Chapter 9: Tryouts

Aveline’s POV

Sneaking into Crestwood Ice Arena by eight o'clock pm probably qualified as criminal behaviour, but honestly, I was okay with that. The Academy is close to our house and I was running an errand, i always fantasised about playing on ice but I couldn't because I was "asher" but now I could so why not?

The arena lights were dim except for the rink itself. Everything felt quieter at night, less performative. No screaming students. No hockey players shoving each other into walls like overgrown toddlers.

Just ice. For the first time all week, I could breathe. I stepped onto the rink slowly, the blades of my skates scraping softly beneath me. The moment my feet touched the ice, something inside me settled because this was the only thing that had ever made sense. Even before Crestwood. Before Asher. Before revenge.

Hockey had always belonged to me too. I pushed off gently, gliding across the rink before moving faster. Wind brushed against my face as I cut sharply around the goal post, my muscles moving automatically, instinctively. My body remembered everything even after months away from serious skating.

I spun the puck across my stick.

Shot.

The puck slammed perfectly into the top corner of the net. A vicious grin spread across my face. “Still got it.”

“Apparently.” I nearly died.

I spun around so fast my skate slipped slightly against the ice. Kieran Hampton stood near the entrance tunnel holding two hockey sticks over one shoulder. Watching me Oh no.

“How long have you been standing there?” I demanded.

Kieran looked far too amused. “Long enough to know you’ve been lying.”

My pulse jumped hard.

I forced my expression flat. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Really?” He skated toward me slowly. “Because mascots usually don’t move like that.”

“Maybe Titan has layers.”

Kieran snorted softly. Unfortunately, it sounded attractive. I hated him He stopped a few feet away, grey eyes locked onto mine with dangerous focus. “You can actually play.”

I shrugged casually even though my heartbeat was trying to escape my body. “I skate recreationally.”

“That wasn’t recreational.” His gaze sharpened. “That was trained.”

I looked away first. Kieran noticed everything. “You’ve been hiding,” he said quietly.

“So have you.”

His brows lifted slightly. “What’s that supposed to mean?” I folded my arms. “Golden boy captain. Future hockey legend. Crestwood worships the ground you skate on.”

“And?”

“And people like you usually have personalities made entirely of protein shakes and ego.” Kieran looked genuinely offended. “Wow.”

“I’m observant.”

“You’re mean.”

“You started it.”

His mouth twitched again. That stupid almost-smile that kept sneaking up on him around me lately It was deeply irritating. Kieran dropped one hockey stick onto the ice between us. “Play me.”

I blinked. “What?”

“One-on-one.” I stared at him like he’d lost consciousness. “You think I’m stupid?”

“I think you’re scared.”

I laughed immediately. “Oh, that’s adorable.”

His eyes narrowed slightly. “There it is.” “That attitude.” He pointed at me with his stick. “Old Asher would’ve apologised three times by now.” The words hit harder than expected. I stiffened slightly. across his face again before he covered it with arrogance.

“You talk bigger now,” he continued. “Let’s see if you can actually back it up.”

I wanted to hit him with a skate. Instead, I grabbed the spare hockey stick off the ice. “Fine.”

Kieran’s eyebrows lifted slightly. “Oh?”

“But when I embarrass you,” I said sweetly, “I need you to promise not to cry about it.” He barked out a laugh. “You think you can embarrass me?" "I think your ego deserves the experience.”That grin appeared again. Beautiful enough to ruin lives.

“Nice,” he said. “I’m going to score on you now.”

“We’ll see.” Ten minutes later, I deeply regretted having pride. Kieran Hampton was annoyingly good. Everything about him on the ice was smooth and fast and unfairly precise. He moved like hockey had been stitched directly into his bloodstream, which made sense considering the scouts practically followed him around like obsessed fangirls.

Unfortunately for him, I was also competitive enough to qualify as a medical condition. Kieran stole the puck from me near centre ice. I immediately body-checked him into the boards. He stared at me in shock.

Then started laughing. “You absolutely did that on purpose.” He shoved off the boards and came after me again. This time I slipped past him fast enough to steal the puck back.

Kieran cursed. I grinned triumphantly. “Oh my......,” I gasped dramatically. “Did the great Kieran Hampton just get deked by the mascot?”

“You’re enjoying this way too much.”

“Correct" I shot toward the goal. Kieran caught up at the last second, reaching for my stick. Instinct took over. I twisted sharply, pulling the puck between my skates before flicking it past him. The puck flew straight into the net. Then “Holy shit.” I looked up, and Kieran was staring at me, actually staring.

Oops. Right, Asher wasn’t supposed to do that. I cleared my throat awkwardly. “Lucky shot.” Kieran looked offended by the sentence itself. “That was not luck.” “Agree to disagree.” “You’ve trained before.”

“No.”

“You literally have hockey player instincts.”

“I watch games.”

“Ash..." He stopped himself. Something strange flickered across his expression. I turned away quickly before he could think too hard about any of this. “Whatever,” I muttered. “You won. Happy?”

“I did not win.”

“You’re Crestwood’s captain. Your ego will survive.” Kieran skated closer slowly. Why did this keep happening?

“You know,” he said quietly, “you look different on the ice.”

I swallowed carefully. “What does that mean?”

“You stop pretending.” The words hit me directly in the chest because somehow he was right. Out here I wasn’t pretending to be Asher. I wasn’t trying to stay quiet or weak or invisible here I became myself again And maybe Kieran saw it That thought terrified me.

I forced a shrug. “You’re imagining things.”

“No,” he said softly. “I don’t think I am.” His eyes dropped briefly to my mouth. My pulse immediately lost its mind. I stepped backwards quickly.

Kieran blinked slightly as he had just realised what he was doing. Then annoyance crossed his face at himself.

“You still avoiding me?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Because of the party?”

“You mean because you randomly kissed me like you were starring in a teen drama meltdown?”

His ears turned slightly red. "I was drunk, that shouldn't have happened.”

I pointed out my stick aggressively at him."That's the point, you were drunk and you tasted like whiskey, argghh."

Kieran looked way too entertained now. “This conversation’s making me feel weirdly better.”

“It’s making me feel homicidal.”

“That’s fair.”

I groaned and skated past him toward the bench. "Forget this happened.”

“Impossible,” he said.

I froze slightly, the word came out too honest and too fast. Kieran seemed to realise that too because his expression shifted immediately afterwards. More serious now. Quieter. “I mean…” He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “You’re hard to ignore lately.”

I grabbed my jacket before he could say anything worse. “I should go.”

Kieran watched me carefully before casually saying the one thing guaranteed to ruin my night. “You should try out.”

I turned slowly. “What?”

“For the team.”

I laughed immediately. “You’ve officially lost your mind.”

“I’m serious.”

“That’s funny considering you spent the first week treating me like a Make A Wish mascot.”

Something guilty flickered across his face again. “There’s clearly more to you than people think.”

You have no idea. I shoved my hands tightly into my pockets. “Goodnight, Hampton.”

I started walking away then his voice stopped me again. "Ash...”

I looked back reluctantly. Kieran’s expression had gone unreadable. “You’ve been hiding.”

The way he said it made my stomach twist.

Not accusing.

Not mocking.

Certain.

And suddenly I had the terrifying feeling Kieran Hampton was getting closer to the truth. I hope I don't get exposed this soon, I can't let that happen.