You Forgot Something!
1122 Words
ZANE’S POV
“Damn it!” I slumped onto the bench in the locker room, gripping my hair as the memories of what had happened last night replayed in my head.
“I shouldn’t have acted that way in front of her. What if she thinks I’m crazy and…”
An image of the fear on her face flashed before me.
“No, no.” I shook my head, trying to force the image away.
Get a grip on yourself, Zane.
I gritted my teeth and stood up, noticing the team hadn’t entered yet. I opened my locker and locked my gaze on the bandage tucked into one corner. My eyes drifted to the back of my hand, where the wounds from last night’s episode had almost healed.
Ever since I left her, my wolf had gone still and calm. Practice today had been smoother than it had ever been since the day I rejected her.
“What the f**k is wrong with me?” I muttered, staring at my reflection in the mirror. Exhaustion was written all over my face.
I cursed under my breath before pulling off my hockey shirt. The smell from practice burned my nostrils. I quickly applied some roll-on deodorant before getting ready to wash the grime away, but I froze just as I turned.
Coach Damian stood at the entrance, his cold eyes fixed on me.
I gulped. “Coach? Is there a problem?”
“Yes, there is a problem, Zane.” He pushed himself off the wall and walked toward me. “The Academy just informed me they hired a statistician to watch over you because of your episodes.”
He stopped in front of me, staring straight into my eyes. Every hair on my body stood on end. My skin tightened with goosebumps, and my heart slammed heavily against my chest.
“Are you weak?” he asked, searching my eyes.
I clenched my jaw. “No, Coach.”
“Which means you’ll object to them assigning you a statistician. You know what it means to have someone monitoring you.” His voice hardened. “I don’t need weak players on my team. Strength is the only way you push through.”
He stepped closer until barely any space remained between us, the smell of his breath making my throat tighten. I already had enough of the stench in the locker room, and now this.
“I’ll keep you under watch and decide whether you’re something I should worry about. Lucky for you, she’s also being trained for this position for a week. One week is all I need to observe you before making my final decision.”
He gave me a stern look and turned to leave, but my brows furrowed as a sick feeling twisted in my gut.
“She?” I frowned.
No way in hell it was who I was thinking of.
“Yes. The new scholarship student. Aurelia Dunne.”
He answered without turning back and continued walking out of the locker room.
The moment the door shut behind him, it opened again and the players poured in, chatting loudly about practice.
I sank onto the bench, staring blankly ahead.
Then suddenly, my heart leaped with excitement.
I turned away from the others and bit the back of my palm.
“Which means I’ll get to see her every day.”
The thought alone made my toes curl.
I glanced around before standing and walking out of the locker room, ignoring their calls.
I need to see her right now.
But first…
I needed to get rid of this smell.
.
.
.
.
I sat across the cafeteria, munching on the hamburger in my hand while staring at her.
She sat alone at one of the tables, completely unbothered by the whispers and stares surrounding her.
They must have heard what happened last night.
They always seemed to know every damn thing that happened in my life.
She brushed her hair behind one ear while her other hand brought food to her mouth. Her brows drew together as loose strands fell over her face again, clearly irritating her.
She muttered something under her breath before finally pushing all her hair behind her back.
Sunlight spilled over her skin, and my heart kicked painfully in my chest as I took in her long lashes, her soft full lips, and the tip of her tongue as she licked a trace of mayonnaise from her lower lip.
I sank deeper into my chair, gripping my hair and biting my nail as I savored every single detail.
Then trouble found her.
A dark frown settled over my face—and my damn soul—as I watched Kenzie and her lackeys approach her table, circling her like vultures.
Aurelia looked up, frowning.
“How may I help you, Ken—” Before she could finish, Kenzie slapped her.
The crisp sound echoed through the cafeteria, silencing every whisper.
My grip tightened around the chair.
“It looks like another dumbass got admitted this year,” Kenzie said with a sigh as she picked at Aurelia’s food. “I warned you multiple times to stay away from Zane. Why is it so hard for girls to stay away from a boy named Zane? Did you come to this school to get laid or what?”
“Excuse you?” Aurelia shot to her feet, her hands clenched tightly.
“What?” Kenzie stepped closer, crossing her arms. “You want to slap me? Look at the fire in your eyes.” She smirked. “Oh, I’m so scared. You’d better be careful and hope you don’t get on my bad side.”
She looked down at the food on the table, then grabbed the tray and flipped it over.
Food spilled across the table, drawing gasps from everyone around us.
Aurelia bit her lip, her eyes scanning the cafeteria until they landed on me.
We stared at each other for what felt like years, though only seconds passed.
I could see the anger burning in her eyes.
I knew exactly what she wanted to do, but fear held her back.
A smirk curled on my lips.
I lifted my hand, giving her a thumbs-up and mouthing, You got this.
“Let’s go, girls,” Kenzie smirked as she bumped into Aurelia.
She and her lackeys began walking away.
Aurelia glanced at her ruined food, her jaw tightening. Then her clear voice rang through the cafeteria.
“Kenzie.”
Kenzie slowed and turned sharply.
“Yes?”
“You forgot something.”
Aurelia grabbed the tray, scraped the food back onto it, ran toward Kenzie, and slammed the tray straight into her face.
- Writer
