Chapter 148 TYLER

Chapter 148 TYLER
The locker room smelled like sweat, tape, and adrenaline. It was the kind of smell that usually flipped a switch in my head, got me locked in before a game, ready to tear through anything standing between us and a win. Today, it barely touched me. I sat on the bench, elbow resting on my knee, fingers loosely wrapped around the edge of my hockey stick, listening to the noise around me without really hearing it.

Laughter. Trash talk. The clatter of gear hitting the floor.

Everything normal.

Coach Turner’s voice cut through it all, loud and commanding as always. “This is our ice. You don’t give them space, you don’t give them time, and you definitely don’t give them confidence. You shut them down before they even think about getting comfortable.”

The team responded with a chorus of agreement, energy rising, bodies shifting.

I should’ve been right there in the middle of it.

Instead, I was stuck on the sidelines, watching them.

Funny thing was, I didn’t feel as bitter about it as I thought I would. Any other day, I’d be losing my mind, pissed off that I wouldn’t be out there with them. But today… my mind kept drifting somewhere else—Harper.

I couldn't stop thinking about how beautiful she'd made my weekend. Our first sex. Our first bath together. The fact that we've been an official couple for almost a week now.

A small smile tugged at my lips before I could stop it.

“Mercer.”

I blinked, looking up.

Coach Turner was staring right at me. “You wanna say something to your team?”

A few heads turned in my direction, waiting.

I pushed myself to my feet, clapping my hands once to get everyone’s attention. “Alright, listen up.”

The room quieted just enough.

“I wish I was out there with you guys today,” I said, glancing around at them. “You already know that. But I also know you’ve got this.” I nodded toward Peter. “We’ve got a solid center holding it down, so honestly? This should be easy.”

A few chuckles broke out.

“Just play your game,” I continued. “No overthinking, no hesitation. We’re Westfield. We don’t second-guess wins.”

Peter grinned. “Say less, captain.”

“Westfield on three,” Kane called.

We all brought our hands in.

“One… two… three—”

“WESTFIELD!”

The room erupted, energy snapping into place as they started filing out.

Peter clapped my shoulder on his way past. “Good speech, cap—”

I winced before I could stop myself.

“Oh—shit,” he said immediately. “Sorry. Forgot about the shoulder.”

“It’s fine,” I laughed it off, rolling it slightly. “I’m not made of glass.”

It still ached, but I’d gotten better at ignoring it. Focusing on something else helped. Harper’s mom had been guiding me through exercises over video calls, and between that and the meds, I was healing faster than expected.

The guys headed out, one by one, until the room started to empty.

“Mercer.”

I turned back.

Coach Turner was still there, watching me.

“You got a minute?”

“Yeah,” I said, straightening slightly.

He crossed his arms. “How’s the shoulder?”

“Better,” I replied. “Doctors said it’s healing faster than they thought.”

He nodded slowly. “Good. Because I’m not gonna lie, I was starting to consider putting Peter in as center for the finals in March.”

My chest tightened just a little.

“But,” he continued, “I’ve seen you play. I know what you can do. And the scouts?” He pointed a finger at me. “They’re coming to see you.”

That hit.

“So don’t give me a reason to bench you,” he added. “Do what you need to do. Heal properly. Health comes first.”

“I will,” I said, meaning it.

He gave a short nod. “Alright. Let’s go.”

We stepped out of the locker room together, the noise from the rink, a few distance away, bleeding into the hallway.

“Miss Lane,” Coach greeted, his tone shifting instantly.

I followed his gaze.

Harper.

She was standing just a little off to the side, hands tucked into her sleeves, watching the players pass by. When her eyes found mine, something in my chest eased without permission.

Coach glanced back at me with a small, knowing smile. “I’ve got a feeling you’ll be ready before that big game.”

I shook my head slightly, but I couldn’t stop the faint grin tugging at my lips.

He walked off, leaving us behind.

Harper stepped closer. “What was that about?”

“Just checking if I’ll be fit in time,” I said casually.

She smiled, leaning up to press a quick kiss to my cheek. “You will be. I’m restarting your sessions, remember? Can’t have you slacking.”

I rubbed the back of my neck, suddenly unsure. “About that…”

Her smile faltered slightly. “What about it?”

“I’ve been… doing them already,” I admitted. “Online. With your mom.”

She stopped walking.

“Wait. What?”

“After the whole thing with Sam,” I said carefully, “the doctors warned me to avoid any more fights. My parents kind of… grounded me. From seeing you.”

Her brows pulled together. “You were grounded?”

“It wasn’t a big deal,” I said quickly. “And you were in the hospital. I didn’t want to stress you out with it. They’ve already lifted it.”

She didn’t move.

“And my mom had time to work with you,” she said slowly, “but couldn’t call me?”

I exhaled quietly. “Harper—”

“Twice,” she continued, her voice tightening. “I’ve been in the hospital twice. And she still didn’t come home.”

