Home / Romance / Caught Between Two Hockey Stars / Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

All Chapters of Caught Between Two Hockey Stars: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

1.First Game

The first thing I noticed about Dalton University wasn't the old brick buildings or the endless crowd of students rushing across campus. It was the sound coming from the hockey arena, loud enough to shake the windows of the buildings nearby.I stopped at the bottom of the stairs, staring up at the arena glowing beneath the evening sky. Tonight was my first hockey game at Blackwood, and after weeks of hearing about this team as it was the center of the entire university's universe, I was finally going to see what all the excitement was about. More importantly, I was going to see Liam play.My phone buzzed in my pocket.Liam: Where are you?I smiled without meaning to.Me: Outside the arena.His reply came almost instantly.Liam: You said you'd be here ten minutes ago.Me: I'm here now.Liam: Get inside, Parker.I rolled my eyes at the screen. Same Liam. He'd been bossy since we were kids, and somehow eighteen years hadn't softened that even slightly.Our families had been friends for a

Last Updated : 2026-10-22

2.The Deal

By Monday morning, I had already heard three different versions of what happened with Liam Callahan. According to one rumor, he had cheated on someone. According to another, he had been caught leaving a girl's dorm room at three in the morning. The most ridiculous version claimed he'd been secretly dating someone from another university and had gotten caught by half the hockey team. I didn't know which story was true, but I knew one thing for certain: none of them sounded like the Liam I'd grown up with. Unfortunately, that didn't stop people from talking. I was halfway across the quad when my phone buzzed. Liam: Lunch. Twelve thirty. I stared at the message. Me: Is that an invitation or an order? His reply came almost immediately. Liam: Both. I smiled despite myself. Me: Fine. Where? Liam: The Maple Room. I'll pick you up. I slipped my phone into my pocket, only to nearly walk straight into someone."Careful, Parker." I looked up. Of course. Jace Bennett.He stood in front

Last Updated : 2026-10-22

3. No More Secrets

By Wednesday morning, our fake relationship had officially become the worst-kept secret at Dalton.Not because Liam and I had told anyone. We hadn't. But apparently, all it took was one hockey captain walking across campus holding a girl's hand for the entire university to put the pieces together themselves.Liam seemed completely unbothered by the attention. I, on the other hand, wasn't sure whether I wanted to laugh or hide every time someone looked at us."You're staring," Liam said as we walked toward the student center."I'm observing.""Same thing.""No, it isn't."He glanced at me with a grin. "You're nervous.""I'm not nervous.""You're squeezing my hand."I immediately loosened my grip. "Because everyone's looking.""That's the point."I looked around. He wasn't exaggerating. A group of girls near the fountain were whispering while watching us. Two guys from the hockey team called out Liam's name, and one of them gave him a thumbs-up.I groaned. "This is ridiculous.""You agr

Last Updated : 2026-10-22

4.Making It Believable

By Thursday morning, the whole thing had started to feel real.Not the relationship itself. That was still fake. At least, that's what I kept reminding myself every time Liam reached for my hand while we crossed campus, or smiled at me when someone was watching, or casually introduced me as his girlfriend. But the attention was real. People knew about us now, and judging by the looks we were getting, they were already convinced.Liam seemed to have no problem with it. He walked beside me like he'd been doing it forever, his fingers intertwined with mine as we made our way toward the student center. Every few steps, someone from the hockey team would call his name, and he'd nod or smile without letting go of my hand. I wasn't sure if he was naturally good at pretending or if he'd simply gotten too comfortable with the role."You're quiet," he said."I'm thinking.""About?""How strange this is."He glanced down at our hands. "You mean this?""Yes.""You'll get used to it.""That sounds

Last Updated : 2026-10-22

5.The First Kiss

Friday night brought another hockey game, another packed arena, and another reminder that pretending to date the captain of Dalton University's hockey team was going to be much harder than I had expected.I sat near the glass with Chloe, watching Liam and the rest of the team warm up on the ice. Jace was there too, skating beside Liam as they passed the puck between them. Even from the stands, I could tell they were close. They moved around each other effortlessly, almost like they already knew what the other was going to do before it happened."You're watching Jace," Chloe whispered.I immediately looked at her. "I'm watching the game.""Sure.""I am."She smiled. "I didn't say anything."I turned back toward the ice, pretending she hadn't caught me. Liam glanced toward the stands a few seconds later and smiled when he found me. I smiled back, and the strange little tension inside my chest disappeared.That was Liam. Familiar. Safe. Someone I had known long before Dalton.The game wa

