Ice cold secrets, claimed by his rival

Chapter 1

Chapter One

Aria’s POV

The game was going so well until the projector displayed something other than the live scores and the entire arena went completely silent. Right at that moment, everyone’s phone pinged, signaling a notification that stated the new post on the school’s gossip blog.

A gasp slipped through my mouth as I settled on watching the video playing on the screen instead.

“Oh my goodness!” I exclaimed alongside other spectators. “Kingston Lance is doing drugs?”

Kingston Lance — the college’s best hockey player. His tall, lanky frame covered the projector as he sniffed in whatever stuff he held.

“I knew it! No one can be so grumpy naturally.” A girl yelled beside me.

“That explains why he has so many tattoos.”

“No wonder he always isolates himself.”

And while the comments went on and on from the spectators, the rink was another thing entirely. Kingston was frozen, I clearly saw his face ashen with shock from where I sat.

Then, he moved — storming across the hockey rink to whom I somewhat less expected. Ryder — my boyfriend and the goalie of his team which happened to be Kingston’s opponent.

And before I could control myself, I was running across the arena and going over to the rink. The rage on Kingston’s face almost made me stop stupidly halfway as though I was capable of defending Ryder.

I managed to get into the rink, but other players had stopped Kingston even before he got to Ryder. He looked like he was ready to land punches on him.

“You did this!” He yelled angrily, veins popping out of his forehead.

“Did I give you the weed you smoke?” Ryder fired back and I didn’t miss the happiness that seemed to be in his voice. “Or you couldn’t just defeat me with a clear mind, and you had to get high so you could turn vicious.”

I made my way to him and touched his arm.

“I’ll make you regret this, dimwit—” He was cut off by what I didn’t want to assume was my presence.

Because he really stopped talking when his eyes moved to me, his hard steel eyes making contact with mine and going… soft?

But his anger visibly ebbed away.

His eyes went back to being hard as he looked back at Ryder who was still smiling.

The coach interrupted the tense moment, “The game is temporarily suspended!” He yelled.

Ryder then looked at me, “What are you doing here? Didn’t I tell you that we need to reduce our public appearances for now?” He was almost glaring at me.

“I wanted to make sure you’re okay.” I shrugged, “Besides, other girls are with their boyfriends who are playing.”

“I’m not just a player, I’m—” he paused, “You know what? We’ll talk later.” He steered me towards the entrance.

“Wait, what about your birthday? It’s tomorrow—” he cut me off.

“We’ll talk about it later. And don’t call me until I do, I’ll be busy all day.”

He successfully pushed me out of the rink and shut the door behind me.

I ignored the mocking sneers from the people who seemed to have seen what happened, then swallowed the lump in my throat and walked away from the arena.

The game was even over.

I walked slowly, keeping my face down till I bumped into someone. And before I looked up to apologize, her strong perfume wafted into my nostrils.

Chloe. My biggest nemesis. The one who followed me from high school to college.

“Well, it’s the boring nerd.” She drawled and her minions laughed behind her as if my mere presence was a joke to them.

“Not now, Chloe,” I mumbled slowly, intending to walk past her when she dragged me back by the arm. And she didn’t stop at that, we went further to wrap her dainty fingers around my neck.

“You’ve shown that you’re a dumb head who doesn’t know anything other than burying her head in arithmetics and whatnot, but I never thought you were this stupid.” She spat into my face, her fingers digging deep enough to leave a scar on my neck.

“Because how the heck did you forget my first rule for you? Don’t you ever walk away from me again. Ever!” She said through gritted teeth.

I struggled in her hold but she made it nearly impossible to get away from her, her feet even thumped down on mine, making it impossible for me to move.

“Let… me go.” I coughed out, clawing at her hands but all I had were my short natural nails.

She glared hard into my eyes then let me go, dropping me like she was scared of getting her hands infected.

“You’re lucky that I’m not with my disinfectant right now. Can’t afford to treat a skin infection.” She glared into my face then stepped back.

“You didn’t do the take-home test I told you to do for me.” She asked as I tried to regain my footing.

I stepped back before responding next, bracing up for any form of attack she might want to launch on me.

“You didn’t employ me as your tutor.”

Her brows rose and her two minions gasped, shocked that I just talked back at her.

“It seems you no longer love your ugly hair—” The words got stuck in her throat as she stared into the distance, seeming to notice someone.

My hair. My fists balled up as I remembered when she almost made me shave my head because she decorated it with gum while I slept in class then. And what was my offense? I declined lying on her behalf when she told me to.

And as I stared in her direction to see that she was staring at Kingston who was being accompanied by some of the college officials, I did the rough calculation in my head and ran off.

If there was anything I knew, it was that Chloe could give her kidney to Kingston just to show her love for him if the need be. She has a huge crush on him and she has never failed to show it.

I ran into the bus that was just about to move, using that opportunity to lose Chloe who had started to reprimand her minions upon seeing that I had left. I stared at them through the glassy mirror of the bus.

It seemed I’d just fix artificial nails as soon as possible, so that the next time I saw her, it’d do the perfect job of decorating her skin too.

Or perhaps, a pepper spray. I was done being the weak scaredy cat.

~

Upon getting back to my dormitory room, the ripples of emotions from the encounter with Chloe all disappeared as I saw that the wrist watch and other items I ordered for Ryder’s birthday.

A smile played on my lips as I ran my fingers along the smooth surface of the belt.

It was the exact one I saw him screenshot on his phone. He’d be so happy when I present it to him tomorrow morning.

“I really can’t wait,” I mumbled, standing up to take my bath and prepare for the midnight call with him.

It’s his eighteenth birthday. And maybe, just maybe if I made this one unforgettable for him, he wouldn’t forget my coming birthday too, just like he said he did with the last one.

I had no idea how long I had stared at the gifts, even after freshening up, but I broke my gaze as my phone pinged.

A text message from an unknown number, my brows rose as I read the content of the text.

Come to House 18A, room J right now.

Another text came in immediately; You won’t believe who your boyfriend is f*****g.