. My thumb hovered over the keyboard, itching to fire back something sharp, but I locked the screen instead. Arguing wouldn’t change anything, they never listened anyway.The buzz of voices around me at the café barely registered. I was slouched in a booth near the window, waiting for Alicia, trying not to let my thoughts spiral.“Hey, lover boy.”I looked up just in time to see Alicia drop into the seat across from me, her hair pulled into a messy bun, oversized hoodie swallowing her frame. She had her coffee in one hand, a mischievous grin already tugging at

  • The Hockey Star Regret    078

    COLEENI stood in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection like maybe if I looked long enough, I’d find some kind of answer in the glass. My hair was curled, makeup subtle but enough to feel dressed up. I tugged at the hem of my black top for the tenth time, frowning at how it sat against my jeans.“I look ridiculous,” I muttered.From the couch, Mark’s voice floated into my room. “You look fine, Coleen. Stop stressing.”I poked my head out, glaring at him where he lounged with his guitar across his lap, lazily strumming a few chords. “Fine isn’t good enough.”“Fine,” he said, plucking another note, “you look hot. Happy?”“Not really,” I said, retreating back to the mirror.Mark sighed so loudly I could practically see the exaggerated eye-roll. “What’s the problem, exactly? It’s just a party.”“Just a party,” I repeated, pulling my hair over one shoulder. “Do you remember the last one I went to? The one Alicia invited me to?”“The one where you stormed out because Hayden was talk

  • The Hockey Star Regret    077

    COLEENWhen Hayden’s words sank in, I nearly dropped my phone. My heart slammed against my ribs like it wanted out, and before I could think, I was on my feet, racing across the apartment.I barely registered that my socks slid on the hardwood, that my hair was a disaster from studying all night, that I hadn’t even checked a mirror. None of that mattered. The only thing that mattered was that Hayden was here.I yanked the door open, breathless, and there he was.Tall, broad-shouldered, dark hair a little messy from the night air, hands tucked into his jacket pockets. His eyes found mine instantly, like the world slowed down just for us.“Hi,” he said simply, and it was ridiculous how the single word melted me.“Hi,” I echoed, my voice embarrassingly breathless. “You’re really here.”“Told you I was.” His mouth curved into a grin that sent my stomach tumbling. “Are you going to let me in, or should I keep freezing out here?”I rolled my eyes even as a smile spread across my face. “Get

  • The Hockey Star Regret    076

    HAYDENThe common room of the athletic dorms smelled like pizza and sweat, a combination that should’ve been disgusting but was somehow just… normal. Jason was sprawled out across one of the couches like he owned the place, controller in hand, thumbs moving furiously as he battled Logan in whatever hockey video game they were obsessed with this week.“Goal!” Jason shouted, throwing his arms in the air as the animated puck slammed into the net.Logan groaned, leaning back against the couch cushions. “That was cheap, man. You didn’t even...”“Excuses, excuses,” Jason said, grinning smugly. “Don’t hate the player, hate your lack of skill.”I sat in the armchair across from them, pretending to pay attention, but my mind was far away. Not on the game, not even on my stats from practice earlier that day. No, my thoughts were tangled up in Coleen. Whenever I was away from her, I couldn't help but imagine things about her. Her laugh, her hand in mine, the way her eyes softened every time sh

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