Chapter 6 Chapter 6

Scott’s Pov

I was losing my mind because every single second that ticked by felt like a countdown to my life getting blown to pieces. My career, my legacy, my captaincy—everything I’d bled for since I was literally five years old—was sitting in the palm of Rose’s hands. If she talked, I was done for.

So the second I spotted her near the rink, my instincts took over.

"Rose! Hey, Rose, stop for a second!" I called out, my boots slapping against the concrete as I hurried after her.

But she didn't even slow down, she just kept walking like I was invisible, her jaw set, staring straight ahead, "Rose, damn it, listen to me!" I reached out, my fingers wrapping around her upper arm and yanking her around to force her to look at me.

She snapped instantly, "What?!"

I took a step back, caught off guard by the bite in her voice. "What's with the attitude? Why are you avoiding me?"

She crossed her arms tight over her chest, letting out a scoff. "There’s no attitude, Scott. And I’m not avoiding you."

It was a blatant lie, and we both knew it. I let out a sharp breath, closing the distance between us to pull her closer, desperate to make her understand the sheer weight of what was hanging over my head.

The second my hand touched her, she yanked herself away like I’d just burned her. "Don't touch me! We are in public, Scott!"

"I don't give a fuck if we're in public!" I muttered frantically, dragging a hand down my face. "I just need you to fucking hear me out, alright? Please."

For a tiny, split second, I saw her posture soften, the edge in her eyes flickered, and I thought maybe—just maybe—I was getting through to her. But before I could even open my mouth to explain, she abruptly pulled away from my touch, her expression hardening right back up.

"I can't be seen near you," she said, her voice dropping into a flat line and before I could even ask her what the hell that was supposed to mean, she turned on her heel and practically fled down the hallway.

"Rose—fuck!" I cursed under my breath, running a hand through my hair as I stood there looking like an idiot.

I turned around toward the ice, scrubbing at the back of my neck, only for my eyes to land directly on Alexa. She was standing near the barrier, leaning against the rail, watching my every move.

A wave of repulsion rolled through my gut. God, she was annoying. I didn't say a single word. I just completely ignored her gaze, shoved my hands into my pockets, and walked the other way.

×××

As practice finally wrapped up, I couldn't stop my eyes from tracking her. I watched Rose, Alexa, and their dad head toward the exit, waiting a few beats before slipping out to my car.

I kept a careful distance, following their taillights through the city grid, my hands gripping the steering wheel so tight my knuckles turned white.

When they finally pulled up and parked, I pulled over a few blocks down, staring through the windshield in complete shock.

They lived here? In a run-down, rotting apartment building like this?

I didn't dwell on it for long. Stepping out of the car, I shoved my hands into my jacket pockets and moved quick, slipping into the shadows of a narrow alleyway directly below the building. I scanned the dirty windows, searching for any sign of her, until I spotted a hand reaching out of a third-floor glass pane, tossing something out.

That had to be her room.

I picked up a couple of tiny pebbles from the gravel beneath my boots and tossed them up at the glass. Tap. Tap.

A second later, the window pushed open. Rose leaned out, her eyes scanning the dark alley until they landed straight on me and her face went pale, a quiet shriek escaping her throat.

"Scott?!"

"Hi?" I called up, keeping my voice down.

"What the fuck are you doing here?!"

"I really needed to see you," I said, looking up at her, my heart hammering against my ribs. "I took the risk."

She glanced frantically behind her shoulder into her room, then snapped her gaze right back down at me, her eyes wide with terror. "That risk could get me fucking killed! Don't you get it, Scott?! Leave me the fuck alone!"

"I can't," I called back, my voice desperate, taking a step closer to the wall. "I can't just leave it like this, Rose."

Before I could say another word, she slammed the window shut, pulling the curtains closed.

I stood there in the dark alleyway like a total idiot, thinking she was just going to ignore me and go to sleep. But a few seconds later, the front door of the building creaked open and Rose walked out carrying a black trash bag, her steps quick as she made her way straight into the alley.

She tossed the bag onto the pile, crossed her arms tightly over her chest, and turned around to face me.

"What the fuck is your problem, Scott?" she spat.

"My problem?" I repeated, taking a step toward her, the frustration boiling over in my chest. "Are you blind, Rose? You figured out my darkest secret! Do you really think I can just let that slide? That I'm just supposed to go about my day like everything is fine?!"

Rose scoffed, letting out a laugh that echoed off the damp brick walls. She shook her head in sheer disbelief. "So what, you think I'm out of my mind enough to go running around telling people? Is that it?"

I just shrugged not bothering to deny it.

"Wow," she breathed out, shaking her head again like she couldn't even process how paranoid I was being. She stepped right into my space, poking a finger straight into my chest. "Back off, Scott. Never pull a stupid stunt like this again. I am not going to tell anyone. Not now, not tomorrow, not in a million fucking years."

Before I could even open my mouth to say anything else, she turned her back on me, grabbed the side door handle, and slipped inside, slamming it shut right in my face.

×××

Later that night, we were sitting in the corner booth of a low-lit private bar, the kind where hockey players paid extra to not be seen. I was practically vibrating, while Ervis sat across from me, looking infuriatingly calm as he swirled the amber liquid in his glass.

It was driving me insane.

"You need to calm down, Scott," Ervis said smoothly, taking a slow sip. "Rose is only reacting like this because she's shocked. Fate really is a funny thing, isn't it?"

"How the fuck are you so calm?!" I snapped, slamming my glass onto the table hard enough to splash whiskey over the rim. "Is it because you have nothing to lose? Is that it?"

Ervis slowly set his drink down, his eyes locking onto mine with an unbothered, steady focus. "No. It's because I trust Rose. And you should trust her too instead of constantly suffocating her. Stop invading her space, Scott. Give her time to process this."

"Process this?" I muttered, rubbing my temples. "Easy for you to say."

"Besides," Ervis added casually, leaning back against the leather seat, "I spoke with her yesterday."

My head snapped up, "And? She snapped your head off too, right?"

"No," Ervis replied, a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Quite the opposite, actually. That's why I'm telling you to give her breathing room."

A seed of jealousy planted itself deep in my chest. 

Quite the opposite? What the hell did that mean? Why was she tearing my throat out every time I breathed near her, but being soft with him? Why wasn't she hostile toward Ervis?

The next day, Ervis's warning went out the window. I couldn't sleep, couldn't focus, and the image of her being sweet to Ervis while treating me like trash kept burning holes through my brain.

The second class let out, I spotted Rose walking down the quiet hallway near the back exit. I moved fast, stepping into her path and maneuvering her toward an empty alcove near the stairwell.

"We're finishing this conversation right now," I growled, reaching out to grab her wrist to keep her from bolting.

"Scott, leave me alone—" Rose began, backing up into the wall.

Before I could pull her closer, an iron grip clamped around my wrist, stopping my hand mid-air.

I whirled around, my eyes widening as Ervis stepped right between the two of us, towering over me. His usual calm demeanor was gone, replaced by a cold, dangerous glare I'd never seen him use on me before.

He squeezed my wrist tight enough to cut off the circulation, his voice dropping into a lethal register.

"Touch her again like that, Scott, and we're going to have a real problem.”