Chapter 170

Harper POVThe second the lock clicks, I regret it.Because now he’s here.Actually here.And I already know one look at Logan is going to destroy every ounce of resolve I barely managed to hold together.I open the door slowly anyway.And there he is.Breathing hard like he came straight here without stopping.Hair messy.Hoodie half-zipped.Eyes locked onto me with a level of panic that instantly cracks something inside my chest.God.I hate that he looks scared.Especially because I’m the reason.His expression shifts the second he sees my face fully.Pain.Immediate pain.Because I know I look awful.I’ve been crying for over an hour and there’s no hiding it anymore.“Jesus, Harper.”The softness in his voice almost kills me.I look away immediately.“Don’t.”“Don’t what?”“Look at me like that.”“Like what?”“Like I’m breaking your heart.”His jaw tightens instantly.“You are.”The words hit so hard my breath catches painfully.Silence stretches between us.Heavy.Raw.Because th

Chapter 171

Logan POVI stay with her until almost two in the morning.Not talking much after a while.Just… existing together.Like both of us are too emotionally wrecked to keep fighting but too terrified to let go either.Harper eventually curls into my side on her bed while I sit against the headboard, one arm wrapped around her automatically.Protective.Possessive.In love.Dangerous combination.And honestly?That should probably concern me more than it does.The room is quiet except for soft music playing from somewhere in the dorm building and Harper’s uneven breathing against my chest.Every once in a while, I feel her fingers tighten slightly in my hoodie like she’s checking whether I’m still there.I always am.That’s the problem.I stare down at the top of her head, exhaustion pulling heavily at my body now.Not physical exhaustion.Emotional.Like the last few weeks have cracked something open inside me that refuses to close again.“You awake?” Harper whispers quietly.“Yeah.”“Me t

Chapter 172

Harper POVThe room feels too small.Like the walls are closing in around us while Logan paces back and forth across my dorm room trying to hold himself together.And honestly?I think this is the first time I’ve ever truly seen him scared.Not angry.Not frustrated.Scared.That realization alone nearly breaks me.His hands drag through his hair again as he stares down at his phone like he wants to throw it through the wall.I stand frozen beside the bed, heart pounding so hard it hurts.Because this—This is exactly what I was terrified of.Not the fighting.Not the rumors.Consequences.Real ones.Scouts hearing things.Questions being asked.Logan’s future suddenly becoming shaky because of all this chaos surrounding us.Around me.“I should go.”The words leave my mouth before I can stop them.Logan freezes instantly.Slowly turns toward me.“What?”“I should go.”His expression hardens immediately.“No.”“This is getting worse.”“No,” he snaps sharply. “My father is making it wo

Chapter 173

Logan POVFor a second after Harper says it—I honestly can’t move.“I think I have to let you go.”The words hit like a body check straight to the chest.Hard.Violent.Knocking the air completely out of me.I just stare at her.Because no.No, absolutely not.That is not happening.Harper stands in front of me crying so hard she’s shaking, and somehow that makes this worse because I know she means it.She really thinks this is love.Walking away.Destroying herself to save me.And maybe that’s the cruelest part of all this.She loves me enough to leave.“Don’t.”The word comes out rough.Barely even sounding like me.Harper wipes quickly at her face, unable to fully look at me anymore.“Logan—”“No.”I move toward her immediately.Fast enough that she instinctively steps backward again.That tiny movement nearly wrecks me completely.“Don’t look at me like I’m already gone,” I say quietly.Her face crumples harder.“I’m trying to do the right thing.”“For who?”“For you!”The answer

Chapter 174

Logan POVThe arena is loud tonight.Not normal loud.Playoff loud.The kind of noise that crawls into your bloodstream and turns everything sharp.Fast.Violent.Perfect.And honestly?I think I need violent tonight.Because if I slow down long enough to think about Harper—About her crying.About her saying goodbye like it physically destroyed her—I’m probably going to lose my damn mind.So instead?I skate.Hard.The puck drops and I immediately slam into their winger hard enough to send him stumbling backward into the boards.The crowd erupts instantly.Good.I want loud.I want impact.I want pain.Because pain feels easier than whatever the hell has been happening to my chest for the last week.“Jesus Christ,” Marco mutters skating past me. “You trying to kill somebody?”“Maybe.”“Cool cool cool. Healthy response.”I ignore him and chase the puck again.Everything feels clearer tonight.Not calmer.Worse.Focused in that dangerous almost-angry way.Like if I stop moving, everyt

Chapter 175

Cole POVThe locker room should feel electric after a game like that.Hat trick.Big conference win.Scouts practically drooling over Logan again.Everything technically back on track.Except—Nothing feels right.Marco tosses a towel into his locker and shakes his head slowly.“Okay, seriously. Somebody check if Shaw’s secretly a serial killer.”A few guys laugh awkwardly.Not because it’s funny.Because everybody knows exactly what he means.Logan sits three lockers down from me, unlacing his skates in complete silence while the rest of the room celebrates around him.No smirking.No cocky comments.No adrenaline high.Nothing.Just cold.Detached.Like he left every human emotion out on the ice.Coach is happier tonight at least.I can tell.Logan played perfectly.Focused.Aggressive.Controlled.Exactly what everybody wanted.So why does it feel like we lost something instead?“Dude looked like he wanted to fight God tonight,” Marco mutters quieter this time.I glance back at Log