OFF THE ICE, INTO MY HEART

CAUGHT IN THE CROWD

By the time they reached the arena, the parking lot was so full that they could barely find a place to park the car.

Fans crowded the arena. Most of them were in vibrant blue-and-white jerseys bearing "HAYES" across the back.

Lena's eyes scanned the crowd, searching for anyone wearing a Blizzard jersey, but there were only a few.

As they made their way deeper into the arena, they spotted a tall, broad-shouldered man in the distance waving continuously at them. He looked just like Aiden. But as he drew closer, there was no longer any doubt. It was truly Aiden.

His long hair peeked out beneath his cap, and he wore a vibrant blue jersey with the number fifteen printed across the back. “Look who we have here.” Aiden's grin widened as he pulled her into a hug.

"Emma actually did a good job convincing you."

She rolled her eyes before giving him a playful punch on his shoulder. “Shut up.”

Seconds later, the referee blew the whistle. The puck dropped as the players swung into action, sticks clashing as the game finally began. Each player moved across the ice, bodies colliding into one another, and the crowd erupted into cheers with every pass, every miss, and every shot.

Even though she knew little about hockey, she noticed Noah Hayes, the superstar, standing out. The crowd roared, shouting Noah's name every time he took a shot.

HAYES! HAYES!

SHOOT!

It was nearly two and a half hours later.

Noah skated even faster as he stole the puck from Aiden and raced down the ice toward the net before firing a powerful shot. The entire arena rose to its feet.

“GOAL!” the crowd screamed.

The goal horn blared, reflecting 1-0 on the scoreboard as Noah Hayes' goal gave Hamilton club the lead over the Blizzard club.

A camera followed his every move as the bright lights reflected on his face, capturing every second of the celebration.

The arena erupted into cheers, bringing the game to a close.

Lena's smile faded as she watched Aiden lower his head, slamming his stick against the ice before settling onto the bench. Even from a distance, she could see the disappointment written across his face.

“I think I should go check on him,” Emma's voice softened as she walked toward Aiden.

Lena watched them for a moment, deciding to give them some space. She stood up, adjusting the wrinkles in her jeans before dragging her feet to the concourse.

She had barely taken a few steps when she heard her name from a distance.

"Lena Carter!"

She stared, a puzzled frown crossing her face as a swarm of reporters hurried in her direction, cameras already flashing and microphones thrust towards her before she could process what was happening.

“Lena, how do you feel about Ethan, the sports reporter getting engaged?”

“We saw him propose to a lady on the Internet.”

“Are you two not together?”

Those questions were all she could hear. She froze, her feet rooted to the spot. The questions hit harder than she expected as every pair of eyes in the concourse fixed on her.

“Excuse me, y'all, I need to leave right now.” She tried to squeeze through the crowd as camera flashes lit up her face.

“Please, Miss Carter, just one question.”

The crowd drew closer to her, closing the space and leaving her with nowhere to go.

Just then, she felt a soft touch. Not just random; it felt more personal.

Her foot slipped, and a strong arm caught her around her waist before she could hit the ground. Her breath caught as she looked up. It was Noah Hayes. A camera flash erupted around them.

For a moment, her heartbeat stopped, and the noise around them disappeared. Lena blinked, her breath still caught in her throat, only to find herself staring into the familiar blue eyes she had just watched play on the ice.

More cameras were raised the instant Noah wrapped an arm around her waist. “That’s enough. Give her some space,” he said firmly, turning toward the reporters.

Lena gently removed his hand from her waist before finally meeting his gaze.

“Mr. Hayes, is this your new girlfriend?"

“Are you two having an affair?”

“Were you the reason she broke up with Ethan, the sports reporter?”

More questions were thrown as their attention shifted from Lena to Noah, microphones raised below his lips. “I’m not going to answer that.” He held her hand firmly and led her away from the reporters without looking back.

The reporters followed after them, microphones stretched forward, cameras kept flashing, following every one of their steps.

“Who is she to you?”

“Are you two dating?”

“Mr. Hayes, just one answer?”

Security quickly stepped in, closing the space between them. Noah led her to a quiet corner of the arena, far away from the reporters as their voices faded into the background.

“Let go of my hand.” Lena's voice came out firm as she ripped her hand from his grip. “Who the f**k gave you the right to hold me that way?”

“You needed help. Someone had to step in, and so I did. And not even a thank you.”

She hated that he was right. “I never called for your help, or is that how you go around helping strangers?”

“Gosh. A flicker of irritation crossed Noah's face. You're so f*****g ungrateful.”

“Did you seriously just say that? Who are you to tell me that?”

“Someone who wasn't going to stand there and let you get trampled in the crowd. Okay?”

Whatever. I'm out of here.” She turned to leave, only to find Emma running toward them. Emma sagged in relief as soon as she spotted her.

“Lena, are you okay? I've been looking everywhere for you.” Her words caught in her throat as her gaze shifted to the man standing beside Lena.

Emma froze.