Last Updated : 2026-10-22

6.The Problem With Pretending

Saturday morning, I woke up thinking about Liam.More specifically, I woke up thinking about his lips.I groaned and pulled my blanket over my face. This was ridiculous. It had been one kiss. Okay, three kisses. But the first one had been practice. The second had been practice too.The third...I stopped myself. There was no point thinking about it. It was fake. Liam and I were fake. That was the entire point.My phone buzzed on the nightstand.Liam: Morning, fake girlfriend.I smiled before I could stop myself.Me: Morning, fake boyfriend.Three dots appeared almost immediately.Liam: Team celebration tonight. You're coming.I stared at the message.Me: Is that an invitation or an order?Liam: Both.I laughed quietMe: Fine.Another message appeared.Liam: Wear something nice.I raised an eyebrow.Me: Why?His response came seconds later.Liam: Because I want everyone to know you're with me.My stomach flipped. I stared at the screen for far too long.Then another message appeared.L

Last Updated : 2026-10-23

7.Too Close to the Fire

Monday morning came way too fast.I barely slept the night before. Every time I closed my eyes, I kept thinking about Saturday night. About Liam. About Jace. Mostly about the way Jace had looked at me when he asked why I hadn't looked that worried when Liam got hit.I hated that question. Mostly because I didn't have an answer."Stop staring at your phone."I looked up from the screen. Chloe was sitting across from me in the cafeteria, eating fries like she hadn't just accused me of something."I wasn't staring.""You've been looking at the same screen for five minutes.""I was thinking.""Dangerous."I rolled my eyes. "Can you not?"She grinned. "Fine. But you know what I think?""No.""You're thinking about one of the hockey boys."I nearly choked on my coffee. "I'm thinking about my homework.""Sure."Before I could argue, someone dropped into the seat beside me.

Last Updated : 2026-10-23

13.Somewhere Real

I told myself I wasn't going to go.I told myself that at seven, while I was still in my dorm changing out of my class clothes for absolutely no reason. I told myself that at seven-thirty, while I was doing my makeup like I wasn't planning on seeing anyone. I told myself that right up until the moment I grabbed my jacket and walked out the door anyway.Jace's last text sat unanswered on my phone the entire walk there.Somewhere real, he'd said. Not the equipment room. Not a hallway where we could be interrupted by a trainer with a clipboard. He'd sent an address twenty minutes ago,a small overlook near the edge of campus, the kind of spot upperclassmen mentioned during orientation and everyone forgot about by October.He was already there when I arrived, sitting on the hood of his car, looking out at the lights of the town below. He didn't say anything when he heard my footsteps. He just made room beside him."You came," he said finally.

Last Updated : 2026-10-23

8.Not So Fake

The rest of the drive passed in silence. Not the comfortable kind. This one felt heavy.I kept replaying Liam's words in my head. I think we're starting to forget why we agreed to fake this in the first place. I turned toward him. "What does that mean?"His hands tightened around the steering wheel. "You know what it means.""No, I don't."He glanced at me briefly before returning his eyes to the road. "We're supposed to be pretending.""I know.""Then why did you let him touch you like that?"My heart stopped. I stared at him. "Excuse me?""Jace." His jaw tightened. "I saw you."I swallowed. "He had a cut.""I know.""I was checking it.""With your hand?"I frowned. "What was I supposed to do? Throw a bandage at his face?" Liam almost smiled. Almost. But the expression disappeared quickly."That's not what I meant.

Last Updated : 2026-10-24

9.Between Us

By the time my afternoon class ended, I had almost convinced myself that the morning hadn't happened.Almost.Then I stepped into the hallway and saw Jace waiting for me. He was leaning against the lockers, arms crossed, his expression unreadable."You came."I adjusted the strap of my bag. "You told me to.""Good." He pushed himself away from the lockers. "Come with me.""Where?""You'll see.""That sounds suspicious."He smiled. "You're still coming."Unfortunately, he was right.---I followed him across campus and into the nearly empty student lounge beside the athletic building. The room was quiet. Too quiet. Jace closed the door behind us.I immediately turned around. "Why are we hiding in here?""We're not hiding.""Then why are we alone?"He looked at me. "Because I wanted to talk without everyone listening."My stomach tightened. "About what?"He ste

Last Updated : 2026-10-24

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