Chapter 35: The Morning After

Aveline’s POV

The morning after we got back from Boston felt strange And wasn't normal either. The strange where everything around you looked the same but somehow felt completely different. My head had been a mess ever since the nightclub. Daphne’s confession kept replaying in my mind, right alongside the image of Percy kissing Kieran in that dark hallway.

I hated that image so much and how much it affected me. My chest still tightened every time I thought about it.

Which was exactly why I spent the entire weekend trying to avoid Kieran Hampton in every way possible. Unfortunately, avoiding Kieran was beginning to feel like avoiding gravity.

Impossible.

Every hallway somehow led to him. Every practice somehow ended with him nearby. Even when he wasn’t speaking, I still felt him around me constantly.

By Monday morning I was already exhausted. I walked into the locker room quietly, trying to blend into the usual chaos while the team loudly recapped the Boston club fight like it was the greatest moment in Crestwood history.

“I swear Hampton almost killed that guy,” Milo laughed from across the room.

“The table definitely died first,” Landon added.

Theo snorted while changing beside his locker. “Honestly the security guards looked more terrified than the dude Kieran punched.”

Several players burst into laughter.

I stayed near my locker quietly, pretending to focus on unpacking my bags even though my attention immediately shifted toward the far side of the room.

Kieran was there. He leaned against one of the benches already dressed halfway for practice, his dark hoodie hanging low while white treatment tape wrapped around his bruised knuckles.

The sight made my stomach twist.

The room buzzed with noise around him, but Kieran himself stayed silent. And somehow, that silence felt heavier than everybody else combined.

Then his eyes lifted.

Straight toward me, the look on his face immediately made my pulse jump. For one horrible second, I wondered if he knew. If he knew I had seen him kissing Percy or how badly it affected me.

The thought alone sent panic climbing through my chest. Because if Kieran even suspected I cared, I would actually throw myself into traffic.

Which meant I needed a distraction immediately, and there was only one solution available.

Daphne.

If Kieran thought I was dating Daphne, then maybe whatever weird tension existed between us would finally disappear.

At least in theory.

By lunchtime, I was fully committed to the plan. The cafeteria buzzed with noise when I entered holding Daphne’s hand. The second we walked inside, the conversation around several tables noticeably slowed.

Hockey players were basically giant gossip machines disguised as athletes.

Nothing escaped them, especially not relationship drama. Daphne squeezed my hand nervously beside me while I forced myself to keep walking naturally.

This morning she had smiled shyly at me and asked if I wanted to give it a try. Now here we were pretending to be together. Absolutely nothing about my life was normal anymore.

I felt Kieran before I even looked at him. He sat a few tables away with Landon and Milo, halfway through lunch. The second I entered, his attention locked onto me automatically Then his eyes dropped to where my fingers intertwined with Daphne’s.

Everything inside him visibly stilled. That was good, the exact reaction I wanted.

So why did it suddenly feel terrible?

I forced myself to keep walking anyway, and Daphne followed my lead while I exaggerated everything intentionally.

I pulled out her chair and Sat close beside her. Kept holding her hand longer than necessary. Tried looking comfortable even though internally I was fighting for my life.

The chemistry between us felt painfully forced And judging by Theo nearly choking on his drink nearby, everyone else noticed too.

“This is weird,” Milo muttered loudly.

“Very weird,” Landon agreed immediately.

Kieran said nothing.

But I could feel him watching us constantly.

Daphne leaned closer toward me slightly. “You’re holding my hand like you’re trying to survive an earthquake.”

“I basically am.”

She laughed softly under her breath.

I risked another glance toward Kieran. His tray sat untouched in front of him, his jaw looked tight enough to crack And his hands were shaking slightly against the edge of the table.

The sight made something uncomfortable, and I refused to feel guilty over this. I needed distance from him before whatever existed between us became even more dangerous.

So I leaned closer toward Daphne again, pretending to focus completely on her. The atmosphere around Kieran somehow darkened even more suddenly he stood up.

The entire cafeteria seemed to notice immediately, because when Kieran Hampton moved looking that angry, people paid attention.

He didn’t look toward the food lines.

He walked directly toward our table.

Heavy combat boots are hitting hard against the cafeteria floor. I immediately pulled Daphne slightly closer beside me instinctively.

Human shield mode, because there was absolutely no way Kieran would make a scene in front of her.

Right?

The closer he got, the more nervous I became.

Theo stopped talking entirely.

Even Milo looked concerned now.

Kieran finally stopped beside our table. Towering over us.

Daphne looked up at him uncertainly. Kieran leaned down slightly beside her first and whispered something low enough that only she could hear it.

Her eyes widened immediately.

Then he straightened slowly “We have to talk.”

The words sent immediate panic through me.

I looked away first. “I’m eating.”

“You’ll survive five minutes.”

“I might not actually.”

Daphne glanced between both of us awkwardly. “Uh… should I leave or…”

“No,” I said too quickly.

Kieran’s eyes narrowed slightly at that Then he stepped back once “Fine,” he said flatly. “Come when you’re done.”

And somehow that sounded less like a request and more like a threat. The second he walked away, Milo made a dramatic choking sound from another table.

Theo kicked him immediately.

Daphne turned toward me slowly. “Okay, what the hell was that?”

“Nothing.”

“That was definitely something.”

I grabbed my water quickly. She stared at me for a long moment before sighing. “You are both exhausting.”

Ten minutes later I finally stood up before I could lose my nerve completely. “I’ll be back.”

Daphne looked suspicious immediately. “I’m taking your fries.”

I followed Kieran a few steps down the hallway outside the cafeteria.

The noise faded behind us instantly. He stood near the corner with his hands shoved into his pockets, shoulders tense beneath his hoodie.

For a second neither of us spoke.

Then finally

“About the club the other night,” Kieran said.

I didn’t let him finish because I already knew where this conversation was heading and I absolutely did not want to hear it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

His eyes narrowed slightly..“So you and Daphne are a thing now, huh?”

The question somehow annoyed me immediately. “This conversation is actually getting weird,” I replied. “I don’t think it’s your business who I go out with.”

Kieran looked away briefly before nodding once. “Yeah… of course.”

Something about the way he said it made my chest tighten Then he spoke again quieter this time.

“I just wanted to say that Percy wasn’t actually a thing.”

Noted.

That was the only word my brain managed to process even though my entire body was boiling from the inside out. Because why was he explaining himself to me?

Kieran stared at me for a second longer like he wanted to say something else Then eventually he nodded once and walked away.

Leaving me standing there staring after him like a complete idiot.