Juliette’s POV
The rink was eerily quiet that morning, the kind of silence that set your nerves on edge. I felt it immediately the second I stepped inside, the cold air pressing against my skin, the faint smell of ice and sweat lingering from last night’s practice. My kit bag felt unusually heavy on my shoulder, as if it carried the weight of my thoughts, my anxiety, and every secret I was trying to hide.
I wasn’t sure how long I had been pacing in the hallway before I finally steeled myself and opened the locker room door. The team was already warming up, the rhythmic slap of skates on the ice echoing through the cavernous space. My heartbeat jumped in time with the sound. Every glance from a player felt like it lingered a second too long, every whisper seemed pointed, every shadow susp
