Chapter 47: Quiet calls

Aveline’s POV

I didn’t even realise how tired I was until my body stopped reacting to everything at once. I had been lying on my bed for a long time, staring at the ceiling, thinking about nothing and everything at the same time. My phone was face down beside me.

Then it rang.

I turned my head slowly, expecting it to be Theo or Daphne, or maybe my mom telling me she wasn't going to spend the night as usual. But the name on the screen made me sit up immediately.

Kieran Hampton.

For a few seconds, I just stared at it. I told myself not to answer. We were not friends like that. We barely even had space to breathe normally when we were in the same room. Still, I swiped the screen.

“What do you want, Hampton?” My voice came out sharper than I meant it to, but I was too tired to pretend.

There was silence on the other end. Not the usual confident silence he carried at school. This one felt like he was holding something heavy and trying not to drop it.

Then he spoke, and his voice didn’t sound like him at all. It was low. Rough. Almost broken.

“Can I talk to you?” he said quietly. “I need someone to talk to.”

That made me sit up fully. Kieran didn’t say things like that. I got out of bed immediately, already moving before I fully thought about it. “Where are you?”

A pause. “Outside," he replied. “Near the park.”

The park wasn’t far, but it wasn’t a place he belonged. It was too quiet, too normal for someone like him. I didn’t ask questions. I just grabbed my hoodie, pulled on loose shorts, and slipped out into the cold night air.

When I reached the park, I saw his car parked under a dim streetlight. I walked closer and opened the passenger door. Kieran’s head leaned back against the seat, but the moment I climbed in, his eyes shifted toward me. He looked exhausted in a way I had never seen before.

For a few seconds, neither of us spoke. Then I finally asked, softer now, “What happened?”

His jaw tightened. “My father,” he said.

That was enough to make me go still. Everyone at Crestwood knew his dad was a legacy, but nobody actually knew the man.

Kieran stared straight ahead at the windshield, like it was easier than looking at me. “I walked into his office tonight. He wasn't alone. He was with a woman. It... It's clearly over. My parents are going to get a divorce, and he acts like it's just another business he is doing my mother a favour by sticking to the marriage.”

I gasped softly, but he kept going, his voice growing dangerously hollow.

“He started shouting at me. Same thing as always. I’m useless. I’m not focused. He looked me right in the eyes and told me I was nothing without the legacy he had made.” Kieran’s hands gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white.

“Because of his old knee injury, he never made the NHL. He doesn't want a son, Aveline. He wants a do-over.

The way he said it wasn’t angry. It sounded like he had heard it too many times to react properly anymore.

“He said I don’t deserve the Hampton name if I can’t live up to the standard he has created".

Silence filled the car again. This time, I didn’t interrupt it. I just looked at his face, seeing the crushing weight of a failed dream that wasn't even his to carry.

“Okay,” I said finally. “Drive.”

He blinked at me, caught off guard. “To where?”

“There’s a cafe near the highway,” I said. “It’s open late. Just drive.”

He nodded once and started the engine.

The ride was quiet, but it wasn't a comfortable silence. It was the kind that sits heavy on your chest.

Kieran kept one hand on the wheel, the other tapping lightly against his thigh like he was trying to control his breathing.

At one point, I spoke without looking at him. “You don’t usually call people or allow them to see you when you’re falling apart.”

He let out a ragged breath. “Yeah,” he muttered. “Because I don’t usually have anyone to call.”

That made me glance at him. He didn’t look back.

When we reached the café, it was almost empty. We sat at a corner table near the window. Kieran didn’t touch his drink; he just stared into the dark liquid.

“You’re not weak,” I said simply, breaking the quiet.

He let out a small, humourless laugh. “You didn’t hear him. He makes it sound like my entire existence is a mistake just because my stats aren't matching his old high school records.”

I leaned back slightly. “Then stop living for his version of you.”

That made him finally look at me. Really look. For a second, his expression softened in a way I didn’t understand. Like he wanted to say something, but couldn’t find the words.

