Not interested in Non ex

ONE MISTAKE

Elena's pov

His stretched his arm towards me and I froze.

The lace mask suddenly felt too tight against my skin. The Ryder Knight was standing in front of me with his collar open, looking at me like I was the only real thing in this entire glittering nightmare of a night. What the hell was I supposed to do? I freaked out.

“I… it’s the mask,” I said, forcing my voice into something smoother and closer to what I imagined Victoria voice to sound like. “I think it muffles everything. There's still a long night downstairs.”

He didn’t buy it. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, tired but genuine. “I know it’s not the mask Vick. Your voice has this edge tonight. Like you’re actually tired of the bullshit instead of just pretending to be.”

I don't know what entered me but I suddenly felt like I could become vulnerable with him.

I opened my mouth to speak but shut them back when a hotel staff member rounded the corner, pushing a cart loaded with linens.

His eyes flickered towards us with curiously and I started to panick within. Dana would actually lose her mind if she knew I had wandered up here and Victoria would…

Ryder seemed to notice my trauma because he stepped back without a word and opened the door to his suite wider. “Come in for a minute. You know the life of a celebrity. We can't get any alone time to ourselves.”

I hesitated, my heart hammering. Every instinct screamed at me to run but his eyes were steady, no games, just a quiet understanding which somehow convinced me to slip inside with him.

The suite was worlds away from the ballroom chaos. It was full of soft lighting, with a massive window overlooking the city lights, and the faint scent of his cologne lingering in the air. I kept my distance at first, and wrapped my arms around myself.

“What's wrong Veronica?” he looked at me with concern in his eyes. “You suddenly became… reserved. We've always talked about this remember? Escaping to enjoy solitude?”

I cleared my throat and stood taller and more confidently. I smiled. “Of course. But the party needs us.”

She smiled and leaned against the close door. “Fine. Just five minutes,” he replied. “Then you can disappear back into the crowd if you want.” He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling slowly. “God, I hate these things. My dad has been calling nonstop about game telling me to f**k the scouts and focus on his company. I guess what he really doesn't want to understand is that I have to impress the scouts. I really want a chance at this thing.”

I looked at him. I had always assumed that every parent would be thrilled to have their son enlisted as a professional hockey player but his was different. He was torn inbetween two different lives just like I was right now.

“That sounds heavy,” I murmured before I could stop myself. This time I forgot to use Victoria’s polished voice and spoke exactly like. “Being watched all the time, but still feeling like no one actually sees you.”

His gaze sharpened on me. “Exactly. Everyone wants the captain. The stats. The guy who’s supposed to have it all together. But some nights I’m just… invisible in my own skin. You ever feel that?”

The question cracked something open as I sank onto the edge of the couch, the dress pooling around me. “Yeah. More than you know. I spent yesterday choosing between coffee and bus fare. I had to put the cup back because four dollars could be my whole meal for tomorrow. Meanwhile, people down there are throwing around numbers that could change lives like it’s nothing.”

I caught myself but it too late. That wasn’t Victoria talking. It was Elena. The broke, exhausted version who visited Martha in the hospital every spare minute she got

Ryder sat across from me, closer than he needed to be. “That’s real. Most people here would never admit that. But really, you’re… different tonight, Victoria. Or maybe you always have been, and I just missed it before.”

My stomach twisted at the name so I tried to change the topic but he continued, his voice casual but piercing. “Remember that gala in April? You told me, ‘Some doors stay closed for a reason. Don’t go knocking unless you’re ready for what’s behind them.’ That sounded like something my old coach would say, and it me harder than I expected.”

Something snapped in my brain.

‘Some doors stay closed for a reason…’ that was the same exact phrase I said to Martha last month, when warning her about worrying too hard about her treatment options. How did Victoria know and how did she use it?

I forced a small laugh, deflecting. “I say a lot of things. Half the time I don’t even remember.”

He studied me, eyes searching. “Maybe. But that one stuck. It made me think about my own closed doors. My dad, the pressure, and how it feels like to be pretending every second.”

We talked like that for what felt like hours—small exchanges at first, then deeper. He told me about the scout meeting earlier that night, how his father’s voice still echoed in his head before he left home and I slipped a little bit more than I should have as well.

I told him about leaving a light on for someone who mattered, even when electricity was a luxury and about the weight of carrying everything alone. He just listened to me like no one ever had and that made me feel the air thicken between us.

His hand brushed mine on the couch and I didn’t pull away.

“Tell me to leave, and I will,” he said quietly in a rough voice. “But I don’t want to.”

I knew it was wrong but for once, I didn’t want to be smart. I didn’t want to be the girl who always chose survival over living. I told him the truth. What felt.

“I don’t want you to leave either,” I whispered.

He closed the distance slowly, giving me every chance to stop. And when his lips met mine, it was gentle at first, then deeper, like he had been waiting for this version of me.

We moved to the bedroom without rushing, our hands exploring each other with a kind of tenderness that surprised us both.

It didn't feel like it was just heat. It felt honesty in the dark. His fingers traced my spine like he was memorizing something real, while murmuring softly between kisses as he called me Vicky.

For the first time, I chose to allow it happen, damning the consequences because there in his arms, the masks fell away, and for those stolen hours, I wasn’t pretending.

I didn't sleep long after he fell asleep, his arm was still draped over me, breathing deep and steady, and reality crashed back in waves.

What had I just done? This wasn’t casual. It wasn't casual for any of us but it was all a lie. The woman he thought he had been with didn’t exist and she couldn't remain till the next morning.

I slipped out of bed carefully, gathered the dress and mask and walked out of the room without any note or goodbye.

Just the quiet click of the door behind me as I left before dawn, still in the glittering armor that wasn’t mine.

Just before I could enter into my door, my phone buzzed once again. There were eleven missed calls from Dana and three from Victoria, but what caught My attention was the text message from an unknown number.

“I saw you go upstairs with him. We need to talk before Victoria finds out.”

My blood ran cold. I didn't know the sender, but why did I have a strong feeling that the older man in the gray suit didn't leave early after all?