Roommate with my ex -Boyfriends captain

chapter three

Chapter Three

Wren’s POV

It was either I had gone completely deaf, or this Kai guy had lost his mind. Whichever one it was didn’t matter to me, because I just stared at him before a hideous sound tore out of my throat.

Lexie always said I laughed like a dying truck, and right now that was completely true. It echoed off the wall, ragged and wheezing, tears of exhaustion prickling the corners of my eyes. It was obvious as day with the way he kept staring blankly down at me, like I was the mad one in this driveway.

“You’re out of your head, Kai Sorensen or whatever your name is,” I sputtered, wiping the back of my hand across my nose. “I just got discarded by the guy I thought was my boyfriend, I have twelve dollars to my name, my luggage is sitting in filthy slush, and you’re pitching a job as your prop?”

Kai didn’t blink. He leaned his tall frame against the brick pillar, crossing his arms over his chest. “I don’t recall asking for a job application. I offered a mutually beneficial arrangement. Big difference.”

“I don’t even know you!”

“You know my name,” he pointed out, a smug, irritating grin playing on his lips. “Sorensen. You said it yourself two minutes ago. Meanwhile, I didn’t even know you existed until you started crying all over the curb. If anything,I should be the one being dramatic right now.”

My teeth clicked together. The arrogance rolling off this guy was sickening.

“My name is Wren,” I snapped, glaring up at him. “Wren Calloway. And I would prefer it if you took your self-entitled, arrogant ass and left me alone.”

“Sorry, Wren,” he said, not sounding sorry in the least as he pushed off the pillar. “Can’t do that. Because like it or not, I need your help. And unlike your little ex inside, I’m actually willing to help you back if you agree to work with me.”

“Why on earth would I do that?” I countered, my voice tight. “I am running out of patience, Sorensen. You need to leave. Asap.”

“Look around, Calloway,” he said, stepping into the yellow light. “You have nowhere to sleep tonight. The campus housing department won’t unlock their doors until Monday morning, and transfer dorm waitlists take weeks to clear. You’re broke, probably hundreds of miles from home, and the guy who promised to take care of you is inside eating victory snacks with Delphine.”

The truth burned, but I kept my chin up. “And what’s in this for you?”

“I get to keep my future,” Kai said, the smugness dropping from his face, replaced by an intense, cold focus. “The national scouts think I’m a reckless liability who can’t keep his private life off the internet. They want to see stability. They want proof I can commit to something outside a penalty box. You play the respectable girlfriend who keeps my head on straight. We show up to team functions. We play the part when cameras are around. You save my draft position; I keep you from freezing on the pavement. Walk away whenever you want. No feelings.”

I looked at him, the panic in my head quieting down.

Trevor expected me to disappear into the dark, hop on a bus back to my parents with my tail between my legs, and become some pathetic story he could laugh off with his friends.

Not a chance.

“If we do this,” I said, my voice steady, “we do it on my terms.”

Kai’s eyebrows lifted. “Let’s hear them.”

“Rule one,” I said, pointing a finger at his chest. “Strictly business. No touching unless people are watching. No hands on my waist, no lingering glances in private, and don’t even think about kissing me when nobody is around.”

“Deal,” he said without missing a beat. “I’m not hurting for female attention. Keeping my hands to myself won’t kill me.”

“Rule two. My business stays mine, your family stays out of it. I’m not playing the sweet future daughter-in-law at family dinners.”

“Even better. I can’t stand family dinners anyway.”

“And rule three,” I said, stepping closer, holding his dark gaze. “Zero feelings. None. I just spent eight months getting played by one hockey player. If you catch feelings, we’re done. If I do, I walk.”

Kai let out an amused breath, shaking his head. “Sweetheart, I don’t do feelings. You couldn’t be safer.”

He offered his right hand. His palm was calloused and warm. I took it, giving it a firm shake.

“Deal.”

He dropped his grip, leaned down, and grabbed my duffel with one arm while taking the handle of my rolling bag with the other. “Car’s around front.”

I picked up my backpack and trailed behind him as we moved toward the main concourse doors. We pushed through into the front plaza, where the bright lights of the player pickup lane washed over the walkway.

I took a breath of cold air and froze mid-step.

Walking out of the side exit right toward the lot was Trevor.

He had his team warm-up jacket on, holding a stack of takeout boxes, with Delphine tucked snugly against his side, laughing at something he was saying.

Trevor looked up, his smile wide and relaxed.

Then his eyes hit me.

His boots stopped dead on the walkway. The smile on his face vanished completely, his jaw dropping as he took in my red eyes, my bags, and Kai standing right beside me holding my luggage.

Delphine noticed him stop and glanced in our direction, her forehead creasing in confusion. “Trev? What are you looking at? Do you know her?”

Trevor swallowed hard, his throat working. He looked right through my face, looked at my bags, and then shrugged with a casual, dismissive sneer.

“No,” Trevor said, loud enough to carry across the pavement. “Probably just some obsessed fan waiting around for autographs. Let’s go, babe.”

The words felt like a slap. An obsessed fan. Eight months of whispers at two in the morning, reduced to a stranger on the curb.

Beside me, Kai went completely still.

“What a piece of trash,” Kai muttered under his breath, venom dripping from his tone.

Before I could stumble backward or say a word, Kai’s arm came up, sliding around my waist with a firm grip, pulling me flush against his side right in front of Trevor’s widening eyes.