But before he could speak, the cafe door chimed open. Loud, familiar voices cut through the air.

Milo and Landon.

I froze instantly. Kieran noticed the shift in me immediately. “What?”

I didn’t answer, quickly pulling my hoodie up to hide my face.

“Well, well, well…” Milo’s voice rang out, loud and amused. “Oh my god, Kieran Hampton in a highway café. That’s already weird. Wait… who’s that?”

Kieran didn’t even hesitate. “Leave,” he said calmly.

Milo blinked. “What?”

“I said leave,” Kieran repeated, his voice dropping sharper now. “We’re busy.”

Landon smirked. “Busy doing what? Coffee date? Gosh, Kieran Hampton is dating someone.”

The words made my stomach drop. I pulled the hoodie higher, turning completely away. Milo leaned in, trying to peek under the fabric. “Let me see her”

“Don’t,” Kieran said sharply.

This time his tone wasn’t a warning; it was a threat. It stopped both of them instantly. Kieran stood up slowly, looming over the table. “We’re leaving. Now.”

Milo raised his hands defensively. “Relax, we were just joking.”

Kieran didn’t respond. He just waited. After a tense second, Milo muttered something under his breath and gestured for Landon to follow. They finally left.

When the door closed, I let out a breath I didn’t realise I was holding. Kieran sat back down, rubbing his face. “Sorry,” he said quietly.

I shook my head. “It’s fine.” But my voice didn’t sound fine at all.

\-

The next day at school felt normal. We were back to our project, standing in front of the teacher to deliver our presentation.

Kieran spoke more than usual focused, calm, and completely controlled, masking the boy who had broken down in my car hours prior. I backed him up when needed, filling in gaps and keeping our delivery clean.

By the end, the teacher looked genuinely impressed. “Well,” she said, adjusting her glasses. “This is one of the most structured submissions I’ve seen from you, Hampton. I’m giving you an A.”

Kieran nodded once. No massive celebration, but I saw the smallest shift in his eyes. He glanced at me briefly. It was a shared victory, a quiet acknowledgement that for once, he had earned something entirely on his own terms.

After practice that evening, I stayed back to help clear the equipment. The rink was quiet. echoing only with distant footsteps. I was in the locker room stacking gear when a voice slithered behind me.

“Yo, Asher.”

My body froze. Barrett.

I turned slowly. He was leaning against the lockers, hands in his pockets, with a smirk that made my skin crawl.

“You’ve been avoiding me,” he said casually. “That’s not very friendly.”

“I’m busy,” I replied quickly, tightening my grip on the equipment bag.

He stepped closer, blocking my exit. “Busy with what? That Hampton kid? I saw you guys yesterday.”

My breath caught slightly. Barrett smiled, a cruel glint in his eyes. Suddenly, his hand shot out and grabbed my shoulder, twisting it slightly to pin me against the locker.

“Relax,” he said. “We’re just talking.”

“Let go,” I said firmly, trying to push him off, but he didn’t move. His grip only tightened.

“You used to be easier to talk to,” he muttered, leaning in.

That was it. Fear sparked into anger, and I shoved him back hard. “I said I don’t have anything to do with you!”

Barrett’s expression changed instantly. The smirk dropped, replaced by pure venom. His fist started to lift.

“What’s going on here?” A voice cut through the room.

Kieran. He stood at the doorway, still in his practice gear, eyes locked directly onto Barrett’s raised hand. The entire energy of the room shifted instantly.

Barrett slowly lowered his hand, his smirk returning, though it looked forced now. He stepped back from me. “Just catching up,” he said casually, grabbing his bag from the bench. “With the team mascot.”

Kieran didn’t move. He didn’t blink. He just stared Barrett down until the other guy walked past us and out the door.

The silence that followed felt heavier than anything before. Kieran’s eyes slowly moved from the doorway and landed on me, Looking at him, I already knew.

Whatever my brother has with Barrett, this wasn’t over.