Chapter 107 Blood On The Ice Again
Lenora didn’t wait for permission.
Didn’t wait for explanations.
The second she got outside, she called Kylen.
He answered immediately.
“Where are you?”
“What happened at practice?” she asked.
Silence.
Too much silence.
Kylen exhaled sharply.
“How do you already know?”
Her stomach tightened harder.
“So it’s true.”
“It was bad,” he admitted quietly.
Lenora stopped near the curb.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know everything yet,” Kylen said. “Coach shut everybody out after it happened.”
“That’s not an answer.”
Kylen lowered his voice slightly.
“There was blood on the ice.”
Everything inside her went cold.
Lenora shut her eyes briefly.
Not now.
Not him.
“Is he okay?” she asked.
Another pause.
“He was awake when they took him,” Kylen replied.
That helped.
Barely.
“Where?”
“The medical center near the arena.”
Lenora hung up immediately.
Her grandmother stepped outside behind her.
Still composed.
Still controlled.
“Lenora.”
She turned sharply.
“If you tell me not to go, I swear—”
“I wasn’t going to.”
That stopped her.
Her grandmother walked closer slowly.
“But understand something first,” she said.
Lenora stared at her impatiently.
“I don’t have time for riddles.”
The older woman’s gaze sharpened slightly.
“Neither do the people doing this.”
Silence.
Lenora’s chest tightened again.
“You think this was intentional.”
Her grandmother didn’t answer directly.
But she didn’t deny it.
That was enough.
Lenora stepped back toward the street.
“I’m going.”
Her grandmother nodded once.
“I know.”
And somehow—
That calm reaction unsettled her more.
The medical center was crowded.
Students from school were already outside.
Hockey players pacing near the entrance.
Phones out.
Voices low.
The second Lenora stepped inside—
Heads turned.
Of course they did.
Whispers started immediately.
“She’s here.”
“Why is she here?”
“Didn’t all this start after her?”
Lenora ignored all of it.
Barely.
Kylen spotted her first.
He walked over quickly.
Expression exhausted.
“You came.”
Lenora looked past him immediately.
“Where is he?”
Kylen rubbed the back of his neck.
“They’re still checking him.”
Lilibeth appeared from the waiting area next.
Eyes wide from stress.
“This is insane,” she muttered. “Actually insane.”
Lenora looked between both of them.
“What happened?”
Kylen glanced around before answering.
“Practice was normal at first,” he said quietly. “Then somebody checked him hard near the boards.”
Lenora frowned.
“That’s hockey.”
Kylen nodded once.
“Yeah,” he said. “But his skate blade got messed up.”
Silence.
Lenora stared at him.
“Messed up how?”
Kylen’s jaw tightened.
“Like somebody loosened it beforehand.”
Everything stopped.
Lilibeth crossed her arms tightly.
“The equipment manager swears it was fine before practice.”
Lenora felt something cold move through her chest.
No.
No way.
“That’s not an accident,” she whispered.
Kylen looked at her carefully.
“No,” he agreed quietly.
And suddenly—
Pamela’s warnings felt much worse.
“They’re going to push harder.”
Lenora looked toward the hallway leading deeper into the clinic.
Because now this wasn’t rumors anymore.
This wasn’t social drama.
Someone was actively trying to hurt people.
A door opened.
Coach stepped out.
The second he saw Lenora—
His expression changed.
“He’s okay,” Coach said immediately.
Lenora finally breathed properly again.
Barely.
“What happened?” Kylen asked.
Coach looked exhausted.
“Deep cut near the ankle,” he replied. “Could’ve been worse.”
Could’ve been worse.
That phrase sat horribly in the air.
Lilibeth shook her head slowly.
“This is getting scary.”
Coach looked around the waiting area carefully before lowering his voice.
“The blade was tampered with.”
Silence dropped instantly.
Kylen cursed quietly under his breath.
Lenora stared at Coach.
“Who did it?”
Coach shook his head.
“We don’t know yet.”
That answer felt useless now.
“Security cameras?” Lilibeth asked quickly.
Coach’s expression darkened slightly.
“Conveniently down for maintenance.”
Kylen laughed sharply.
Not amused.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
But nobody laughed with him.
Because that wasn’t coincidence anymore.
Not even close.
Lenora felt sick suddenly.
Because one thought wouldn’t leave her head.
What if this happened because of her?
The rumors.
The connection.
The families.
The public kiss.
What if he got dragged into it because he stood beside her?
Coach looked at Lenora carefully.
“You should probably leave before reporters show up.”
She blinked.
“Reporters?”
Coach nodded once.
“Parents are already talking. A player getting injured after all the school drama?” he said. “People are connecting things.”
Of course they were.
Lilibeth muttered,
“I hate everybody.”
Kylen looked at Lenora.
“You okay?”
No.
Not even remotely.
But before she could answer—
Another voice spoke behind them.
“She shouldn’t be here anyway.”
Everyone turned.
One of the older hockey players stood near the entrance.
Arms crossed.
Expression cold.
Lenora recognized him vaguely.
Senior player.
Defense.
Close with the hockey boy.
Kylen frowned immediately.
“What’s your problem?”
The guy looked directly at Lenora.
“Ever since she showed up, everything’s gone to hell.”
Silence.
Lilibeth stepped forward instantly.
“Excuse me?”
But the player didn’t back down.
“First the rumors. Then fights. Then distractions. Now this.”
Lenora held his stare quietly.
“You think I did it?”
The player scoffed.
“I think trouble follows you.”
That one landed harder than it should have.
Because lately—
It felt true.
Kylen stepped between them immediately.
“Back off.”
But the damage was already done.
The player shook his head once before walking away.
And nobody missed the fact that some of the other players looked uncertain too.
That was the ugly part.
The story was spreading again.
Only this time—
It wasn’t just the school turning.
Now the team was starting to crack too.
And somewhere behind all this—
Someone was still watching.
Still planning.
Still moving first.
While Lenora kept arriving too late.