All Chapters of The Hockey Star Regret : Chapter 101 - Chapter 110

COLEENThe apartment door creaked open, and before I even had time to set my duffel bag down, Mark’s voice boomed from the kitchen.“Coleen! Finally, my roommate returns from her summer of secrecy!”I laughed, dropping the bag just inside the door. “Secrecy? Please, I was working half the time. Meanwhile, you were probably lounging on a beach somewhere.”He emerged from the kitchen with a wooden spoon in his hand, grinning. “Correction, lounging by a pool. My parents don’t ‘do’ beaches. Something about sand being unsanitary.”I rolled my eyes and threw my arms around him. “I missed you, Mark.”He hugged me back just as tightly, lifting me slightly off the ground before setting me down. “I missed you too, Coleen. The apartment’s been too quiet without you. When I came back and you weren't here, I had to play my own audience when I made sarcastic comments.”“That must’ve been tragic for you.”“You have no idea.”We broke apart, and I kicked off my sneakers, glancing around. The place lo

HAYDENI knew with the way we ended last season that we were going to come back with a vengeance. We might have bowed out of the previous season earlier than we have liked but this year, we had something to prove. And so far so good, we have been doing a good job.The season started strong. By the time October rolled into November, we were racking up wins, and the locker room carried the light, confident energy that only came from finding a groove early. Our passes clicked. Our communication worked like a machine, it was very seamless.The chemistry Coach had hammered into us at practice was finally showing up on the scoreboard.I thrived in that space, skating hard, scoring, but also playing smarter than I ever had before. Every time I touched the puck, I thought about the team first. Every time I skated off the ice, I thought about Coleen watching from the stands.She had become a fixture at games. Sometimes she sat with Alicia, sometimes with Mark, but every time my eyes scanned th

COLEENI sat cross-legged on my bedroom floor, my suitcase yawning open in front of me like it was mocking me. A pile of half-folded clothes was scattered around me, sweaters draped over the chair, jeans tossed onto the bed.I kept pulling things out, folding them neatly, then unfolding them again, unsure if they were “appropriate” enough for Hayden’s parents. My heart hammered with each decision, as if picking the wrong sweater would seal my fate.If it wasn't already obvious that I was nervous about this trip, one look at my room would have given it away.“Are you seriously stressing over socks?” Mark’s voice floated in from the doorway.I whipped my head around. He leaned against the frame with his arms crossed, watching me like I was the evening’s entertainment.“They have to match the outfits!” I snapped, holding up a pair of plain black socks. “What if I wear these and his mom thinks I’m boring? What if I wear the striped ones and she thinks I’m tacky?”Mark snorted and sauntere

COLEENThe moment I stepped into the Michaels mansion, I forgot how to breathe.I tried to remind myself that this wasn’t some royal palace. It was just Hayden’s house. His childhood home. The place he grew up in. But the longer I stood there, clutching his hand, the less it felt like a home at all.It felt like a museum. A place where everything looked perfect but no one actually lived.“Wow,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.Hayden gave my hand a squeeze. “You okay?”I nodded quickly, forcing a smile. “Yeah. Just… trying not to touch anything. I might accidentally break a vase and owe your parents a fortune.”That earned me a quiet laugh, but I could feel the tension in him too. He wasn’t relaxed, not even close. His eyes flicked toward the hallway, toward the sitting room where I could hear faint voices.And then his brother appeared.He looked like Hayden, if Hayden had been raised on charm and self-importance instead of hard work. His smile was dazzling, all teeth and bright

COLEENThe morning light poured through the tall, arched windows of the Michaels mansion, painting streaks of pale gold across the floorboards. I woke up slower than usual, cocooned in the softness of Hayden’s comforter.For a few seconds, I almost forgot where I was until I caught the faint scent of his cologne on the pillow beside me and the distant hum of staff moving downstairs.Hayden was already up. The faint sound of running water drifted from the bathroom, followed by the squeak of the door. He came out toweling his hair, wearing a navy sweatshirt and joggers that did nothing to make him look less unfairly gorgeous.“Morning, sleepyhead,” he said with that easy grin that still made my heart trip over itself. “How’d you sleep?”“Like a log,” I said, stretching. “Though your bed might be too comfortable. I might never leave.”He laughed. “Please do. My mom would implode.”I groaned and flopped back onto the pillows. “Don’t remind me.”He chuckled and leaned down, pressing a soft