I WOKE UP AS MY HOCKEY ALPHA'S GIRLFRIEND

Chapter 26

Mary

Ever since Col had taken me to that swimming pool and we had almost kissed, everything between us had become weird.

Terribly weird.

The comfortable, effortless rhythm we'd always had was gone.

Before, talking to him had been as natural as breathing. He was Dylan's best friend. The annoying older brother who always found a reason to tease me. The guy who stole fries off my plate and complained about my terrible music taste.

And sometimes complimented my dressing.

But now?

Every silence felt louder than a conversation.

Even yesterday, when he'd picked me up after school, the drive had been painfully awkward.

We tried to have a conversation and talked about the weather.

The weather.

If that wasn't proof that something had gone horribly wrong, I didn't know what was.

So when school ended that afternoon and I spotted his car waiting outside the gate, I immediately decided I wasn't getting in.

Absolutely not.

I had enough dignity to protect and I wasn't going to sit in a car and discuss something as mundane as weather with Col just because we were avoiding ourselves.

Unfortunately, Emily Carter's bank account did not share my dignity. She had nothing.

Being broke was an inconvenience I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.

I spotted Col leaning casually against his car, waiting for me. The sensible thing would have been to wave. Instead, I looked straight ahead as though I'd never seen him in my life, and continued walking toward the school gate.

A few seconds later, a horn sounded behind me.

I ignored it. Then I began to walk even faster. But Col was just as audacious as I was. His engine roared to life, and the car slowly followed me down the road. I had barely stepped outside the school gates when the car rolled in front of me and blocked my path.

The driver's door opened.

Col climbed out, folded his arms, and looked at me with an amused smile. "Do you really intend to walk all the way to Omega Town?"

I lifted my chin. "It isn't that far if I start now."

His lips twitched. "I could save you the journey."

I turned away. "I'll survive."

"I know you will,” he said. He opened the passenger door anyway. "But how about letting me drive you instead?"

I stared at him for a long moment. My pride wanted to refuse. But Emily's empty wallet had nothing.

My pride lost.

"Fine." I climbed into the passenger seat. The entire time I repeated one thing to myself.

“Don't talk to him. Whatever happens...Don't talk.”

Because how exactly was I supposed to have a normal conversation with someone I'd almost kissed two days ago?

And then yesterday, he'd behaved as though absolutely nothing had happened.

Who did that?

I say down while Col got into the driver's seat, started the engine.

“Oh, f**k!” He muttered, annoyed.

Then he turned the engine.

I frowned and faced him. He took a slow breath before turning toward me.

"I think..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I think we should talk about the kiss."

My stomach immediately tightened. There wasn't anything to talk about.

There couldn't be.

Surely the only reason he'd brought it up was to apologize. That was only what I wanted.

I'd asked him for a fun night at the swimming pool, I hadn't asked him to drown me in kisses.

So obviously, he was going to apologize, and we were going to figure out a way to get rid of the awkwardness that sat between us.

When I didn't respond, he laughed awkwardly. "This is... new for me."

He scratched his eyebrow.

"Not kissing."

Gosh, he was stuttering, and his cheeks had turned slightly pink.

"I mean, I've dated girls before." He chuckled softly. "That's not what I meant either."

I was biting my lips so I wouldn't burst into laughter m Watching Col Washington struggle through a sentence was unexpectedly entertaining.

He sighed. "What I'm trying to say is..." He looked at me now. "You've always been different."

He looked down at the steering wheel before meeting my eyes again.

"You were Dylan's little sister. I honestly don't know when that changed."

He shrugged helplessly. "Or when I stopped seeing you that way." His voice became quieter. "But after what happened at the pool, I've realized something."

My heartbeat sped up because I knew where the conversation was heading.

"I don't regret almost kissing you."

That wasn't how this conversation was supposed to go. I had prepared myself for an apology.

Not this.

Certainly not feelings.

The silence stretched between us. I needed to say something.

He was waiting for me to say something.

Instead, the first thing that escaped my mouth was, "Have you ever fancied Emi..."

I stopped myself quickly before I blew my cover off.

"I mean..." I cleared my throat. "Have you ever fancied me?"

Col didn't answer immediately. He actually thought about it.

Finally, he smiled. "Maybe." He laughed awkwardly. Which only made him look hotter.

A hot, sexy guy was stuttering and avoiding my gaze. That had to count as sexy.

"I honestly don't know,” he continued. "I might have. Maybe I just never noticed."

He leaned back in his seat. "Or maybe I didn't." He looked at me again. "The only thing I'm certain about is that you look different now."

Heat crept into my cheeks.

"And every time I see you, I keep thinking about kissing you."

He looked almost embarrassed admitting it. "I keep wanting to steal moments alone with you."

He shook his head. "I've never felt that way with you before."

I stared at him.

Nobody had ever looked at me like that before.

Not ever.

Ethan had been part of my life for as long as I could remember. When I was seven, our parents had already decided we'd be together. By twelve, we were officially dating. There had never been butterflies, never any uncertainty.

Never any wondering if he liked me.

It had simply been expected like an equation.

Dating Ethan felt less like falling in love and more like completing an assignment. I listened to my mum drill me since I was twelve.

“The future Luna should behave this way.”

“Stand beside him.”

“Attend pack events. Don't embarrass your family. Don't embarrass Ethan. And don't embarrass the Saint Laurents.”

Every single moment had come with expectations.

With Col, there weren't any. Everything felt unexpected, and it felt exciting.

It felt like standing on the edge of somewhere I'd never been before and wanting to see what happened if I took one more step.

And maybe, I'd never get another chance to know what this felt like. Once Emily and I switched back, all of this would be over, and this little adventure would end before it truly began.

I remembered promising Emily I wouldn't complicate things.

I really had meant it.

But for once—just once—I wanted to do something because I wanted it.

Not because my parents expected it, or the pack expected it. But because I wanted it.

I smiled. "You know what?"

Col looked at me expectantly.

"I think..." I took a slow breath, “we should kiss.”