All Chapters of Pucking The Enemy Hockey Captain : Chapter 21 - Chapter 26

Imani’s POVI didn’t answer Nicolas that night.Not because I hadn’t heard him. Not because I didn’t understand what he was asking.But because the moment I walked away from him, my chest felt like it had been split open, and I needed time to figure out what was actually bleeding.I walked across campus without a destination, my thoughts spiraling in uneven circles. The evening air was cool, brushing against my skin like a reminder to stay grounded. Students passed me in clusters, laughing, talking about assignments, weekend plans.I felt separate from all of it.Because somewhere between his apology and his quiet, desperate let me try again, something had shifted inside me.I wanted to say no, but I didn’t.That was the part that scared me most.I should have said no. Maybe even smacked him in the head and walked away.Every rational part of me knew that giving in to Nicolas was dangerous.He’d disappeared. He’d disrespected my time. He’d put my academic standing at risk.If this wer

Imani’s POVI hadn’t expected Nicolas respecting my boundaries to feel like this.That was the part no one warned you about.I thought putting distance between me and Nicolas would make everything easier, cleaner, quieter, safer. I thought once he stopped pushing, once he stayed firmly on his side of the line, I’d feel relieved.Instead, I felt… unsettled.Our last tutoring session had been textbook perfect. He arrived early. He stayed focused. He didn’t tease me, didn’t provoke me, didn’t flirt. He didn’t linger when it was over.He followed every rule I set like they were sacred. And somehow, that hurt more than when he’d been reckless.I stared at my notes for the third time without actually reading them, my mind replaying the way he’d stood at the door that night, the look on is face deliberate, restrained. Like he was afraid one wrong move would shatter something fragile.Maybe it already had.I closed my notebook with a soft thud and leaned back against the couch just as June wa

Nicolas’s POVWhen the idea first hit me, I told myself it wasn’t manipulation. That was the first lie.The second was that Ryder had anything to do with why I wanted Imani at my place. It had fuck all to do with him, but I knew she wouldn’t show up if it we were going to be alone.I stared at my phone for a full minute before texting her, thumb hovering like the truth might crawl out if I waited too long. My apartment felt unusually quiet around me, like it knew what I was about to do and disapproved.I hadn’t crossed any boundaries lately. I’d been careful. I’ve played by every one of her rules and kept a respectful distance during our tutoring sessions. I hadn’t even brought up the fact that she told me to teach her how to kiss. It was something I still obsessed over.But being careful didn’t suddenly mean I was innocent.So I took the leap and texted her.Ryder’s coming by later. He mentioned wanting to hang out with you sometime. Thought I’d ask if you wanted to stop by.I watche