All Chapters of Claimed By The Hockey Captain: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

LoriMy entire body tensed up instantly at Lucas’s raspy, affectionate reply. I darted my gaze upward just in time to see Jessica and Ann exchange a sharp, suspicious look across the kitchen counter.“You seriously think the two of us were born yesterday or something, Lori?” Jessica snapped, her eyes narrowing as the furious fire returned to her face in full force.Panic surged through my veins like lightning. I cleared my dry throat, hardening my tone into something sharp and cold before Lucas could speak again. “I literally told you to stop calling me 'babe,' Lucas! We are over. We already talked through all of this!”There was a long silence on the other end of the line. I held my breath, my heart hammering violently against my ribs as I waited for his reaction.I heard Lucas let out a long, frustrated sigh over the speaker. “Then why the fuck did you even bother calling my phone in the middle of the night if we're over, Lori?” he growled, his voice laced with sharp irritation.I l

Lucas “Hey, man! Wait up!” Alex screamed behind me, his sneakers slapping hard against the asphalt as he jogged to catch up with my furious stride.“Wait for what, Alex?” I barked back without slowing down, “for you to try and stop me?”“I didn’t know you were actually serious about confronting Travis right now! Can you just wait two minutes and think this through?” Alex pleaded when he finally caught up with me.I covered the last few feet to my truck, ignoring his frantic warning. “I’ve thought about it for as long as I need to, and I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to deal with Travis once and for all.”I unlocked the truck, jumped into the driver's seat, and cranked the roaring engine. I raised an eyebrow when the passenger door suddenly yanked open and Alex scrambled inside beside me. “What are you doing getting in? Are you coming with me?”“I’m only coming because I’m worried you’ll end up in jail,” Alex huffed, buckling his seatbelt. “I am still not in support of you fighting yo

LoriMy eyes narrowed in deep suspicion as my gaze flicked from Lucas’s brightly glowing phone screen to his face, frantically searching his expression for immediate answers. When he made no move to answer, simply letting the phone vibrate endlessly in his palm, I sat up straight on the mattress and decided to address it head on.“Why aren’t you picking up, Lu?” I asked, my voice laced with rising tension.Lucas shrugged lightly, tossing the phone onto the sheets between us. “Because I have zero clue why she’d be calling my line, especially at two in the morning.”“Has she... has she ever called your number before this?”A sudden realization hit me like a slap to the face. My chest tightened as my mind raced down a dark rabbit hole. What if Jessica had noticed me getting out of bed? What if she had quietly trailed me out of the building? I had been so consumed by fear and longing on my walk here that I hadn't checked over my shoulder even once. It was possible she had followed me all

LoriWe walked back into my room on shaky legs. Ann was trying so hard not to laugh out loud at the way my hands were visibly trembling.“Do you just want me to open it and read it for you?” she offered gently, sitting down on the edge of my bed and tucking a stray strand of blonde hair behind her ear.“Yes, please. I think I’ll just close my eyes while you check it, and you can break the news to me,” I suggested, dropping onto the mattress next to her and turning my back toward the desk.“Don’t be so dramatic, Lor,” Ann chuckled, shaking her head. “Regardless of whether your eyes are open or shut, it’s going to be just fine.”She reached over to my desk, tapped the trackpad, clicked on the newly arrived email, and began reading through the message with a slight frown pulling at her brows. Since I was far too nervous to actually keep my eyes closed, I kept sneaking anxious glances over my shoulder at her face, trying

LoriSummer started with a whole new rush of tense, electric energy. Now that I was officially finished with my final exams and had cleared all my administrative paperwork for the semester, it was finally time to face the real challenge: the national fashion camp.Glancing around my bedroom, it looked like a tornado had hit. Half of my wardrobe was scattered across the duvet as I tried to curate the best outfits to pack in my luggage for the competition.I reached down and pulled out a deep red velvet gown I hadn't worn since my freshman year. Holding it against my body, I stepped over to the full length mirror, turning from side to side to evaluate my reflection.My phone began ringing loudly on the nightstand right at that moment, cutting through my debate over whether the dress was worth a spot in my suitcase. I casually glanced over at the screen, but the exact second I saw Lucas’s name flashing, I tossed the gown onto the