All Chapters of Breaking the Captain's Rule: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

CHASETHE CRISP, FREEZING AIR OF THE ICE ARENA BIT AT MY CHEEKS, BUT I COULDN'T STOP SMILING. For the first time in two years, I felt like I was exactly where I belonged.After walking away from my father—cutting ties completely because of the toxic, manipulative person he was—this assistant management position was my fresh start. I hadn’t used his name or his connections to get it. I had transferred schools, submitted my own scouting notes, and earned this entirely on my own merit."I still can’t believe you actually got the job," Bree said, panting slightly as we rushed down the corridor toward the main rink.Bree Troisi was my roommate and the absolute best friend a girl could ask for. She was the one who had practically engineered my transfer to this university, helping me navigate the endless paperwork and housing forms."Best believe it," I beamed, adjusting the strap of my duffel bag. "The athletic board approved my strategy sheets last week. I am officially a part of the tea

SCOTTI NEEDED THAT COFFEE JUST TO STAY ALIVE. My muscles were aching from the intense drill sessions, and a heavy glaze of exhaustion weighed down my eyelids. Still, morning practice was easily the best time to be on the ice. The air was crisp, the rink was quiet, and everything felt completely under my control.But that peace shattered the moment I skated back toward the team bench.The guys were crowded in a tight circle, knocking their sticks against the ice and chirping happily. I frowned, feeling a sudden prick of irritation. Who could possibly be making them this soft before the season even started?I glided closer, my skates slicing smoothly through the ice. Then, I saw them. Those eyes.A cold shock hit me straight in the chest, stealing the air right out of my lungs. My heart hammered against my ribs as recognition washed over me, mixed with a deep, immediate wave of resentment.It was Thomas.She walked right up to the edge of the rink, and for a split second, my brain com

"EARTH TO THOMAS." Scott snapped his fingers from where he stood breaking me out of the spell his body had put on me. "I'm sorry, I—um—the door was open—I should've knocked," I stammered, messing up my words. "You're late, Thomas," he said flatly, totally uninterested in random babbling. He turned his back to me. He reached behind his shoulder to apply the cream onto a massive, purple bruise. He let out a sharp hiss through his teeth, wincing because he missed the spot completely. Frustrated, he tossed the plastic on the desk and grabbed a shirt laying on the chair. "Don't put that on yet," I said before I could even stop myself. Scott paused, holding the shirt halfway down his chest. He raised an eyebrow, a dangerous look in his eyes. "Excuse me?" "You can't even reach it," I pointed out, trying hard to look at his face instead of his torso. "If you don't apply the cream, your muscle will lock up during tomorrow's game. As your manager, I need you ready to play." I stepped

CHASETHE NEXT MORNING, THE SUN WAS BARELY UP, BUT THE CHILL AIR WAS ALREADY BITING AT MY SKIN. I wrapped my jacket tighter around my body as I walked up the steps of my dorm building after going for my morning run.I was almost through the front doors when the morning receptionist called out to me."Hey, kid. Are you Chase?"I stopped in my tracks and turned around, holding my coffee tightly in one hand. "Yeah. What's up?"The older guy behind the desk shifted in his chair, taking a slow sip from a styrofoam cup. "Some guy came looking for you late last night. He was standing right out front, asking if you got back here safe."A strange knot formed in my stomach. "Oh. Can you describe him?"The guy just shrugged, going right back to looking at his computer monitor. "All you campus boys and girls look the same to me, kid. Tall, wearing a hoodie. That's all I know." He waved his hand dismissively. "Have a good day."I stood there for a second, totally confused. "Wait—""I said have a g

MY BACK WAS PRESSED FLAT AGAINST THE COLD HALLWAY WALL, BUT I REFUSED TO SHRINK UNDER HIS INTENSE GAZE. I looked right up into Scott's dark, furious eyes, my jaw locked so tight my teeth ached."You want me to drop out?" I asked, my voice dangerously quiet. "You're the one who sat in that room acting like you were Darcy himself, quoting Virginia Woolf like you actually opened a book for once in your life. If anyone set us up for this, Scott, it was you and your massive ego."His hand on the doorframe tightened, his knuckles turning stark white against the dark trim. "I don't care about your little theatrical ambitions, Chase. I'm telling you to pull your name off that signup sheet before the end of the day.""And I'm telling you to go to hell," I said, putting my palms against his chest and pushing with all the strength I had left.He barely moved an inch, his broad frame rooted to the spot, but the look of spite, burning in my eyes forced him to take a half-step back to keep his bala