Chapter 139 Chapter 138
Harper POV
I didn’t realize how loud a hockey arena could be until today.
It’s not just noise.
It’s… energy.
The kind that vibrates through your chest and makes it impossible to sit still.
By the time the second period ended, I was already leaning forward in my seat, completely invested.
By the third—
I was standing.
Cheering.
Actually cheering.
Which is not something I do.
Ever.
But Logan?
Logan is different on the ice.
I knew he was good.
Everyone knows he’s good.
But seeing it like this—
Seeing how fast he moves, how sharp he is, how he reads everything before it even happens—
It’s something else entirely.
It’s like watching someone become exactly who they’re meant to be.
And it’s…
Attractive.
Dangerously so.
The final buzzer sounds and the entire arena explodes.
People around me are yelling, clapping, celebrating.
The team rushes the ice, crashing into each other.
And my eyes go straight to him.
Logan.
He’s laughing.
Actually laughing.
Helmet off, hair a mess, teammates grabbing at him as they celebrate.
And for a second—
He looks… happy.
Not guarded.
Not controlled.
Just—
Free.
And that does something to me I’m not prepared for.
“Okay,” a voice says behind me. “I get it now.”
I turn slightly.
Two girls a few rows back are watching the ice—watching Logan.
“He’s hot,” one of them says bluntly.
“Not just hot,” the other adds. “Did you see that second goal? I would let him ruin my life.”
I blink.
Okay.
That’s… aggressive.
But also—
I get it.
And that realization hits harder than I expect.
Because suddenly I’m very aware of something.
I’m not the only one watching him.
Not even close.
The stands are full of girls like them.
Girls who are used to guys like Logan.
Who probably look like the kind of girls Logan usually goes for.
Not me.
Not the girl in a sweater, standing there trying to understand icing rules five minutes ago.
A strange feeling settles in my chest.
Uncomfortable.
Unfamiliar.
Jealousy.
I don’t like it.
At all.
The team starts skating off the ice, heading toward the tunnel.
And without thinking—
I move.
Down the steps.
Through the crowd.
Toward the exit.
I don’t even fully process why I’m doing it.
Just that I am.
The hallway outside the locker rooms is already filling with people.
Players coming in.
Staff moving around.
A few girls lingering like they’re waiting for someone specific.
I stop just short of the entrance.
Okay.
Now what?
I can’t exactly walk into the locker room.
And I’m definitely not standing here like I’m waiting for him.
That would be—
“Harper.”
I turn instantly.
And there he is.
Still in partial gear, helmet off, hair damp, breathing just slightly heavier like the game hasn’t fully left his system yet.
And somehow—
He looks even better like this.
Which is unfair.
“Hey,” I say, trying to sound normal.
“You came.”
I blink.
“You asked me to.”
“Yeah,” he says, like that’s not the point. “But you actually came.”
Something about the way he says it—
Like it matters—
Makes my chest tighten slightly.
“Well,” I say lightly, “I had to see if your lucky charm theory held up.”
He smirks.
“I’d say it worked.”
“Yeah,” I admit. “You were… really good.”
That feels like an understatement.
He studies my face for a second.
“Just really good?”
I raise an eyebrow.
“Do you want me to inflate your ego more?”
“Always.”
I laugh.
“You were incredible.”
There.
His smirk softens slightly.
“Better.”
There’s a pause.
A small one.
But it doesn’t feel awkward.
Just… charged.
“You saw all of it?” he asks.
“Yeah.”
“Even the breakaway?”
“Yes, Logan,” I say. “Even I could tell that was impressive.”
He huffs a quiet laugh.
“Good.”
Then his expression shifts slightly.
More serious.
“You leaving already?”
The question catches me off guard.
“I—uh—I wasn’t sure if you had… team stuff.”
“I do.”
“Oh.”
There’s a small pause.
Then he steps closer.
Close enough that I can still feel the heat coming off him even in the busy hallway.
“But I wanted to see you first.”
My breath catches slightly.
“You did?”
“Yeah.”
That simple.
That easy.
And somehow—
That hits harder than anything else he’s said.
Before I can respond—
A voice cuts in.
“Logan!”
I turn.
A girl is walking toward us.
Confident.
Pretty.
The kind of girl who looks like she belongs here.
She smiles at him like she already knows him.
“Great game,” she says.
Her eyes flick to me briefly.
Then back to him.
“Thanks,” Logan says, his tone polite but flat.
“I was watching the whole time,” she continues. “That second goal? Insane.”
“Appreciate it.”
She steps a little closer.
“Some of us are going out after. You should come.”
There it is.
Of course.
My stomach tightens slightly.
Logan doesn’t even hesitate.
“I’ve got plans.”
Her smile falters slightly.
“Oh.”
Her eyes flick to me again.
This time slower.
More assessing.
Then she nods.
“Right. Okay.”
And just like that—
She walks away.
I blink.
That was…
Fast.
“You didn’t even think about it,” I say.
Logan looks back at me.
“I already made plans.”
My heart does something stupid.
“You did?”
“Yeah.”
“With who?”
He gives me a look.
“Really?”
I try not to smile.
“Just checking.”
He shakes his head slightly.
“You’re unbelievable.”
“Yet you came to find me first.”
That stops him.
Because yeah—
I did.
And we both know it.
There’s a moment.
A quiet one.
Then Logan steps closer again.
Lowering his voice just enough—
“Still my lucky charm?”
I roll my eyes lightly.
“Don’t push it.”
He grins.
“Too late.”
And just like that—
Everything between us shifts again.
Back into something easy.
Something charged.
Something dangerous.
And the worst part?
I don’t want it to stop.