Falling for the hot alpha hockey star

Chapter 16

Skylar's POV

I wasn’t even settled in when Mila came running down like she was chasing free food.

“Sky!” she screeched, grabbing my wrist so hard I nearly dropped my phone. “You’re not gonna believe what I just heard.”

I gave her the deadest stare possible. “If it’s about someone’s lip gloss shade or your new crush, save it. I already regret being here.”

She rolled her eyes so dramatically I thought they might fall out. “No, listen. I was walking past the benches and guess who I heard talking about some tea.”

“Santa Claus?”

“Ryder and Liam!”

My stomach immediately twisted. “Girl we already saw them duhh.”

“Yes I know but there's more!,” she insisted, bouncing like she’d had six energy drinks. “They were talking. Like actual friends. Ryder literally said he was proud of Liam, and Liam said he looks up to Ryder. Can you imagine? I mean, Liam…the guy who barely respects anyone….looks up to Ryder of all people.”

I stared at her like she’d just confessed to robbing a bank. “So let me get this straight. The two people I’d happily never see again in my life are best buds now? Fantastic. That’s exactly what I needed.”

Mila dropped beside me, smirking. “Kind of poetic, isn’t it? Like your past and your mistake teamed up for a buddy comedy.”

“I hate you,” I muttered.

But then the whistle blew, the crowd went berserk, and suddenly my problems were very real, running around with sticks on the field. Ryder, in his dark jersey, flashing that cocky grin that made half the girls in the stands faint. Liam, right beside him, all sharp focus and calm arrogance, like he owned the place. The worst part? They actually looked good together. Every time Ryder passed, Liam caught it. Every time Liam went for a shot, Ryder covered him. Nightmare fuel.

The girls behind me were screaming Ryder’s name like their lives depended on it. The girls in front of me shouted Liam’s like he was the second coming. And me? I sat there gripping my bottle of water like it was the last bit of sanity I had.

Mila leaned closer, whispering even though no one could hear us over the chaos. “I mean, wow. Just… wow. They’re kind of unstoppable, don’t you think?”

“I think I’d rather eat my shoe than admit that,” I muttered.

But she wasn’t wrong. The two of them together were… well, infuriating. Smooth passes, sharp moves, the crowd hanging on every second. And of course, every time Ryder pushed his hair back or Liam adjusted his grip, half the bleachers screamed like they’d just been proposed to.

By the time the whistle blew for halftime, I was already exhausted and I hadn’t even moved. The players jogged to the side, sweat dripping, and Mila nudged me with her elbow.

“Go on. Be a decent person. Give Liam some water.”

I turned to her slowly. “Why the hell would I do that?”

“Because you still care, and don’t even try to deny it. Plus, it’ll make you look like the bigger person.”

“Or the dumber person.”

But she shoved the bottle at me anyway, giving me her threatening bestie face, and I groaned, standing up. My legs felt like bricks as I walked toward the edge of the field. Liam was right there, towel hanging from his neck, pulling off his helmet. For a second, it was like nothing had changed….like I was back in high school, handing him bottles after practice, pretending I wasn’t already falling apart.

“Here,” I muttered, holding it out.

His eyes flicked to mine, cold and sharp. And for a split second, I thought maybe he’d take it, maybe he’d nod, maybe something human would flicker there.

But nope. He walked right past me like I was a ghost. Didn’t even slow down.

Instead, he grabbed a bottle from the girl behind me.

I froze. My grip tightened around the bottle in my hand, knuckles white, because I knew that voice. I knew that laugh. Slowly, painfully, I turned.

And of course, it was her.

The one person I didn’t want to see anywhere near him.

“Are you kidding me?” I whispered, my throat tight.

Mila must’ve seen it too, because she stood up in the stands, waving her arms like she was trying to flag a plane down. Her face screamed oh no she didn’t, but I couldn’t even look at her. My eyes were glued to Liam, smiling faintly at her like I was never even standing there.