Rejected By My Hockey Star Ex, Chosen By His Captain

Paige I let out a huge sigh of relief as I finally closed my laptop. The assignment was three days due, but I managed to beg my way out of trouble. Professor Jensen had given me until 10 PM to submit, and I’d made it with minutes to spare. It didn't mean she was happy with me. I could tell, because she said this in her last email: ‘You used to be one of my brightest, Paige. What happened?’ Long story short, I was in love. And last night, it all finally made sense. Missing classes and working multiple jobs finally paid off. Ryan had been officially drafted into the NHL. The news still sent a rush through me. I flopped back onto my narrow dorm bed, staring at the ceiling with a wide smile. It still felt surreal, that my boyfriend was finally up there with the big leagues. It was all everyone could talk about: in the chat rooms, on the school blogs. He was already up on the school’s wall of fame. Soon we’ll leave Brooklyn behind, travel together during off-seasons. Get a house in some quiet uptown area. Grow a garden, watch movies together on the weekends… My phone lit up on the nightstand, cutting into my thoughts. I grabbed it, expecting a message from Ryan. It had been hours since he texted, and I was really starting to miss him. It wasn't him. Instead, a stream of notifications from The HillWire. It was Haven Hill University’s ‘unofficial’ Discord server and the hottest hub for gossip on campus. I ignored the messages for another notification: ten missed calls from Chloe. “s**t,” I mumbled, sitting upright. I’d kept my phone on silent all evening to focus on the assignment. But if she had to call me ten times, then something was definitely up. I called her back immediately. The call went straight to voicemail. I chalked it up for bad service when it repeated twice. Or more like, she was lost in the victory party the hockey team had thrown this weekend. Sometimes, I envied her. Where Chloe was the life of every party, I was the shadow in the corner. She’d never been a fan of Ryan, but then, that was Chloe; she could be protective to a fault. I tried Ryan's phone next. His phone went straight to voicemail too. I felt my brows dip into a frown . I tried again. And again. Still voicemail. He was the campus golden boy now. His teammates probably dragged him out to celebrate whether he wanted to go or not. But then, it was me. He wouldn't skip my call, if he saw it. I pushed the thought aside. He’d text me soon. He always did. Especially if he didn't see me outside tonight. The HillWire discord community had more messages popping in. A caption caught my eye, cutting off my thoughts. @BenchWarmer69: #THEGOLDENBOYISBUYINGEVERYONESHOTS This must be from the party. I tapped on it, a bit of excitement zipping through me… The chat was exploding. Videos and photos were popping up on the chat, flashing and pushing upwards. I only had eyes in search for my boyfriend. And I found him, in the first video I clicked under @SkatesBeforeDates. He was standing with a girl. I felt my head go numb. My boyfriend had his arms around Olivia Phillips, pulling her in for a kiss. For a few seconds, I blinked at the video. It was short, it might as well be a GIF, but then there was a caption beside it that read, ‘The Ivy Angels captain and Haven Hill’s newest NHL draft pick. Tell me this isn’t the hottest campus couple ever.’ It WAS Ryan and it WAS Olivia, smiling up at him like the victory was hers. It was getting harder to breathe. I tried to stop, to drop my phone and gather my thoughts, but I couldn't. Not when the comments were flooding in. @PuckBunnySupreme: Upgrade of the century. Olivia actually looks like she belongs beside him. @DormRoomOracle: Didn’t Ryan used to date that sick-looking English major? Dude finally realized he deserves better. “No, this…this can't be happening.” Another video popped up. It showed Ryan on stage, the crowd cheering wildly. Olivia stood beside him, smiling ear to ear as she looked up at him. Then he kissed her. Right there on stage. The phone slipped from my fingers onto the bed. I felt hot tears burn behind my eyes, spilling over and down my cheeks. This was supposed to be our night. Ryan and me, me who gave up so much for him. No, no, there had to be some explanation. Yes, there had to be. I wiped my cheeks before I threw on the nearest hoodie and rushed out into the night. The campus blurred around me as I hurried toward the venue, a bar just off campus. The rain had resumed its fall, but I barely felt it. —--- Chloe stopped me just before I stepped into the bar. One look at my face and she pulled me into a crushing hug. “I’ve been calling you,” she said, her brows furrowed with worry. “When Ryan said he had something important to announce. I thought it was just about the contract… Then Olivia walked out with him. I’m so sorry, Paige.” I pulled away, shaking my head. “I need to see him.” “Paige-” “I need to see him.” I looked at her through tears and she nodded. “Alright, come on.” The house smelt of sweat and everything else was drowned in pounding music. I could see them turn and whisper as I pushed through the crowd. But I didn't really care. I needed to find some rationality for the video. It had to be fake, or just a goof or something… And then I saw them. Olivia was perched on his lap, and he had his hand on her hips. He was chuckling at something she said, his smile so wide and so real. It was all real. I felt my heart crack. And my voice came out just as ruined as I was. “Ryan!” He turned, startled. For a split second, he looked surprised. Not guilty, not shocked. He just looked surprised with his brows slightly raised. Olivia looked me up and down, lips curling. “God, you really do look like s**t. Even at a party.” “Don't you f*****g talk to her like that,” Chloe snapped from beside me. I barely noticed. I could only stare at Ryan, waiting for him to laugh, to say it was a joke, to pull me close and tell everyone I was still his. Instead… “You should have seen this coming, Paige,” he said, loud enough for the people around us to hear, “You know I can’t keep dragging you around like dead-weight.” I felt my world wither and die. I could see it in his eyes. He meant it. He gestured at my hoodie. “I mean, look at you. My friends have been roasting me for years about dating someone so…cheap. You’re always looking like a mess. I’m going to the NHL. I need someone who fits my life, not someone who holds me back.” “Hold you…back?” My voice came out as a whisper. If he heard me, he did not show it. He turned to face Olivia, “The second I made it official with her, everything got better. Everyone wants the power couple. You’re bad luck, Paige.” Chloe didn’t hesitate. She crossed the space between us, and slapped Ryan hard across the face. By now, a small throng of people had gathered, most with their phones out and taking videos. They all gasped when Chloe slapped Ryan and told him, “You're a f*****g animal.” “How dare you?” snapped Olivia. “You keep your mouth shut, you damn slut, or I'll take out your teeth,” Chloe threatened. Olivia scoffed, one hand on her chest like she had been mildly offended. Then she held up her hand and called for security. All I could see before the bouncers came to bundle us away, was the smug look on Ryan's face. On my ex-boyfriend’s face. Olivia’s voice followed us as we were escorted out. “Save your energy so you can fix your dead-beat friend’s life, Chloe. She’s going to need it.” The rain had turned into a downpour. I walked out into it like a ghost, soaked through before I took ten steps. Someone was calling my name, but I couldn’t stop. The future I had imagined: traveling with him, building a home, wearing his ring: was all gone. It was nothing more than a stupid, far-fetched dream. The tears flowed, hot and fast, before getting lost in the rain that ran down my face. I crumpled against a lamppost, sobbing so hard I felt like I could fall apart any second. Someone was still calling my name. Chloe, who caught up to me, parking her scooter off the street before pulling me into a tight hug. Nothing made sense anymore. Not even the taxi she flagged down to get us back to campus. Nothing. The boy I had loved for three years had just destroyed me in front of everyone. And a broken piece of me still wondered if I had done something to deserve it.