Chapter 78: The Morning After

Aveline’s POV

"Stop the tape right there," Coach Hale yelled.

The projector screen went still. The room was dark, but the bright light from the screen showed every face on the hockey team.

It was Saturday morning, and we were forced to attend a mandatory team review. Nobody wanted to be here. We had just lost the big game against the minor team last night, and the mood in the room was terrible.

Coach Hale paused the game footage right on the clip from the third period. On the screen, you could see the exact moment the chaos started. The opposing defenseman hit me hard, and I flew to the ice. Then, the video showed Kieran dropping his gloves and charging like a madman to start the massive team brawl.

Coach Hale turned around and glared at the front row. “Hampton, what the hell was this?” the coach shouted, pointing a finger at Kieran. “You played like a rookie out there, not a team captain. You lost your mind over a standard hit. Why did you start a war on my ice?”

Kieran sat perfectly straight in his chair. He did not blink. “I was protecting my first-line player, Coach,” Kieran answered, his voice flat and tight.

“You were being reckless!” Coach Hale snapped back, slamming his folder onto the table. “Your job is to win the game, not to fight the whole stadium. Both of you ruined our chances last night.”

The meeting dragged on for another thirty minutes, but I could barely focus. My ribs were still very sore from the hit, and my mind was spinning from everything that happened in the basement garage.

After the film review finally ended, the players began to stand up and complain. I needed to get away from the crowd, so I walked quickly out of the room and went straight into the restroom. The room was empty. I walked over to the row of sinks, turned on the cold tap water, and splashed it onto my face. I needed to wake up.

Suddenly, the main door of the restroom swung open. I looked up in the mirror. It was Theo.

Theo stepped inside, reached behind his back, and turned the lock on the main door. He locked us inside the room together. His face was bright red, and his eyes were wide with pure anger.

“What are you doing in here, Theo?” I asked, turning around from the sink. I kept my voice rough and bold. “Open the door.”

“No!” Theo exploded, taking a fast step toward me. “We are going to talk right now, Asher. I am completely done with your lies!”

“I don't have time for this,” I said, trying to walk past him.

Theo blocked my path, his chest rising and falling fast. “You are a complete hypocrite, Ash! You act like you are a good guy, but you are a liar. You are leading Daphne on. You use her like a shield because you are scared of Cassian. And at the exact same time, you are secretly parleying with the captain!”

“You don't know what you are talking about,” I snapped, squaring my shoulders.

“I am not stupid!” Theo screamed in my face, his voice echoing loudly off the restroom. “I saw you guys last night! You acted like you hated Hampton more than anyone in this school. But you are just his little pet now! What are you two doing behind closed doors?”

“Get out of my face, Theo,” I warned him.

“Make me!” Theo yelled. He reached out with both hands, grabbed the collar of my shirt in pure anger, and pulled my body forward violently.

I tried to twist away from his grip, but he pushed me back slightly against the edge of the sink. He was holding my collar tightly, his knuckles pressing against my chest. Suddenly, Theo stopped moving. His whole body went rigid.

The restroom went completely, deathly silent. The only sound was the dripping water from the tap.

Theo’s hands were still gripping my collar, but he was not pulling anymore. His eyes dropped down from my face, staring directly at my chest where his hands were resting. Through the fabric of my shirt, his fingers felt the tight shape of my chest binding.

“You’re... you’re not the Asher I know,” Theo whispered. His voice was trembling badly, full of a mix of shock, confusion, and deep heartbreak. He let go of my collar slowly, taking a big step backward like he had just touched a snake.

I froze, my heart stopping completely inside my chest. The secret I had fought so hard to protect was slipping away right in front of me.

Theo shook his head, staring at me like I was a monster. “The Asher I know has always hated Hampton so much. You have hated him your whole life. What happened to you? Who are you?”

I did not answer him. Panic took over my brain. I raised my hands, shoved Theo out of my way with all my strength, and ran for the door. I unlocked it quickly and burst out of the restroom, walking down the long hallway as fast as my legs could move. I was completely panicking, my breath coming in short gasps.

“Stop!” Theo yelled, bursting out of the restroom right behind me. “Stop walking away from me! Get back here and give me answers!”

I kept moving, ignoring his shouts. But the hallway was not empty. Kieran was waiting further down the hall, leaning against the wall. The moment he heard the shouting, his head snapped up. He saw Theo chasing me down the corridor.

Kieran did not hesitate. He stepped right into the middle of the hallway, putting his frame directly between Theo and me. He physically blocked Theo from reaching me.

“Back off, Theo,” Kieran commanded. His loud captain's voice cut through the air.

Theo stopped running, bumping slightly into Kieran’s chest. He let out a bitter, ugly laugh and looked Kieran right in the eyes. “Get out of my way, Hampton. I am just talking to my friend. This has nothing to do with you.”

“I said back off,” Kieran repeated, his voice dropping low and dangerous. “Go back home .”

Right at that exact moment, the doors at the end of the hall opened. Several other teammates walked around the corner, including Milo and a few other varsity players. They stopped walking when they saw the tension between the captain and Theo.

With half the hockey team standing there watching and listening to every word, the situation became incredibly dangerous. Kieran knew that if Theo kept screaming about secrets, my cover would be blown right here in public.

Kieran had to make a split-second decision to save my disguise and end the matter completely so I could leave.

Kieran stepped closer to Theo and gave him a hard, heavy push backwards. Theo stumbled a few feet on the floor.

“What is your problem, Mercer?” Kieran yelled loudly, making sure the entire hallway could hear him. “Are you so jealous of Carter’s starting spot on the first line that you’re making up fan-fiction now? You are acting like a crazy person.”

Milo and the other teammates around the corner burst out laughing. They shook their heads and pointed at Theo.

“Yeah, take a chill pill, Theo!” Milo called out with a laugh. “Stop crying because Asher is playing better than you!”

“Go home, Mercer, you are embarrassing yourself,” another player shouted.

Theo looked around the hallway, his face turning bright red. He looked at the laughing players, then at Kieran, and then at me. He was completely humiliated and furious.

He realised that Kieran had just twisted the entire situation and made him look completely crazy in front of the whole team. No one would believe a word he said now. He clenched his fists, spun around, and marched away in total silence.

I turned and walked away down the opposite exit, my hands still shaking from the close call.