Chapter Three: Too Close

By the third day of covering the hockey team, I had learned three things.

One was, hockey players were incapable of sitting still. 

Two, they apparently survived on protein shakes and terrible cafeteria food.

And three, Roman Hayes was deliberately trying to annoy me.

At this point, I was convinced of it.

“You're staring again.” I looked up from my notebook. Roman was standing directly in front of me, his helmet tucked under his arm.

“I wasn't.” I said, trying to sound convincing. 

“You were.”

“I was taking down notes.”

“You've been looking at the same sentence for five minutes.” I glanced down, no doubt he was right. I quickly turned the page. “Maybe your answers are boring as hell.”

He smiled. '' I think you're distracted.”

“By what?” I looked up.

“Me.”

I stared at him. “You really like yourself, don't you?”

“Most days.”

I laughed before I could stop myself, Roman's smile softened. There it was again,that strange look he gave me whenever I laughed at something he said.

It made me uncomfortable in a way I liked. 

I looked away.

 “Where's Ethan?” he asked. 

“Practice.”

“Good.” he smiled. 

“Why?”

“So he can't interrupt us.”

My head snapped up. “Roman.”

“What?”

“You know we're not supposed to... ” I stopped myself from completing the sentence. 

“Talk?”

I didn't say anything. 

He raised an eyebrow. “Are we not allowed to talk now?”

“You know what I mean.”

He smiled. “I do.”

That was the problem, he always seemed to know exactly what I meant and he enjoyed pushing me until I didn't know what to say.

I closed my notebook. “I'm done for today.”

“You're leaving?”

“Yes.” I picked up my bag from where it was hanging. 

“Already?”

“I've been here for two hours.” I turned around. 

“Stay.”

I paused. “Why?”

He shrugged. “Practice isn't over.”

“That sounds like a very terrible reason.”

“Fine.” He stepped closer. “Stay because I want you to.”

My heart skipped a bit and I fucking hated that I felt this way. “You shouldn't say things like that.”

“Why?”

“Because…” I didn't have an answer.

Roman watched me for a moment then he smiled. “That's what I thought.”

I rolled my eyes and walked away. I made it halfway down the hallway before I heard him call my name. “Isla.”

I turned, he was still standing by the rink. “See you tomorrow?”

I hesitated then nodded twice.“Tomorrow.”

His smile followed me all the way out.

* * * * * *

That night, Maya came over. She was lying across my bed, scrolling through her phone while I worked on my article.

“So...”

I didn't look up. “So what?”

“How's hockey?”

“Fine.”

“How's Roman?”

I stopped typing. “Maya.”

She grinned. “I knew it.” 

“Knew what?”

“You like him.” she laughed. 

“I don't.” I defended because even I wasn't even sure what I felt. 

“You're smiling so hard, huh?"

“I am not.”

She pointed at my face. “You're literally smiling right now.”

I covered my mouth. “I hate you.”

She sat up. “Okay. Tell me honestly, do you like him?"

I sighed and rolled to the other side of the bed. “There's actually nothing going on between us.”

“you mean there's nothing going on between you two yet...” she smiled, grinning from each to ear. 

“There won't be anything, lol.”

“Why?”

I stared at her. “Because he's Ethan's enemy.”

“Young lady." She moved to where I was lying. "Is that the only reason?”

I didn't answer her. 

Maya's expression softened. “Oh.”

“Don't do that.” I squished under my sheets. 

“You like him don't try to hide it.”

“I barely know him.” This was not going anywhere, I tried to remind myself. 

“you know, sometimes that's all it takes. You don't have to know him to convince yourself that you like him.”

I looked up at her, she was beginning to sound like mom but in a teen way. She wasn't wrong,that was what scared me. I barely knew Roman but every time I saw him, something inside me shifted and I didn't like that.

Moreover, Ethan had spent years warning me about him and despite everything, I was starting to wonder if I wanted to find out exactly what my brother was so afraid of.

* * * * *

The next afternoon, I arrived at the arena earlier than usual. I told myself it was because I wanted more time to work,that it had nothing to do with Roman. Nothing at all. 

I walked into the rink, It was almost empty except for one person. Roman was sitting alone on the bench, his elbows resting on his knees.

He looked up when he heard me, his expression changed immediately. “You came early.”

“So did you.” I walked towards him. 

“I always come early." He shrugged. “It's quiet.”

I sat a few seats away from him. For what seemed like seconds, we didn't speak to each other which was sort of awkward. 

In a very quiet time, I heard Rowan speak. “Can I ask you something?”

I looked at him. “Sure, anything.”

“Why do you listen to everything your brother says?”

I frowned. “I don't.” Or do I? 

“You do.”

“I mean, not entirely everything but, yeah.” 

“Then why are you trying so hard to stay away from me?”

I didn't have an answer. Roman looked at me. “Exactly.” I swallowed. “Maybe because you're trouble.”

He smiled faintly. “Maybe, you're just assuming” He leaned back. “But you don't seem scared of me.”

“I should be?”

“No.” he smiled again. His eyes met mine. “You shouldn't.”

For some minutes, that made my chest tighten. Then the arena doors opened, Ethan walked right in. His eyes immediately landed on us, he looked angry. 

Roman noticed it and stood. “I'll see you later.”

I nodded.

But as he walked away, I realized something. Ethan wasn't just angry at the fact that Rowan wanted me far away from him, he was afraid. 

And whatever Roman Hayes had done in the past, I was beginning to think the truth was much more complicated than my brother wanted me to know.