Chapter 2 CHAPTER 2
Vivienne's POV
Emma and I both froze. My stomach dropped, but Emma squeezed my hand quickly.
“Hey… it’s okay,” she whispered. “Stay calm.”
I nodded, even though my face felt hot and my chest felt like it was caving in. Still, I let her tug me the rest of the way toward him.
“Raf!” Emma called, her voice bright.
Rafael turned, still holding the girl close. His grin widened when he saw his sister. “Em! Did you see that shot I scored? You’re welcome for making the whole school proud.”
Emma rolled her eyes. “You’re so full of yourself. Congrats, though. You were great.”
I stood a step behind her, clutching my book bag like it was a shield. My heart was racing for no reason.
That’s when his eyes landed on me. He gave me one quick look, then smirked. “And you brought your little nerd friend. Cute.”
The words stung, but I bit my lip and stayed quiet.
“Raf,” Emma snapped, elbowing him. “Don’t be a jerk.”
He just laughed, like it was nothing.
Emma sighed and glanced at the girl still tucked under his arm. “So… who’s this?”
Rafael’s arm tightened around the girl, and he pulled her closer. “This is Jessica,” he said proudly. “The love of my life.”
Jessica flipped her shiny black hair over her shoulder and smiled at Emma. “Hi! You must be his little sister. He talks about you sometimes.”
Emma gave a polite smile. “Nice to meet you.”
Jessica giggled, glancing up at Rafael. “We met at the skating rink last summer. He literally crashed into me. Totally fate.”
“With my skills, I don’t crash into anyone,” Rafael teased, smirking at her. “But I made an exception that day.”
They both laughed.
Every word was like a knife twisting in my chest. I forced myself to keep my face calm, but inside, it hurt so badly I thought I might break in half. I didn’t even realize Jessica was looking at me until she waved lightly.
“And you are…?” she asked.
I blinked, my throat suddenly dry. “I… I’m Vivienne.”
Jessica’s smile sharpened. “Oh, the nerdy friend Emma always talks about.” She tilted her head. “Didn’t think you’d come out of the library long enough to see daylight.”
Rafael chuckled at that, shaking his head. Jessica joined him, and the sound made my chest squeeze even tighter.
Emma’s hand shot out, gripping mine. “Hey, knock it off,” she said sharply. “Vivienne’s smarter than anyone in this school. She’s my best friend. Show some respect.”
Jessica just raised her brows, but Emma’s tone made her stop.
I stared at the ground, wishing I could disappear.
The talk kept going around me, but I barely heard it. Jessica’s laugh, Rafael’s easy grin — they felt like cold water poured over something I’d been holding tight inside. I tried to fold the ache small, to tell myself it was fine. People found their people. Maybe that wasn’t me. Maybe that was okay.
“Raf, you good?” someone from the team called.
Rafael straightened like he didn’t hear at first, then his hand flew to his chest. He frowned, slow and tight. “Yeah,” he forced out, but it didn’t sound right.
Jessica’s smile broke. “Are you sure?” she said, stepping closer. Her voice had soft edges now. Emma moved forward too, worry in her face. She reached toward him before she stopped, like she didn’t want to break the moment.
I couldn’t look away.
Rafael’s face changed. The laugh that had been ready vanished. He hunched over, breathing fast. For a second everything slowed — the crowd, the cheers — like the whole world held its breath.
Then he bent forward and threw up. It hit the boards with a wet, sick sound. Dark wet. Blood.
He crumpled to the ice, his body hitting with a heavy thud. The sound made my stomach twist.
Chaos broke out around us. His teammates dropped their sticks, skates scraping as they rushed toward him. Emma screamed, shoving her way to her brother. Jessica was crying, yelling his name like that alone could wake him.
Something in me snapped. I didn’t think — I just moved. I pushed through the wall of bodies and dropped to my knees beside him.
“Move!” I shouted, louder than I’d ever been in my life. My voice shook, but it carried. “Give him space. Now.”
Shock froze them for a beat, but they obeyed.
I bent down, my hands trembling as I checked his airway, his pulse. Weak. So faint I almost couldn’t feel it. My chest went tight.
“Come on, Rafael,” I whispered, tilting his head back, starting compressions. I counted under my breath, steady, focused, like the health videos I’d memorized. “One, two, three…”
Jessica shrieked behind me. “Get your hands off him! You’re not a doctor!”
Heat shot through me, and I snapped my head up at her. “Then maybe you should stop screaming like a useless idiot and let me save his life!” My voice cracked sharp, stronger than I’d ever heard it. “Shut up and back off, you dumb bitch!”
Gasps rippled around us, but I didn’t care. My hands pressed harder, steady rhythm. Then I bent to give him air.
That’s when it happened.
The moment my lips brushed his, a spark jolted through me. Not static. Not normal. Something deeper, electric, hot, alive. It shot down my spine, curling in my stomach until I almost gasped. Every time my hands touched his chest, the spark grew stronger, pulling at me, pulling me closer. It felt wrong and right all at once.
His body jerked. A cough rattled out of him, then a low rumble followed, deep, raw, not human. A growl.
I froze, my hands still on his chest. His eyes snapped open, burning red, like fresh blood under the arena lights. For a second, I couldn’t breathe.
What was that?
His hand shot up, catching my wrist with surprising strength. My heart slammed against my ribs.
His lips parted, voice rough and strange, nothing like the Rafael I knew.
“Mate.”
The word vibrated through me, sending another surge of sparks racing under my skin.
His eyes flickered, then slowly faded back to their normal gray-blue. He blinked, dazed, looking around like he didn’t know where he was. Then his gaze dropped, straight to my hands pressed on his chest, our closeness, my face hovering over his.
In an instant, his expression hardened. He shoved me back, his voice rough.
“Get off me, nerd.”
The push knocked me to the ice, the cold stinging through my jeans. I stared up at him, my breath caught in my throat.
Rafael coughed, struggling to sit upright. Jessica was already at his side, fussing, sliding her arm around him. “Oh my God, baby, are you okay? You scared me so bad!”
Emma rushed to me, grabbing my arm and helping me up. Her face was tight with anger. “Seriously? She just saved your life, Rafael. And that’s how you talk to her?”
He didn’t even look at me. He just waved her off, like I was nothing. “I’m fine. Just… drop it.”
The words cut deeper than they should have. My chest ached, but not from the shove. From the way he dismissed me, like I was invisible. Again.
But I couldn’t stop thinking about what I’d just seen, those eyes, blood red, the way sparks had crawled through my veins, the word he had spoken. Mate. What the hell was that?
Emma’s voice kept snapping at him, but all I could hear was my own heartbeat pounding.
The hurt turned into heat, bubbling in my chest until I couldn’t hold it anymore.
“You’re such a jerk, Rafael.” My hands shook, but I lifted my chin. “I should have just let you choke on your own blood. Maybe then you’d learn some manners.”
His head finally turned, surprise flickering in his eyes. But I didn’t let him answer.
I spun around, blinking hard against the tears stinging my eyes. The arena was buzzing with voices, footsteps, panic, but all I could hear was the echo of his word in my head.
Mate.