Ruined By The Hockey Captain

#7

BELLA

The morning air was freezing as I walked onto campus the next day, my shoulders pulled tight with every intention of keeping my head down. I had a single goal: avoid Blake and stay completely out of anyone's line of sight.

The crowded hallway was with the usual chatter, but a breath of relief escaped me when I spotted Zach standing by his locker. I quickly adjusted the strap of my bag and wove through the students to meet him.

He closed his locker door as I approached, his eyes immediately scanning my face. “How are you doing?” he asked, his voice low and protective.

“I’m doing well,” I said, forcing a calm I didn't entirely feel into my tone. I leaned against the row of cold metal lockers, my gaze shifting to his jawline, which was still slightly discolored from last night's chaos. “How are you now?”

He offered a casual, dismissive shrug, adjusting his jacket. “I’m doing well, Bells.”

I swallowed hard, the weight of last night's house fire exploding back into my chest. I leaned closer to him, lowering my voice. “Guess what our mom said.”

Zach sighed, leaning his head back against the locker behind him. “I’m not good at guessing, Bella. Just tell me.”

The words tasted like poison on my tongue. “She announced her engagement.”

To my absolute shock, a soft, ironic chuckle broke from Zach's lips.

My brow furrowed, a sudden spike of irritation breaking through my exhaustion. “It’s not funny at all, Zach, honestly it’s not.”

The humor vanished from his face as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by a dull, hardened look. “You're right. It’s indeed not funny. It's just stupid. Stupid, stupid. Why would our mom want to get married again?”

I rubbed the back of my neck, the throbbing behind my temples intensifying. “I’m already having a bad day, and now this.”

Zach stepped into my space, his expression softening as he reached out, his hand grounding me for a brief second. “What’s really troubling you? Don’t put too much mind into it, Bella. Everything will be fine.”

I searched his eyes, wanting to believe him, but the unsettling gravity of everything kept pulling me down. “Are you playing any game today?” I asked, wanting to change the subject before the anxiety choked me.

He shook his head, slinging his sports bag over his shoulder. “No, I’m taking a break today bells.” He leaned forward, pressing a warm, brief kiss against the top of my head. “I’ll see you later.”

With a final nod, he turned and walked off, disappearing into the sea of students.

I sucked in a breath and turned toward my lecture hall. My feet moved on autopilot down the corridor, but the moment I stepped through the door of the classroom, my body completely froze.

Sitting in the exact row I always occupied, right at the seat that was directly at the back of my own regular spot, was Blake.

My heart did a violent, erratic flip against my ribs. I looked away quickly, my gaze darting across the tiered desks until I locked eyes with Amy, who was already waiting for me at our usual table, her expression completely rigid.

I hurried down the aisle, my knees feeling strangely weak, and slid into the chair beside her.

Amy immediately leaned over, her shoulder pressing hard against mine as she whispered furiously, “Blake is sitting right at our back girl omg, I’m gonna pass out.”

I pulled my notebook out of my bag with trembling fingers, keeping my eyes glued to the blank white paper. “I’m very much aware Amy, keep your voice down geez,” I murmured, my voice barely audible above the rustle of turning pages.

Amy let out a quiet, nervous chuckle, her eyes darting toward the desk behind us before looking back at me.

Before I could ask her why she was laughing, a firm, distinct tap connected with my shoulder.

My entire body stiffened, a jolt of pure electricity radiating straight down my spine. I turned around slowly, my eyes wide and my breath caught entirely in my throat as I forced myself to meet his dark, unreadable gaze.

Blake leaned forward, his broad chest nearly spanning the width of the gap between our desks. His jaw looked sharp, the faint shadow of yesterday's bruise still visible. “Can I borrow a pen?” he asked, his voice smooth and completely unbothered by the tension between us.

I stared at him, my mouth opening slightly, but no sound came out. I was completely dumbfounded, my brain short circuiting as the memory of his lips inches from mine last night flashed behind my eyes.

Blake tilted his head, a faint, dangerous spark entering his eyes as he looked at my frozen expression. “Hello Bella?” He said.

Suddenly, a hand gripped my shoulder. Amy forcefully turned me back to the front, breaking the suffocating connection. “Get to your senses,” she hissed under her breath, reaching down to unzip the front pocket of my backpack herself. She grabbed my extra black pen, thrust it into my hand, and nudged my arm backward toward the desk behind us.

I reached my hand over my shoulder, holding the pen out without turning my head to face him again.

A warm hand brushed against my fingers as he took it from my grip, the fleeting contact making my skin prickle with heat. “Thanks,” his low voice murmured from behind me.

I pulled my hand back into my lap, facing strictly forward as my heart hammered a against my ribs. I locked eyes with Amy, my chest heaving as the air finally returned to my lungs.

“What just happened?” I whispered, my voice trembling as I stared at her in absolute shock.