Chapter One: Off Limits

I hated hockey. Okay, maybe “hated” was a littl too dramatic.

I just didn't understand why thousands of people were willing to spend their Friday night screaming at men skating around on ice and trying to hit each other with sticks. Like make it make sense. 

My brother, unfortunately, was one of those men. 

“Your brother is insane.” Maya said it beside me, just as Ethan slammed someone into the boards hard enough to make me wince, it was as though I was the one being hit.

I didn't even look at her. “He's always been like this.”

“He just threw a guy into a wall.” she rolled her eyes.

“It's called checking.” I defended. Because why not? He's my brother for fucking sake.

“That looked more personal to me.”

“ohh well... it probably is.”

Maya turned to stare at me. “You say that way too casually.”

I shrugged, keeping my eyes on the rink.

Ethan was already skating away, completely unbothered. His jersey was damp with sweat, his helmet slightly crooked, and somehow he still looked like the poster boy for the university's hockey team. Which, technically, he was.

Being Ethan Bennett's younger sister came with certain privileges. Like having to get free tickets, people recognizing me everywhere I go which I hated, occasional free food after games. It also came with a lot of unsolicited advice. Duhhh!!! I don't even care, he's the player, not me. 

People would usually say things like "Don't walk home alone. Text me when you get there. Don't talk to strangers." And, most importantly... "Stay away from Roman Hayes."

I heard that one often, in fact, I had never actually understood why. Until now.

“Wait.” Maya grabbed my arm.

“What?” I shrugged her arms off.

She pointed toward the ice. “Is that him?”

I followed her finger with my eyes, number seventeen. Roman Hayes.

I'd heard his name enough times at home, but I'd never really paid attention to his face. But now I did. And, annoyingly, I understood the hype.

He was tall, like really tall. Dark hair escaped from underneath his helmet, and there was something almost irritatingly confident about the way he moved across the ice. He wasn't just good, he knew he was good. Ughh!!! 

Roman stole the puck from one of our players and took off toward the goal. The crowd went wild, some were mixed with excitement and others roared in anger. 

I watched as he dodged one defender, then another, before sending the puck straight past the goalie. 

The arena exploded.

Roman's teammates rushed toward him, he laughed, pulling off his helmet.

Maya nudged me. “Okay.”

“What?” I asked, my gaze still fixed on Rowan.

“I get it.”

“Get what?” I said, trying to act like I didn't know what she meant. 

“Why your brother hates him.”

I laughed. “That doesn't make any sense."

 "Men are weird creatures.”  

“That's not new, we all know that.”

She laughed, poking my hands playfully. 

I turned back toward the ice. Roman was still celebrating with his teammates when he suddenly looked up straight at me.

I blinked twice, he couldn't have been looking at me all these while because there were hundreds of people in the stands, but then his eyes stayed there on me.

My stomach tightened in a knot. Then.... His lips curved in a smile. 

I looked away immediately. “Did he ju..s..t”

“No.” Maya grinned. 

“You didn't even let me finish.”

“I know what you were going to say.” she let out a laugh, "you're blushing."

“I'm not.” I defended. I couldn't have been, definitely not. 

“You are.”

“It's hot in here.” I waved my tiny fingers two inches away from my face, turning it from left to right. 

She looked around the freezing arena. “Sure.”

I ignored her. *He's hot though.* I thought to myself.

The buzzer sounded, and the players started leaving the ice.

“I'm getting coffee,” I announced.

“We're in the middle of the game.” Maya frowned. 

“I've watched enough, I don't think I can continue sitting here without a coffee.”

“You've watched for only twenty minutes, that's not enough time.”

“Exactly.”

Maya laughed as we made our way out of the stands. The hallway beneath the arena was crowded with students and players coming and going. I was checking my phone when someone stepped in front of me.

I almost walked straight into him. “Sorry.” 

I looked up and immediately wished I hadn't. Roman Hayes. Up close, he was even more unfair-looking.

His hair was damp from the game, and he had a towel hanging around his neck. His eyes dropped to the name on my student ID then back to my face.

“Bennett.”

I frowned. “You know me?”

His lips twitched. “Everyone knows you.” 

“Uhrmm... that sounds like a problem.”

“It could be." he laughed. 

I narrowed my eyes. “You're Roman.”

“I am.” He said, staring directly into my eyes. 

I glanced toward the rink. “Shouldn't you be celebrating your goal?”

“I was.”

“And now?” 

“Now I'm talking to you.” he smiled. 

I didn't know what to say to that, so I went with the obvious. “My brother hates you.”

Roman laughed. “Yeah. I'm aware.”

“Why?” I asked, studying his face.

His smile disappeared for half a second, something changed in his expression. Then it was gone. “You should ask him.”  

“I did ask him.”

“And?” he moved an inch closer. 

“He didn't give me an answer."

“Then there's your answer.”

I frowned. “You're annoying.”

“I've heard that before, people tell me often." He smiled again.

There was something about him that made me want to roll my eyes and smile at the same time.

I hated that I felt that way. 

He leaned against the wall beside me. “You always come to the games?”

“Only when my brother forces me.” I heaved a deep breath. 

“That's unfortunate.”

“Why did you ask though?”

“I was hoping you'd be here again.”

My brain stalled. “What?”

He shrugged like he hadn't just said anything. “You heard me.”

Before I could respond, I heard my brother's voice. “Isla.”

I turned. Ethan stood at the end of the hallway, his eyes moved from me to Roman. His expression immediately hardened. “Come here.”

I sighed. “I'm literally just standing here.”

“Isla.”

I looked at Roman but he didn't look remotely worried. In fact, he looked amused.

I walked toward my brother. As I passed him, Roman spoke quietly enough that only I could hear.

“See you around, Bennett.”

I didn't turn around but I could feel his eyes on me.

Ethan waited until we were far enough away before speaking. “What were you doing with him?”

“Talking.”

“About what?” he frowned.

“I don't know. Hockey?”

He gave me a look that could send me straight to hell.

I sighed. “Relax, we were just talking.”

“I told you to stay away from him.”

“You told me that before I even met him.”

“And now you've met him.” he questioned firing a very wild look at me. 

“And?”

“And now you know why.”

I stopped walking. “No, actually. I don't.”

Ethan looked at me. Since I've known my brother, he didn't have an answer and that bothered me to an extent, because whatever happened between my brother and Roman Hayes, I was starting to realize there was a lot more to the story than anyone had told me.

Somehow, I had a feeling I was going to find out the hard way.