VE – Back

na'

was long after Ca

but my thoughts were somewhere else.His

ve to apologi

ed on my lips before

I cried, people either laughed, ignored me, or told me I

he would sigh impatiently and tell m

onvinced myself

not so sur

to the tray sitt

ost empty, I had

but it was more than I

l victory.I stood up slowly and carrie

elt strang

longer, I knew my mind

want that,

d my hockey bag resti

rossed my m

too heavy, I always f

t way since I w

became, skating always ma

as exactly w

y hair into a ponytail, picked up my hocke

front door, I heard voices

y open, I had no int

rd Cassian's voice."I've a

mer, replied."Alpha, the pac

d slight

"You need a Luna t

better choi

uddenly becam

r a moment, comp

Luna?

me. Were they talking about a

d people speak l

he room.n"The longer you wait, t

ered calmly.

ce was

anger in it,

lready heard more

I turned

ockey stick slipped slightl

hoed through

e conversation insid

no

elf. A second late

pped into t

eyes

t, neither

o my face. "I

could stop them. "I wasn't ...

ped ta

ined, the more g

seconds before shaking his he

was

ame so naturally that

ds eased the embarrassmen

dly. "I'm going

ey bag resting on my s

lways skated when

I saw the corner of his mouth lif

ave before walking t

t time in what felt like forever,

ot to impress any

shed open the doors leadi

fresh rubber filled the air, w

ag on one of the benches before

ense of comfort, I had done this so many

, I took a deep breath

de, then

k as though my body had remembered

nutes, I forg

ll smile found its way onto my face as I spun li

nd gently pushed it

y through the empty ar

d, the lighter

near the entrance, I t

na carrying his hockey

as dressed simply in a black training jacket and dark jogger

ned, I only knew him as the

ame first, the player D

standing in

unbelievable, he spotte

n his face as he walked

. "I alw

on the bench beside mine.

ome reason, talking to

lt...

s skates before st

tless, every stride was smoot

stopping a short distance

e great Cassia

h lifted.."Should I as

eyes dramati

utes, we were passing

t slow, simple pass

us saying anything, th

quicker, his movem

but after missing another pass, I

puck neatly with h

ou

e with an amus

toward him.."You ar

ract

head immedi

"That isn't

an eyebr

s showi

eal laugh, not a polite smile, not

m for a second

onfused. "S

jus

never seen you

you h

, the sound su

ued skating, talking, and teasing each

ng it, I was la

laugh

omach ache, the kind tha

ught quietl

e me moments lik

od in the stands

ctory, every award but he had nev

r once looked at me the way Cassian was looki

n about him, his dreams,

t was what love looked like..Now... I wasn'

d. "I'm

rd, he passed the p

, he was waiting patien

ion, just waiting and somehow that m

another voice suddenly echoed

knew that voice i

from my face.Slowly, I t

anding near the

looked away immediately, I had no i

d continued skating. Pretend

was louder

red hi

er, I heard foots

want to ta

ent too many years liste

y, Draven cl

ard the edge of the r

fused to l

ly seemed to m

y stopped, nod be

e I wa

ned s

ha

expected me to answer, like he had not expected me t

m me... To Cassian

k flashed acr

ore he could start whatever conversation

ession w

sture

ough authority to silenc

her

choed throu

enly nob