Chapter 118 The Truth Goes Public
By Monday morning, everyone at school knew something had happened at the Lakeview Gala.
No one had the full story.
That had never stopped anyone before.
Lenora barely made it through the front doors before whispers followed her down the hallway.
But this time, the whispers felt different.
Less vicious.
More curious.
Lilibeth looped her arm through Lenora’s.
“Okay, if one more person stares, I’m charging them admission.”
Kylen walked beside them, carrying his coffee like he was too tired to care.
“I’m giving it ten minutes before someone asks if she’s secretly royalty.”
Lenora laughed.
“Please don’t give them ideas.”
The hockey boy was waiting by her locker.
Black team jacket.
Messy hair.
That same look that made her heart skip every single time.
He took her books from her hands like it was the most natural thing in the world.
“Morning.”
Lenora smiled.
“Morning.”
He kissed her.
Not a quick peck.
A real kiss.
Right there in the middle of the hallway.
Students stopped.
Phones came out.
Someone squealed.
When he pulled back, Lenora was blushing.
“You know everyone is watching.”
He slid a hand into hers.
“Good.”
Lilibeth fanned herself dramatically.
“I am living.”
Kylen looked at his watch.
“It took them thirty-seven seconds to become unbearable.”
Lenora leaned into the hockey boy’s side.
For once, she didn’t care who saw.
By lunchtime, the school gossip page had exploded.
Not with scandal.
With photos.
Lenora and the hockey boy at the gala.
Dancing.
Holding hands.
Kissing.
One post simply read:
Guess they stopped pretending.
The comments were surprisingly supportive.
Some were dramatic.
Some were nosy.
Most were happy for them.
Lenora stared at her phone.
“This is weird.”
Lilibeth stole a fry from her tray.
“Weird but iconic.”
Pamela dropped into the empty seat beside them.
A few nearby students went silent.
Her reputation still had that effect.
Pamela looked at Lenora.
“My mother signed over the letters this morning.”
The hockey boy looked up from across the table.
“She actually did it?”
Pamela nodded.
“She also booked a therapist.”
Lilibeth blinked.
“Well. Growth.”
Pamela gave a small smile.
“I nearly fainted.”
Lenora reached across the table and squeezed her hand.
Pamela squeezed back.
For a girl who had started this mess, she looked lighter than she had in years.
After school, the hockey team had practice.
Lenora sat in the stands with Lilibeth, pretending to study and mostly failing.
The hockey boy was all sharp movements and effortless control on the ice.
Every time he skated by, he glanced up at her.
And every time he did, she smiled.
Lilibeth sighed dreamily.
“If a man looked at me like that, I’d forgive crimes.”
Lenora laughed.
“He is not committing crimes.”
“Not yet.”
Practice ended with the coach blowing his whistle.
The players headed to the locker room.
The hockey boy skated over to the glass and tapped it twice.
A silent message.
Wait for me.
Lenora nodded.
Twenty minutes later, they were alone in the nearly empty parking lot.
The late afternoon sun painted everything gold.
He leaned against his truck, pulling her between his knees.
“So,” he said, brushing his fingers through her hair, “my mother apologized.”
Lenora blinked.
“She did?”
He nodded.
“She said she spent too many years holding on to anger that should have been directed at my father.”
“That’s… huge.”
“I know.”
He smiled faintly.
“My dad is sleeping in the guest room.”
Lenora winced.
“Yikes.”
He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
“They’ll figure it out.”
She searched his face.
“And you?”
He thought about it for a second.
“I’m angry.”
He looked down at their joined hands.
“But I’m also relieved. At least I know the truth.”
Lenora touched his jaw.
“Me too.”
He turned his head and kissed her palm.
The gesture was so unexpectedly tender that her chest tightened.
“Come to the championship game Friday,” he said.
She smiled.
“Try and stop me.”
He grinned.
“There’s an after-party.”
Lenora raised an eyebrow.
“Are you inviting me as your date?”
He pulled her closer.
“I’m inviting you as my girl.”
Her heart nearly stopped.
She looked at him.
“Your girl?”
A slight flush touched his cheeks, but he didn’t look away.
“If you want to be.”
Lenora smiled so hard her cheeks hurt.
“I thought I already was.”
His answering grin was blinding.
“Good.”
Then he kissed her.
Slow and sweet.
The kind of kiss that made time feel irrelevant.
When they finally broke apart, she rested her forehead against his.
“So this is official.”
He nodded.
“Very.”
She laughed softly.
“About time.”
Friday night arrived faster than either of them expected.
The arena was packed.
The championship banner hung above the ice.
The school showed up in full force.
Lenora wore his jersey.
Lilibeth nearly cried when she saw it.
“Oh my God. We’ve reached peak girlfriend.”
Kylen adjusted his glasses.
“I never thought I’d live to see this.”
Pamela sat with them too, unexpectedly relaxed.
“He’s going to lose his mind when he sees you.”
Lenora tried to act calm.
Failed completely.
The team skated out to thunderous applause.
The hockey boy looked up toward the stands.
The second he saw Lenora in his jersey, he nearly missed a step.
His teammates noticed instantly.
One of them shoved him playfully.
He only grinned.
Lilibeth screamed.
“That look! Did you see that look?”
Everyone saw it.
And no one was pretending anymore.
The game was brutal.
Fast. Physical. Tight.
Lenora barely breathed for most of it.
With less than two minutes left, the score was tied.
The crowd was on its feet.
The hockey boy stole the puck near center ice.
He dodged one defender.
Then another.
The entire arena seemed to hold its breath.
He took the shot.
The puck slammed into the back of the net.
The arena exploded.
Lilibeth nearly tackled Lenora.
Kylen shouted loud enough to surprise himself.
Pamela wiped away tears.
On the ice, his teammates swarmed him.
In the middle of the celebration, he looked up into the stands.
Straight at Lenora.
And tapped his chest over the number on his jersey.
Her jersey.
The one she was wearing.
Lenora’s eyes filled with tears.
“He did not just do that,” Lilibeth screamed.
“Oh, he absolutely did,” Kylen said.
The final buzzer sounded moments later.
They were champions.
The team poured onto the ice.
Students rushed to the railing.
Lenora barely made it to the tunnel before he found her.
He lifted her off the ground in one smooth motion and kissed her like they were the only two people in the world.
When he finally set her down, both of them were laughing.
“We won,” he said.
“You won.”
He shook his head.
“We won.”
Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box.
Lenora’s eyes widened.
He grinned.
“Relax. It’s not that.”
She swatted his chest.
He opened the box.
Inside was his championship medal.
He slipped it over her head.
“You were with me through all of it,” he said quietly. “I want you to have the first one.”
Lenora touched the medal, then looked up at him with tears in her eyes.
“I love you.”
The words slipped out naturally.
Like they had been waiting.
His expression softened.
He brushed his thumb across her cheek.
“I love you too.”
And beneath the bright arena lights, surrounded by friends, family, and a season’s worth of chaos, they kissed again.
This time with nothing left to hide.