The It Couple Deal With The Hockey Captain

Chapter 2

WREN

My legs are still unsteady by the time I stumble off the ice, and it has nothing to do with the fall. Behind me, I can already hear it spreading, hushed voices, a phone camera clicking, someone's whispered "oh my god" traveling faster than I could ever skate away from it. I don't turn around. I can't. My whole body is still replaying the half-second his arms locked around my waist, steady and sure, like he'd caught me a hundred times before instead of just the once.

"It didn't happen," I whisper under my breath, over and over, like repetition might rewrite the last five minutes of my life. It doesn't work. Nothing works. Because no matter how hard I try to shake it off, I can't stop the one thought looping through my head on an endless, humiliating reel.

Growing up, I pictured my first kiss a hundred times and Cassius Blackwood was never in any of them.

It was supposed to be romantic. Gentle. With someone who actually mattered to me.

Not a six-foot-something hockey captain with an ego bigger than the ice rink itself. Not because I'd crashed into him after one of his teammates ruined and sabotaged my routine.

I groaned as I repeatedly washed my lips.

"It didn't count," I kept muttering to myself.

I still couldn't stop washing my mouth until it turned red. Absolutely not. Accidents didn't count. Neither did hockey captains.

Especially not Cassius freaking Blackwood. "It's just an accident. It didn't count. It's okay, Wren ... " I whispered, and for the last time I washed my lips again.

"Talking to yourself now?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin. My head snapped toward the voice.

My eyes widened as the curtain separating the nurse's beds slid open with a soft screech. There, sitting on the examination bed with an ice pack pressed against the back of his head, was Cassius.

Dark hair slightly tousled. Blue eyes glittering with amusement. And, of course, that stupid smirk.

I stared at him.

"You-"

"What?"

"You were here the whole time?" "The nurse wanted to make sure I didn't crack my skull open, thanks to you." He said and touched the back of his head.

I almost forgot how hard the impact was when I crashed into him earlier. I clearly heard how his head hit the ice rink.

"I didn't tell you to catch me," I murmured. "If you were a good captain, none of this would've happened."

The sight of him brought it all back. I turned away and scrubbed my lips with water, like I could wash it away.

"And I didn't realize kissing me was that traumatic." He said, chuckling.

"It's an accident, not a kiss. And yes, it's very traumatic." I rolled my eyes.

I caught his reflection. Leaning on the bed, watching me with that stupid one-sided smile.

"Relax," he said. "It won't happen again. You're not even my type." "Excuse me?" I raised an eyebrow. "For the record, I have standards too, you know."

He didn't say anything else and just watched me.

Satisfied that I'd scrubbed enough, I bolted from the nurse's office. Leaving Cassius alone.

I jammed my skates into my bag. I sat on the bench for nearly fifteen minutes trying to pull myself back until I decided to walk. The whole rink was empty now, after everything.

Coach Naomi had already dismissed us after making sure I wasn't injured.

Talia and Rocco had offered to walk me back to the dorms but I'd told them I'd catch up.

Mostly because I needed five uninterrupted minutes to calm down before I committed a felony with a skate blade against Cassius.

I turned the corner toward the equipment room and stopped. "This isn't good, Cassius ... "

I heard a voice. I immediately recognized it. I peeked through the door a little and saw Cassius's Manager, Mr. Whitlock standing there, and in front of him was Cassius.

Cassius wasn't wearing his hockey jersey anymore. He was wearing a hoodie with a duffel bag hanging over his shoulder. His eyes were heavy. Probably from being tired and banging his head earlier.

"Three sponsors called after what you did to the figure skaters, especially Ms. Ellison."

I froze when I heard my name. What's happening?

"So?" Cassius asked lazily.

"They have no problem with your talent, Cassius. But they want to see someone who's more than a headline. Not just talent and looks, but also attitude."

"What do they want me to do then?" Cassius asked, glancing up. "The reports say you and your teammates have been intimidating other athletes-"

"They're exaggerating." Cassius answered.

I saw him glance toward where I was standing so I quickly hid, hoping he didn't see me.

"Whether they are or not doesn't matter. Public image matters."

