Chapter 31 Cracks In Control
The energy in the rink didn’t settle after that moment.
It shifted.
Subtly. Dangerously.
And everyone felt it.
Kylen’s hand had almost touched mine.
Almost.
But that “almost” was enough to change everything.
Because now he couldn’t pretend anymore.
And neither could I.
The next day, the rink felt colder. Quieter. Like the calm before something ugly.
The team was already there when I walked in, but no one was loud. No careless laughter. No easy jokes.
They were watching.
Watching him.
Watching me.
Watching us.
Kylen stood near the lockers, jaw tight, eyes distant.
And Lilibeth?
She was already beside him.
Of course she was.
But something was different this time.
She wasn’t relaxed.
She wasn’t smug.
She was holding on too tight.
Her fingers were curled around his arm, not soft anymore. Not playful.
Possessive.
Desperate.
I stopped a few steps away, taking it in.
Good.
She felt it too.
The shift.
The crack.
“Lenora,” she said, her voice too sweet to be real.
I smiled. Calm. Unbothered.
“Lilibeth.”
Kylen looked at me then.
And that was the first mistake.
Because this time…
He didn’t look away.
The silence stretched.
Heavy. Loaded.
“You’re early,” he said finally, his voice rough, like he hadn’t slept.
“Couldn’t stay away,” I replied.
And I meant more than the rink.
Lilibeth laughed lightly, but it didn’t land.
“You always were persistent,” she said.
“I always get what I want,” I shot back.
That hit.
I saw it in her eyes.
Good.
Practice started, but it didn’t feel like practice.
It felt like war.
Adrian made sure of that.
He didn’t ease into it.
Didn’t test the waters.
He went straight for Kylen.
Hard passes.
Sharp turns.
Deliberate contact.
It wasn’t dirty.
But it wasn’t friendly either.
Kylen matched him immediately.
Faster. Harder. More aggressive than I had ever seen him.
And suddenly, it wasn’t about the game anymore.
It was about dominance.
I stayed in the middle of it.
Watching.
Feeling.
Burning.
Adrian skated past me, close enough that our shoulders almost brushed.
This time, he didn’t ignore me.
He slowed.
Just slightly.
“You’re trouble,” he muttered, just loud enough for me to hear.
I didn’t look at him.
“Only to people who deserve it.”
He chuckled. Low. Interested.
And Kylen saw that.
Oh… he saw it.
The shift in his expression was instant.
Sharp. Dangerous.
Possessive.
That was new.
And it sent a thrill straight through me.
Lilibeth noticed too.
Her grip on him tightened again.
But this time?
He pulled his arm away.
Not aggressively.
But enough.
Enough for everything to stop.
“Kylen?” she said, her voice cracking just slightly.
He didn’t answer.
His eyes were on me.
And that…
That was the second crack.
Practice spiraled after that.
Missed passes.
Hard hits.
Tension bleeding into every movement.
Coach blew the whistle hard.
“Enough! Reset!”
But nothing reset.
Because Lilibeth had reached her limit.
She skated straight toward me.
No hesitation.
No pretending.
“You think this is a game?” she snapped.
Her voice carried.
Everyone heard.
I tilted my head. Calm.
“Isn’t it?”
Her eyes flashed.
“You’re embarrassing yourself.”
I stepped closer.
“No,” I said quietly.
“I’m exposing you.”
That hit harder than anything else.
She froze for half a second.
Then leaned in, voice low, venomous.
“You really think he’s choosing you?”
I smiled.
Slow. Certain.
“He already is.”
Silence.
Because we all felt it.
Kylen hadn’t moved back to her.
Hadn’t defended her.
Hadn’t corrected me.
He just stood there.
Watching me.
Like I was the only thing that made sense.
Adrian let out a quiet whistle from across the ice.
“Damn,” he muttered.
Lilibeth turned toward Kylen, desperation slipping through her perfect mask.
“Say something.”
And finally…
He did.
“Stop,” he said.
Low. Controlled.
But not to me.
To her.
That was it.
That was the moment everything broke.
Her face fell.
Not dramatically.
Not loudly.
But enough.
And I saw it.
The fear.
The realization.
She was losing him.
I didn’t gloat.
Didn’t push.
Didn’t say a word.
I just held Kylen’s gaze.
And let him feel it.
Everything.
Adrian skated past me again, slower this time.
“This just got interesting,” he murmured.
I didn’t respond.
Because for the first time in a long time…
I wasn’t reacting anymore.
I was in control.
And Kylen?
He finally looked like he was about to break.