All Chapters of The Nerd and the Hockey King : Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

The old records room at St. Mary’s Hospital smelled of dust and damp paper.Sunlight slipped through the cracked windows, catching tiny particles that floated in the air.Lila carefully pulled another file from a rusted cabinet while Lucas searched the shelves on the opposite side of the room.Most of the hospital had been emptied years ago, but a few forgotten records remained tucked away in storage.“So,” Lucas said, brushing dust from his hands, “if we survive this, I’m buying you lunch.”Lila smiled without looking up.“That’s a very confident ‘if.’”“I’ve inhaled enough dust to qualify as part of the building.”She laughed.“You volunteered to come.”“I know.”“And I’m beginning to question my life choices.”She shook her head, smiling.“You complain a lot.”“I’ve been told it’s one of my better qualities.”“It’s definitely… a quality.”He pretended to look offended.“I was hoping for ‘charming.’”“I didn’t say it wasn’t.”He smiled to himself before returning to the shelves.For

Lila noticed the change before she understood it.Ethan still texted her every morning.Still asked if she’d eaten.Still walked her to class whenever their schedules matched.But something was different.He smiled less.He laughed less.And whenever Lucas joined them, Ethan somehow found a reason to leave.At first, she told herself she was imagining it.By the end of the week, she knew she wasn’t.“You’re staring.”Lila looked up from her notebook.Maya slid into the chair across from her in the library.“What?”“You’re staring at your phone.”“I am not.”“You’ve looked at it five times in the last minute.”Lila sighed.“Ethan’s been… different.”Maya rested her chin on her hand.“Different how?”“I don’t know.”“He seems distracted.”“He keeps saying he’s busy.”“But when we’re together…”She struggled to explain it.“It feels like he’s somewhere else.”Maya studied her friend carefully.“Have you asked him?”Lila looked down.“No.”“Why not?”“I’m afraid he’ll say nothing’s wrong.

The conversation with Lucas stayed with Lila long after he walked away.She wandered across campus without paying much attention to where she was going.The afternoon sun had begun to set, casting long shadows across the nearly empty courtyard.She kept replaying his words.“I fell in love with you.”She hadn’t wanted to hurt him.He had become one of her closest friends.Losing that friendship felt like another crack in a life that was already falling apart.“Lila.”She turned.Lucas was jogging toward her.Slightly out of breath.“I forgot something.”She managed a small smile.“You’ve already confessed your feelings. What else is there?”He laughed quietly.“I wasn’t talking about that.”He held up a folded notebook.“You left your investigation notes on the bench.”She looked down.“I did.”“You would’ve panicked in an hour.”“I definitely would’ve.”She accepted the notebook.“Thank you.”For a moment, neither of them spoke.The silence wasn’t awkward.Just sad.Lucas shoved his

The arena was louder than usual.Students packed every seat, waving school banners and chanting the team’s name.It wasn’t just another hockey game.Scouts from two professional clubs had come to watch.Coach Daniels had reminded the team of that at least five times.“This game matters,” he said as the players finished dressing.“No stupid penalties.”“No unnecessary fights.”“And leave your personal lives outside this locker room.”His eyes lingered on Ethan and Lucas.Neither of them looked up.The silence between them had become impossible to ignore.Ethan tightened the straps on his gloves.His mind wasn’t on the game.It wasn’t on the scouts.It wasn’t even about hockey.It was on Lila.The image of Lucas kissing her kept replaying in his head, even though Lucas had already admitted the truth.He believed Lucas.He believed Lila.But the hurt hadn’t disappeared.It lingered like a bruise.Lucas sat across the room, equally quiet.He had tried apologizing.He had tried explaining.

The shout from the locker room echoed through the tunnel.Coach Daniels rushed past them, followed by several players.For a few seconds, the tension between Ethan, Lila, and Lucas was broken as everyone looked toward the commotion.One of the equipment racks had collapsed, scattering hockey sticks and gear across the floor.“It’s okay,” an assistant coach called out. “Nobody’s hurt.”The players slowly began cleaning up the mess.Lila let out the breath she had been holding.Ethan looked back at her.She was still crying.“I meant what I said,” she whispered. “I love you.”For the briefest moment, his expression softened.He took one step toward her.Then his eyes landed on Lucas.The memory of the kiss flashed through his mind again.His jaw tightened.Lucas saw it happen.He stepped between them.“Ethan.”His voice was calm.“Listen to me.”“I’m listening.”“The kiss was my fault.”Lila nodded immediately.“It was.”Lucas continued before either of them could speak.“I kissed her.”