He didn't answer right away. I peeked again and listened to the conversation.

"I'm saying scouts are watching. Sponsors are paying attention. If this keeps circulating around campus, some of them might decide you're more trouble than you're worth."

"And it's bigger than just you now," Mr. Whitlock said, lowering his voice. "The Athletics Board is reviewing funding for every program on this campus. If the department's image doesn't turn around in the next two months, they start cutting whatever isn't paying for itself. Figure skating's already on that list."

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then Mr. Whitlock's tone softened.

"You're one of the best hockey players Meridian has produced in years, Cassius. Don't let something this stupid get in the way of your future." "I'Il handle it."

"You'd better."

Oh. So they were talking about sponsors. My mind refused to process what I'd just heard. Mr. Whitlock said sponsors. Plural. Sponsors lining up for Cassius Blackwood.

I bit my lower lip and let out a bitter laugh under my breath. Of course they were. Why wouldn't they?

He was Meridian Academy's golden boy. The hockey captain. The future professional everyone couldn't stop talking about.

WREN

Meanwhile, I was spending every weekend searching for local sponsorships that never replied to my emails and never even looked at me.

I'd spent years proving myself on the ice. Cassius had sponsors chasing him. I couldn't even get one to answer an application. Sometimes life has a twisted sense of humor. The people who actually need help have nothing. And the people who don't have to work for anything? They're the ones wasting every opportunity.

"Did you enjoy the show?"

I almost jumped when someone spoke.

I quickly turned and panicked when I saw Cassius already looking at me. I quickly stepped back and tried to shield myself.

"I wasn't eavesdropping."

"No?" His brows lifted. I shook my head in answer. "You looked pretty interested."

"I don't care about your life, Blackwood. Leave me alone." I said.

I was about to walk away when he spoke again. "What did you hear?"

"A lot." I said as I met his eyes. "You should be worried."

"And why is that, love?" He said pointedly.

My ears itched from the way he called me that. I rolled my eyes.

"Because maybe if you spent less time making everyone else's life miserable, your sponsors wouldn't be questioning your attitude."

His jaw tightened. "Careful. You don't know what you're talking about."

"I know exactly what I'm talking about." I looked into his eyes without flinching. "You have sponsors fighting over you. I can't even get one."

I laughed bitterly. For the first time since I'd met Cassius Blackwood, he didn't have a quick comeback for me.

"I've trained every morning before class, every afternoon after class where you always try to take over the rink, sacrificed weekends, birthdays, holidays ... and I'm still begging people to notice me."

My fingers tightened around the strap of my skate bag. The anger I felt toward him got worse. Not just because I accidentally kissed him, but also because of what I overheard.

How could he waste opportunities that were practically falling into his lap?

"You show up fifteen minutes early, call my sport 'twirly s**t,' and sponsors still throw themselves at you."

For the first time, Cassius looked almost ... uncomfortable.

"I never said figure skating wasn't-"

"You don't have to." My voice hardened. "You act like it every day." He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Look, love-"

"Stop calling me that."

"It was a nickname."

"It's an insult, Blackwood."

He blinked. "What?"

"You don't call me 'love' because you like me." I folded my arms tighter across my chest. "You do it because you know it gets on my nerves."

A corner of his mouth twitched. The hatred I felt toward him only got worse. He didn't answer.

The Cassius I'd known for years as a bully was quiet for the first time. I saw him bite down on his lower lip, so I looked away.

"From now on, you won't call me that nickname ever again. And tell your stupid friends to stop messing with my routine."

He put his hands in his pockets. He just stared at me and didn't say anything.

"Stay away from me, Cassius Blackwood," I said.

I was about to walk away when I heard my phone buzz and immediately grabbed it.

I stopped and my eyes widened when I saw the photo Talia sent me.

"What now?" Cassius moved toward me, but I stepped back fast.

My mouth fell open when I saw the very clear picture of me on top of Cassius, his arms wrapped around my waist, and worst of all. The angle showed how my lips were pressed against Cassius's lips.

"Oh no ... " I whispered.

Then I saw the caption.

Meridian University's Newest It Couple.