Chapter 103: Payback

Theo's POV

I stood right at the edge of the ice, but I was only looking at Asher. He ripped his heavy helmet off his head. His hair was wet and messy with sweat. Instead of celebrating the huge championship win with the rest of the team, he turned away from the noise. He slipped into the underground tunnel completely alone.

Jealousy hit my chest like a physical punch. It made my blood boil. I could not just stand there and watch him walk away. I ducked past the coaches while they were busy screaming and hugging each other. I followed Asher straight into the hallway.

The loud noise of the stadium vanished instantly. I ran around the corner by the rooms as fast as I could. I stopped. The hallway was completely empty and I couldn't find him. I cursed out loud, assuming he had just gone into a private bathroom to get away from everyone.

I turned around to go back to the rink, but a soft whisper stopped me. It was low and quiet. It came from the secondary hallway right near the emergency exit door. I stepped onto the rubber floor mats so my shoes would not make a single sound. I crept forward slowly. I peeked around a thick pillar to see who was there.

A giant shadow was pressed flat against the wall. My jaw dropped open. It was Kieran.

He was not alone. His large hands were gripping the waist of another hockey player, pinning them tightly against the bricks. I watched in total shock as Kieran leaned in. He crushed his mouth down onto theirs. He was kissing them hard, with an intense, hungry energy.

Kieran’s broad shoulders completely blocked the other person's face. He was way too big. I could not see who it was at all. All I could see was the back of a Titan jersey bunched up under Kieran's gripping hands.

My brain scrambled to process the image. Everyone knew Kieran was straight as fuck. There was no question about it. He had dated the hottest, most popular girls on campus. But right now, he was passionately kissing a guy in the dark.

A wave of pure, toxic happiness hit my chest. I actually smiled. It wasn't Asher, and that was all that mattered to me. Asher was somewhere else in the building. He was safe from Kieran.

Kieran was not in love with him. The captain was messing around with some random male player from our roster. The heavy jealousy lifted off my shoulders, but a dark opportunity took its place.

I instantly convinced myself that Kieran was predatory and dangerous. He was a complete fraud. He was disguising his sexuality for the NHL scouts while preying on vulnerable guys from the team in the dark.

I thought about how fascinating Crestwood would be when everyone found out his secret. This video would ruin him completely. It would destroy his entire future.

I pulled out my phone with shaking hands. My adrenaline was pumping. I opened the camera app and switched it to video mode. Holding my breath to stay still, I aimed the lens at Kieran's back and the bunched-up Titan jersey. I tapped the red record button.

The green light flashed on my screen. I got everything on tape. The heavy, desperate breathing echoing in the hall. The gripping hands. The absolute proof. This video was the ultimate weapon, and it belonged to me.

I wanted a better angle of Kieran's face so he could not deny it later. I took a quick step backwards without looking behind me. My elbow brushed against a row of boxes stacked against an iron cage.

Scritch.

The sharp scraping noise echoed violently through the quiet tunnel. It sounded like an explosion.

The kissing stopped instantly. On my phone screen, I saw Kieran’s jaw tighten. His head whipped around toward the darkness where I was hiding. His eyes were wide and sharp. Panic flooded my veins.

I stopped the recording quickly. I shoved the phone deep into my pocket and turned on my heel. I did not look back. I violently pushed through the heavy emergency exit door and ran out before they could catch me.

While running away through the dark exit corridor, my foot kicked against something hard on the floor. It made a small clinking sound. I stopped for a split second, reached down, and scooped it up. It was a chain. I did not know who it belonged to, but I knew it came from one of the two people kissing. I shoved the unique chain deep into my pocket and kept moving.

Instead of leaving I decided to loop back into the rink for the celebrations , I walked through the side doors and stepped back into the loud, bright celebration rink. The music was blasting, and fans were still screaming. I blended right into the rowdy crowd.

I stood near the edge of the noisy stands and pulled my phone out. My heart was still racing as I opened the video file and watched it over and over again. I zoomed in on the dark screen.

That was when I realised something that made the situation even more valuable. The mystery boy's face never appeared on the camera. Kieran’s massive shoulders had blocked him perfectly from the start of the clip to the end.

I leaned against the railing, thinking hard. Exposing Kieran was not enough anymore. If I just leaked this, people might think the other guy was a victim. I needed to know exactly who owned that Titan jersey from the team. If I could find the boy, I could destroy them both at the same time.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the small object I had kicked in the tunnel. It was a unique silver chain necklace. It had a distinct weight and design. I held it up slightly under the bright stadium lights, turning it over in my fingers. It was the missing puzzle piece. Whoever was missing this chain was the person Kieran was kissing.

"What are you watching, Theo?"

Daphne’s voice sneaked up right behind me. I jumped, my heart leaping into my throat. I instantly locked my phone screen, turning it face down, and dropped the silver chain back into my pocket out of sight.

She was smiling widely, looking at my tense, guilty face. "Did your girlfriend send you a celebratory message? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"It’s nothing, Daphne. Leave it alone," I snapped. I was being all defensive as fuck, stepping back to put some distance between us.

Daphne’s smile dropped instantly. Her face turned into a heavy, angry frown. "What the fuck, Theo? Seriously? If you can't even tell your best friend about your dating life, who else are you going to talk to? Why are you being so weird?" She looked around the crowded rink, her eyes searching the ice. "And where is Asher anyway? You guys deserve a big hug for making it this far."

"I don't know where he is, Daphne," I said, rolling my eyes and crossing my arms tightly over my chest.

"Please, can I just have my own moment for once without you hounding me?"

Daphne crossed her arms right back, her eyes narrowing into sharp slits. "Are you guys still fighting? The season is literally over, Theo. You can't keep doing this."

I did not answer her. I just looked away, staring blankly at the players celebrating on the ice. My jaw was set tight.

Daphne stepped directly into my space, forcing me to look at her. Her voice lost all its playful tone, turning completely cold and serious. "Listen to me, Theo. I am tired of this attitude. Tonight is the big Crestwood house party. The entire school is going to be there to celebrate the championship victory. I am giving you an ultimatum right now."

I blinked, looking down at her. "An ultimatum?"

"Yes," Daphne said, nodding her head firmly. "You are going to find Asher tonight at that party, and you are going to reconcile with him. You two are going to fix whatever stupid beef you have. If you don't make up with him tonight, I am completely done dealing with your drama. I mean it, Theo. Fix it, or we are done."

She gave me one last sharp, warning look. Then she turned on her heel and walked away, disappearing into the sea of students

I stood there completely alone in the crowd. The cheering around me sounded muffled. I slid my hand back into my pocket, my thumb rubbing the smooth, cold metal of the secret chain. I looked back down at my dark phone screen. The Crestwood house party tonight was going to be very interesting.