Chapter 119: Last Bell Before Winter

Kieran's POV

The morning after the Carter dinner, I couldn't look at the word "family" the same way again.

Crestwood Academy was buzzing with excitement for winter break. Everywhere I looked, people were making Christmas plans, arguing about ski trips, swapping gifts, and complaining about relatives they would be forced to visit.

All I could think about was Aveline. Every laugh echoed with the memory of Evelyn Carter smiling across the dinner table and saying, "My daughter died years ago." I had faced broken bones, championship losses, and thousands of screaming fans, but nothing had prepared me for watching someone erase their own child while she sat there pretending not to exist.

I barely remembered walking into the locker room. The guys were already changing for our final practice before winter break, talking over each other about their holidays. I couldn't join in.

The weight in my chest only got heavier when Coach Hale called us to the center of the ice.

"Listen up, Titans!" Coach Hale barked, his voice echoing off the rafters. "I want to praise you all. You followed my orders, went to that mountain trip, and cleared the air. We finished a perfect season, and I am proud of this roster.

Welcome back to the rink, Captain. Your injury is healing well, and we cannot wait to see you lead the team next season. But remember, next season resumes immediately after the Christmas holidays.

The professional scouts' eyes will be wide open. No stupid holiday injuries. Everyone is dismissed!"

The locker room exploded with excitement. Hockey bags hit the floor, sticks clattered against the benches, and everyone rushed to make holiday plans. Landon and Milo ran past me without saying a word, still completely cold toward me after our blowout on the mountain trail. I should have been celebrating with them or trying to fix things with Landon. Instead, my eyes searched the room for one person.

Asher was already zipping up his bag at the far end of the benches, looking pale and completely quiet.

The moment he hoisted the bag onto his shoulder and walked toward the exit, I took one step after her.

"Asher"

The sharp voice stopped me before I could even reach the hallway. I turned around. Theo Mercer was standing right behind me, his hands shoved deep into his blazer pockets.

His face looked completely calm and polite, but his eyes carried a dark, intense weight.

"Don't you think you have been doing way too much lately?" Theo asked softly, his tone completely even.

I looked down at him, my expression flat. "He's my teammate, Theo."

"He was my best friend before he was your teammate," Theo replied instantly. His voice stayed polite, but underneath, the words felt like a freezing warning. He didn't wait for my answer. He just turned on his heel and disappeared into the crowd of students.

Theo's words stayed with me long after he had disappeared. Theo thought he knew Asher better than anyone. He didn't. Not anymore. But something had fundamentally changed between us, and the silence felt like a ticking bomb. I needed to know if Aveline was okay.

I hurried outside, my eyes scanning the path until I spotted her slender frame walking quickly toward the campus gates.

"Asher!" I called out, catching up to her.

She froze, slowly turning around. Her eyes looked incredibly tired, her fingers clenching the straps of her bag.

"Are you going straight home?" I asked, stepping closer to her.

Aveline immediately looked away, her voice tight. "Yeah. Going straight back."

I knew she was lying. She was terrified of going back into that quiet prison of a house with her mother. The thought of her sitting alone in that dining room over the holidays made my blood run cold. I stepped even closer, my voice dropping into a rough whisper. "Come spend Christmas with us. My mother would love to have you at the estate."

Aveline froze completely. Her bottom lip trembled for a split second. Then, she quietly shook her head and looked at the ground. "I can't, Kieran."

She walked away without looking back. I stayed there until she disappeared beyond the gates. Only then did I climb into my car.

The silence inside the vehicle was suffocating. I gripped the steering wheel, feeling completely helpless. I was the captain of this team, but I couldn't even protect the person I loved from her own home.

Suddenly, my phone began to ring on the dashboard. It was a video call from my friend, Chelsea. I swiped the screen open, wanting a distraction from the heavy silence.

"Kieran Hampton!" Chelsea’s bright face appeared on the screen, laughing. "I heard you’ve been all over the news page lately. I heard you were finally able to show your parents your new girl. I should have your morale to do this soon! By the way, the holiday starts today. Hope you bought everyone's Christmas gifts?"

"Yeah, Chelsea. I got them," I muttered.

"Great! See you at the New Year's party!" she waved and hung up.

The call lasted less than a minute, but it completely changed my focus. Chelsea's words hit me like a physical punch. I had bought gifts for Landon, Milo, and my family. I had bought gifts for everyone except Asher.

A sudden wave of panic hit my chest. I couldn't leave her with nothing for the holidays. Without thinking for another second, I turned the car key, backed out of the space, and drove straight into the local town center.

An hour later, I was still wandering through the crowded Christmas market. The streets were packed with people buying decorations, but I was frantically searching the boutique windows, trying to find something meaningful. I didn't understand why a simple present was suddenly so important to me, but I couldn't stop until I found a small, elegant velvet gift box in a jewelry shop window.

The moment I stepped out of the boutique with the bag in my hand, a sharp voice made me stop dead in my tracks.

Across the street, Katty was exiting a clothing store, a luxury shopping bag in her hand. She spotted me instantly, her eyes moving down to the small bag in my fingers. She strutted across the snowy pavement, a slow, smug smile on her lips.

"Buying me a Christmas present, babe?" Katty asked loudly.

"No," I answered flatly, without a single fraction of hesitation.

Katty blinked, her flirty smile disappearing for a second before she let out a forced laugh. "Then who is the lucky girl?"

I looked her straight in the eyes, my voice dropping to absolute zero. "It is certainly not your business, Katty."

Dead silence stretched between us. Katty laughed it off quickly, waving her hand carelessly as she walked away toward the mall, but her eyes looked incredibly angry.

I didn't care about her anger. I looked down at the gift, realizing that the school buses had already left. Aveline would be stranded at the gates waiting for the late transit bus. I ran back to my car, started the engine, and drove straight back toward the academy.

Sure enough, as I pulled up to the main entrance, I saw her. Aveline was standing completely alone by the brick pillars, her coat pulled tight against the freezing wind. I parked the car, walked straight up to her, and forced the small, elegant gift bag into her hand.

"Don't open it until Christmas Day," I ordered quietly.

Aveline stared at the packaging, her face pale. "Kieran, take it back. I can't accept this."

"Keep it," I insisted, wrapping my large hand directly over hers.

She finally stopped resisting. Our fingers brushed against the smooth fabric of the bag. For a long, heart-stopping second, neither of us let go. We just stood there in the falling snow, breathing in the quiet space between us.

I smiled as she tucked the gift safely into her heavy duffel bag. But then, she looked past my shoulder. Her smile changed instantly, turning into a look of absolute worry.

I turned around.

Theo was standing by the corner of the brick wall, watching us. Aveline took a step past me, waving at him with a warmth as she prepared to walk toward his car.

A sudden, chilling wave of emotion hit my chest. My expression wasn't just jealousy anymore. It was pure, unadulterated fear. Why do I always get so jealous over Theo and Aveline? I thought, my hands fisting hard as I watched them disappear around the corner. It feels like I am about to lose the most important person in my entire life.