Melting the Ice Captain

Chapter 4:Surprise, Roommate

Skye's POV

I followed Mercer down the hallway toward the locker room. His shoulders were stiff, like every step pissed him off more. When we reached the main locker room door, he pushed open the door and the whole place went dead silent as I followed behind.

Twenty-something guys turned at once and the conversations that were once flowing around cut off like someone hit mute. A few of them smirked while others just stared, sizing me up.

The air felt thick and uncomfortable, like I’d walked into a room I wasn’t supposed to see. My face heated up, but I kept my chin high and followed behind Mercer, feeling every single pair of eyes on my back.

He jerked his head toward a small side door with a cheap “Women’s Changing” sign taped on it like an afterthought.“Use that one,” he said in a flat tone of voice.

Inside the tiny space, I changed as fast as humanly possible, my heart still racing from the scrimmage and the weight of all those stares. This is what the whole season’s gonna be like, isn’t it? I thought as I pulled on my hoodie. Every day proving I belong.

When I stepped out a few minutes later, the locker room was empty. Everyone had cleared out fast, except Mercer. He was leaning against the opposite wall, arms crossed over his chest and staring at the floor with a brooding expression on his face.

He didn’t say a word when he looked up and saw me, he just pushed off the wall and started walking.

I rolled my eyes behind his back. Wonder how far that stick is up his ass.

He led me through the arena halls without a single word. The silence stretched between us, awkward and heavy. I kept glancing at him, scrambling for something, anything really to say, but my brain felt blank and every time I opened my mouth, nothing good came out.

“So umm… do you—”

He stopped suddenly in front of a door, making me nearly walk into his back.

“Oh,” I said, catching myself. “Are we at the Athletic Director's office?”

Mercer raised one dark eyebrow and looked pointedly at the plaque on the door that clearly read “Athletic Director.” “You can read, right, Brooks?”

My blood instantly boiled, and I glared at him with my fists clenched at my sides. “Wow. It was just a harmless question. No need to be so rude, Captain.”

He didn’t even smirk or say anything, he just turned and walked away like I wasn’t worth another second of his time.

What a jerk.

I stood there for a beat, fuming, before knocking on the door.

“Come in,” a voice called.

I pushed the door open and inside sat Coach Harlan sat with his large, scarred hands laced together on the desk, his short, silver-streaked hair crushed flat on one side from his headset.

Next to him was who I presumed to be the Athletic Director, Mr Radcliffe. He looked incredibly neat in a sharp suit with his dark, perfectly parted hair slicked back into place. On the other side sat a strict-looking woman whose dark hair was pulled back into a clip so tight it looked painful.

All three of them stopped what they were doing and turned to stare at me the moment the door clicked shut.

“Brooks, come in and sit,” the coach said.

"Where's Logan?" The Director asked me, his lips in a firm line. I stared at him blankly for a beat, trying to figure out who he was talking about. "Who?"

Coach lets out a soft chuckle. "He means the Captain. Mercer."

Oh.

I stepped inside. “Mercer just dropped me off and left.”

Coach muttered something under his breath and rolled his eyes. “Of course he did.”

I sat down in the chair across from the desk and Mr. Radcliffe leaned forward, with his hands clasped.

“First things first, Skye. Welcome to Northern Crest University. This isn’t just about hockey. You’re a full-time university student and that means keeping your grades up and no skipping classes. We expect the same academic commitment from you as every other athlete on the team.”

The woman nodded and jumped in. “As the first woman on the men’s hockey team, you’re going to face a lot of attention from fans, from the media and from other schools. Some positive, some… not so much. We’ll be monitoring things closely.”

They went over a bunch more rules, like curfews for road trips, how to handle media interviews, representing Northern Crest University the right way and no partying that could affect performance.

I listened carefully, nodding along, even though my stomach kept twisting tighter. This wasn’t just playing hockey anymore. It felt like stepping into something I never asked for.

Finally, the woman whose name I later found out to be Amy, the manager of the hockey team, cleared her throat. “Now, about your living situation. The hockey department has special housing near the rink for early morning drills and team bonding. But… there’s currently no separate room available for you.”

I stiffened in my chair. “What about the regular girls’ dorms?”

“We would’ve bent the rules for you, but there’s no space left. Athletes also can’t room with non-athletes. So you’ll have to share with another athlete.”

My mind raced. Another athlete?

I remembered seeing tennis courts when Dad dropped me off, so there was most likely a tennis team. So does she mean I'll room with a female athlete from the tennis team?

She rummaged through her bag. “Everything’s already arranged. Here’s your key and the address.”

She slid the key across the desk. I took it, grabbed my big suitcase, and slung my heavy duffel bag over my shoulder.

The walk to Summit Ridge Lofts felt longer than it should have. I checked my phone and gasped. It was already past six in the evening. I couldn't believe how fast the time had flown.

To make things worse, the campus map was confusing, and I got lost a few times, turning down the wrong dark road before I finally figured out the right directions. By the time I saw the brick building, my muscles were aching.

I was so exhausted, and my body felt gross from the ice. I was completely ready to just hop into a hot shower and slide under the sheets to sleep for a week.

I stood in front of unit 3B, took a deep breath, and whispered to myself, “Okay… here we go. You wanted this, Skye. Own it.”

I turned the key and pushed the door open.

The lights inside were off. The room was dark and still, but as I stepped into the hallway, I noticed a large shadow on the couch.

I stopped, and my heart skipped a beat in my chest. I squinted into the dark, trying to see better and the shape shifted. The large figure slowly turned its head toward the door, and my breath caught in my throat.

It was a guy.

The dim glow from the hallway hit his face and I froze as my hands went cold, because it wasn't just any guy.

It was the captain.

Logan Mercer.

He sat there in a tight black T-shirt that stretched across his broad chest and gray sweatpants. His dark hair was still damp from the shower.

My heart slammed to a stop as Mercer’s sharp emerald eyes snapped up at me. For a second he just stared at me, confused, then his face twisted into pure disbelief and irritation.

“What the f**k are you doing in my apartment?”