Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Hockey Star Regret : Kabanata 71 - Kabanata 80

COLEENThe bus ride home was long, quiet, and gave me too much time to think. I’d ignored Hayden’s insistence that he drive me, he’d practically begged, his brow furrowed in that worried way of his, but I needed the space. Just for a little while. Besides, the last thing I wanted was to drag him into another heavy conversation with my dad.Also, I figured it was way too early in our relationship for me to introduce him to my father. Knowing how Dad was, I was so sure he was going to give Hayden a really good grilling and I wasn't ready for it.So I sat by the window, headphones in but no music playing, watching the blur of streetlights until the bus rattled into the small terminal near my old neighborhood. From there, I called an Uber, clutching my bag a little tighter when the driver’s car pulled up. By the time I got to my dad’s house, my nerves were wound tight enough to snap.The porch light was already on, casting a soft glow over the chipped railing. Dad must have been watching

COLEENThe bus ride back to campus dragged, every mile stretching longer than it should have. By the time I stepped off with my duffel bag slung over my shoulder, the sky was already washed in winter gray, and my phone buzzed with a message from Alicia reminding me about Hayden’s game.I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed him until that moment, the ache of distance settling into something sharper. I texted back quickly, promising I’d meet her at the rink.The arena was already packed when I arrived, students crowding the stands, banners waving. Alicia waved me over to a spot she’d saved near the front.“You look like you haven’t slept in three days,” she teased as I slid in beside her.“Thanks,” I muttered, though I couldn’t keep the smile off my face.When the team skated onto the ice, my eyes went straight to him. Hayden. Even under all that gear, I knew the way he carried himself, confident, steady, eyes sharp with focus.The game was fast, brutal, the kind of match that made the

COLEENThe days started blurring together. Classes, assignments, shifts at the athletic complex. It was all one long cycle of exhaustion. But somewhere in the middle of all that chaos, there was Hayden. And the moments with him, no matter how small, always managed to anchor me.It wasn’t glamorous. Between his practices and my part-time job, neither of us had the luxury of hours to waste. Still, the scraps of time we carved out, ten minutes between classes, an hour before bed, fifteen stolen minutes walking across campus, were ours. And lately, those moments had started looking a lot different.Like the way he would slip his hand into mine without hesitation as we walked through the quad. Or the way he leaned down to press a kiss against my cheek when I brought him coffee before practice. Or the way I found myself leaning into his chest without even realizing it, my body seeking him out like it had always known it belonged there.The whispers that had once followed us everywhere had s

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

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