I didn’t have a good answer for that.

“Maybe there’s a reason—”

“Yeah,” she cut in. “I’m sure there is.”

Her tone told me she didn’t believe that.

She forced a small smile. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

“It’s not fine,” I said.

“It is,” she insisted. “You’ve got a game to focus on.”

She glanced toward the rink. “I’ll go grab some snacks. Meet you after?”

I hesitated.

She needed space. I could see it.

“Yeah,” I said finally, softening my voice. “I’ll be right there.”

She nodded once and walked off without looking back.

I stayed there a second longer than I needed to, my eyes following her until she disappeared into the crowd. Then I forced myself to turn and head toward the bench area where the rest of the team was already settling in.

The game started almost immediately after. Westfield came out strong and within minutes the crowd exploded into cheers, the sound rolling through the rink like a wave. I was halfway turned already, eyes flicking toward the bleachers where Harper had walked off, trying to spot her between moving bodies and flashing jackets. I caught nothing clear, just shapes and motion, and by the time I looked back the noise had already peaked.

I blinked, realizing I’d missed it entirely.

I leaned toward the guy beside me. “Who scored?”

“Peter,” he said, still grinning at the replay on the screen.

That pulled a quick grin out of me. “Let’s go!”

I gave a loud whoop for him, clapping once out of habit, but even as I did, my attention drifted again. My head kept turning back toward the stands, searching for Harper without meaning to, like I couldn’t fully stay in one place.

My eyes moved toward the snack bar.

She wasn’t there.

I stood slowly, scanning the crowd more carefully this time. Students moved everywhere, cheering, laughing, completely lost in the game. For a second, everything blurred together.

Then I caught a glimpse of someone with Harper’s build, being pulled toward the exit. A hand gripping her arm, trying to block her out of view with his body.

My stomach dropped.

Sam.

I was already moving before I fully processed it.

I yanked my phone out, dialing the police as I ran. “Someone’s trying to kidnap my girlfriend. Westfield High. Parking lot. Please hurry.”

I didn’t wait for anything else.

I sprinted.

By the time I burst outside, my chest was burning.

I spotted Sam heading for the gates. I grabbed him and spun him around. “Where is she—”

He stumbled, looking just as surprised as I felt. “What the hell is your problem?” he snapped.

My heart skipped.

He was alone.

A car engine roared to life behind us.

I turned.

Racquel was behind the wheel. And Harper… she was slumped in the passenger seat.

Everything inside me snapped.

I ran straight at the car, planting myself in its path.

Racquel didn’t slow down. If anything, she sped up.

I didn’t move.

At the last second, tires screeched as she slammed the brakes.

She jumped out. “Are you insane?”

I ignored her, yanking the passenger door open. “Harper—”

A hand grabbed me from behind before I could get to her.

“Stop trying to be a hero, dickhead,” Sam snarled.

We crashed into each other, fists flying as we struggled for balance. Somewhere in the chaos, I heard him shout over his shoulder at Racquel, “Get in the car!”

I swung again, barely feeling the strain in my shoulder as I blocked another hit. My focus kept slipping, not because I was weak, but because every second away from Harper felt too long.

Sirens wailed in the distance.

Sam glanced back.

That was all I needed.

I shifted my weight and threw everything I had into one punch. It landed square against his jaw just as he turned toward me again. His head snapped to the side and he dropped instantly.

I didn’t wait to check if he was conscious. I turned straight back to the car and pulled the passenger door open again.

“Hey,” I said softly, reaching for Harper. “Come on, mama, wake up.”

“Tyler,” Racquel blurted out behind me, her voice breaking as the sirens grew louder. “It wasn’t me, I swear. It was Sam’s idea. He said it would be quick, just ransom money, we were going to leave after, I didn’t even want—”

Her words tangled into panic as police cars flooded into the parking lot. Red and blue lights swept across the asphalt, cutting through the late afternoon glow.

Officers were already moving in, and I caught a glimpse from my periphery of Racquel being pulled back, her protests fading into noise I refused to carry with me. Sam was on the ground, barely moving, and within seconds they were both restrained.

My attention was already back in the car.

“Harper,” I said again, brushing her cheek gently. “Hey. Come on, baby, please.”

Her lashes fluttered.

Slowly, her eyes opened, unfocused and distant like she didn’t know where she was.

“Tyler…?” she murmured.

Relief hit so hard it almost knocked the air out of me.

I let out a breath that turned into a small laugh without meaning to. I cupped her face and pressed my forehead against hers, grounding myself in the fact that she was actually here, actually okay.

“You’re safe,” I said quietly, then kissed her softly.

Her brows knit together. “What… happened?”

I pulled her into a hug, placing another kiss into her hair as I finally let myself breathe properly.

“It’s over,” I said. “You don’t have to worry about any of it anymore.”