Chapter 312

Nina

Enzo leaned heavily on the divider, staring quietly down at the ice.

“Enzo?” I prodded him, lifting his chin to meet my gaze. “Tell me you’ve made the announcement.”

“I… Erm…” He cleared his throat, his brown eyes darting around somewhat nervously. “Maybe. Sort of.”

I folded my arms across my chest. This was a topic that had been on our minds for months, and Enzo had promised that he would tell the team about his big decision before their last game of the season.

“Enzo…”

Enzo heaved a deep sigh, his fingers playing with the edge of the divider. “I haven’t,” he murmured, his voice tinged with regret. “I want to wait until tonight, during the party. It’ll be the right moment.”

I stared at him, disbelief evident in my eyes. The sunlight filtering through the open arena door dappled his face, emphasizing the lines of stress and contemplation. “Enzo, you can’t keep pushing this off. It’ll only make things worse!”

Enzo passed a callused hand over his weary face and nodded. “I know, I know,” he said. “I just… Thought it would be better to do it tonight.”

I sighed, intertwining my fingers with his. It had been a tough decision on his part, and I understood why he was so hesitant to reveal it to his team. They weren’t just his team, but our pack. This decision didn’t only affect the next hockey season. It affected a lot more than that.

“I’ll be there with you,” I finally said, lowering my voice as the rest of the team made their way past us and toward the locker rooms. “No matter what. Okay?”

He smiled weakly, clearly grateful for the support. "Thanks, Nina. It means a lot, especially with everything being so chaotic lately.”

Trying to lighten the mood, I nudged him. “Speaking of chaos, how did the History final treat you?”

He groaned theatrically, throwing his head back dramatically. “Oh, don’t even get me started. The Tudors and the Stuarts have officially ruined my life.”

I chuckled, nudging him again. “You were never much of a human history guy.”

He laughed. “True. But enough about me. You, Miss Biology Major, how did your anatomy exam go?”

I smirked, rolling my eyes. “You remember the cat dissection I did in February?”

His face crinkled in playful disgust. “How could I forget? You named yours Mr. Whiskers.”

I laughed, nodding. “Right, well, if Mr. Whiskers was the benchmark, I’d say I aced it.”

A playful shove from Enzo had me giggling. “You always did have a twisted sense of humor.”

Just then, a group of students passed by the open arena door, laughing and joking around, their conversations filled with relief and post-exam celebrations. A few waved at us, and we waved back, recognizing some of them from our shared classes.

Taking the opportunity, Enzo stepped off of the ice and made his way toward the bench. I watched from afar as he slipped off his skates and shoved them into his bag, then unapologetically pulled his practice jersey off over his head, revealing the glistening muscles and chiseled abs that I had become so familiar with over the past year.

“What?” Enzo asked playfully, catching my gaze. “The locker room is full. If you want me that bad, you’ll have to wait until everyone else clears out.”

I smirked, unbothered by the red tinge that had crept into my cheeks. “I’ll wait until we get home,” I said.

Enzo chuckled and tugged his t-shirt over his head, then slipped his signature flannel on. I watched in silence for a few moments, drinking him in, before I couldn’t contain my curiosity any longer.

“So,” I began, playing with the delicate silver chain around my neck, “are you sure about announcing it at the party tonight? It’s just... there’ll be so many people there.”

Enzo hesitated, biting his lower lip. “I know it’s unorthodox, but I want it to be a surprise. For everyone.”

I eyed him suspiciously. “Even Matt?”

“Especially Matt,” he said with a conspiratorial grin.

Before I could reply, the very subject of our conversation made his presence known.

“Nina! Enzo!” Matt’s voice echoed across the arena, filled with his characteristic exuberance.

I glanced at Enzo, raising an eyebrow as we both turned to greet him. Matt, ever the athlete, was dressed in his usual campus attire—a sleeveless tee, showing off his well-defined arms, shorts, and worn-out sneakers. His hair, a mop of sleek blackness, bounced slightly as he jogged over to us with his hockey bag slung over his shoulder.

“Guess who just got his results back on his psych exam?” Matt announced proudly before I could even say hello. “And aced it?”

I clapped, feigning amazement. “Wow, Matt. You mean you actually studied this time?”

He winked, nudging me. “Just a little. But hey, can’t wait for tonight! The party’s going to be epic.”

Enzo chuckled, glancing my way. “It sure will be.”

Matt, ever the intuitive one, caught the undertone. “Everything okay, guys?”

I shot Enzo a look, silently urging him to spill the beans, but he just shook his head discreetly. “All good, man. Just end-of-semester stress.”

Matt seemed to buy it, nodding sympathetically. “Yeah, tell me about it. Anyway, I need to head off to get cleaned up after that grueling practice, oh captain my captain.” He paused, shooting Enzo a playful look. Enzo was always a rigorous team captain. “But I’ll see you both tonight! Can’t wait!”

As he jogged away, I turned to Enzo, exasperated. “Seriously? Right there was a perfect moment!”

But Enzo just shrugged, his signature mischievous smirk tugging at his lips. “This will make his reaction even better.”

“You’re impossible,” I muttered, but there was no real heat behind my words. I understood Enzo’s need for theatrics, his love for the grand gesture. Especially when it came to Matt.

We slowly made our way towards the parking lot, hand in hand, letting the campus atmosphere wash over us. The sky above was a brilliant shade of azure, dotted with fluffy clouds, the sun casting its golden hue on the old brick buildings, ivy-covered walls, and well-trodden pathways of the university. The scent of blooming flowers and freshly mown grass mingled in the air.

As we approached Enzo’s motorcycle, he stopped and pulled me into a gentle embrace. “Thank you, Nina,” he whispered. “For understanding, for being there.”

I hugged him tighter. “Always."

As we stood close, the warmth of Enzo’s embrace enveloping me, a sudden chill crept up my spine.

Over his shoulder, a dark, shadowy figure dashed towards us. My heart raced, panic overtaking reason.

“Enzo!” I gasped, reflexively pushing away from him and stepping back.

His grip tightened momentarily, confusion evident in his face. But when he followed my gaze and saw nothing, his expression shifted to one of concern.

“Nina?” he questioned, eyes scanning the empty parking lot. “What happened?”

A deep sense of embarrassment washed over me as I realized it was just another episode. How many times had I been startled by these imaginary figures over the past few months?

“It was nothing,” I whispered, avoiding his gaze. “Just thought I saw someone.”

Enzo didn’t buy it. Pulling me close once more, he planted a soft kiss on the top of my head. “I’ll always be here to protect you, you know that, right?”

I nodded silently, taking comfort in his words. But I knew it wasn’t that simple.

“You should really see someone about this, Nina,” he murmured, concern evident in his voice. “These episodes... they're happening more often. At first it was just at night, but now it’s happening in broad daylight.”

I pulled away slightly, meeting his worried eyes. “I’ve got it under control, Enzo. It’s just stress, probably from finals.”

He looked at me with a sad, almost pleading expression. But he knew me well enough to understand that pushing too hard would only make me retreat further. Instead, he grabbed the two motorcycle helmets out of his bag.

Handing one to me, he sighed.

“Let’s go home.”