"Ahhhh!! I can't think of anything anymore." I sigh in frustration and drop my head onto the table.
"Amelia, are you okay?" My friend Rain asks. She must have noticed how pathetic I look. I just groan in response as she takes a seat beside me.
"I don't know a thing about hockey. How the heck am I supposed to write a novel based on hockey romance? The professor really set me up with this one." I sit up properly and look at her with a gloomy expression. She smiles before replying.
"You should have told me earlier. Don't worry, I can solve your problem just like this." She snaps her fingers and gets up. I immediately follow her, confused.
"What do you mean?" I ask, my heart pounding with hope.
"My boyfriend is a player on the hockey team at this university. You can meet his team and ask questions related to your novel or something."
I was surprised—she had a boyfriend? I mean, she never told me. But wait—he's on the hockey team?! I guess God is finally on my side. I smile brightly, thinking about how much easier this will make writing my novel. Rain nudges me, bringing me back from my daydream.
"Oh yeah—yeah... I—thank you so much, Rain. I will forever be grateful to you for this! Let's go, I'm ready." I grab my laptop, writing pad, pen, and bag immediately, but Rain stops me.
"Where are we going?"
I give her a "duh" expression, but she looks at me, unimpressed.
"To your boyfriend, of course."
She slaps her forehead before staring at me like she's already done with me.
"We can't go right now. He's busy practicing for the upcoming competition. How about you watch the competition with me first? You'll learn a lot by watching the game. Then we can meet them afterward. What do you say?"
I drop everything back onto the table and nod. I have no choice but to wait patiently. But how much patience do I even have? I'm usually an impatient person. Don't judge me.
"When is this competition again?" I ask casually.
"It's on the fifteenth of February." Yes—only a week away. Good thing I don't have to wait too long.
"I read online that hockey teams have captains too?"
She looks at me like I just asked the stupidest question in the world but answers anyway.
"Of course, Amelia. Every team has a captain. Anyway, I've heard from my boyfriend that his captain is a sweetheart. He's really kind to everyone. Since he's the captain, you might learn even more about the game from him. And the best part? We don't need an appointment to meet him."
She jokes, and I laugh along with her.
That's a relief, though. It means he won't mind a few—okay, maybe a hundred—questions from me. Now, I just have to survive the week-long wait. Patiently.
"Now, tell me—when did you get a boyfriend, huh?!" I sit beside her, wrap an arm around her shoulders, and give her a questioning look as she shyly looks down.
I scoff, then attack her with relentless tickles. Her laughter fills the room, and just like that, the first night of my new year begins—with unexpected surprises and maybe, just maybe, a little bit of luck.
A week passes in a blink, and here I am, getting ready to attend the hockey competition with Rain.
"How do I look?" I ask while admiring myself in the mirror. Rain comes up behind me and smiles before replying.
"You look beautiful. Where did you get this dress?"
I turn around to face her.
"I got it... uh, from nowhere." I answer hesitantly.
Rain notices my hesitation and raises an eyebrow.
"Nowhere? Really?" Of course, she knows I'm lying. I suck at lying.
"Actually, I bought it for a date back in high school, but I never got to wear it."
"It's good that you're wearing it now, then. Not everything is reserved for stupid dates. You look really pretty. Now let's go—we're getting late. I got us front-row seats!" She says the last part excitedly and drags me out.
--
"Are you excited?!" Rain asks as we take our seats in the front row.
"I... I'm more nervous." I answer honestly. I mean, I don't know any of these guys. How am I supposed to interact with them? I suck at socializing.
Rain grabs my hand, trying to reassure me.
"Don't worry, I'm here. I won't leave your side."
I smile and nod as the announcer starts introducing the teams. One by one, he calls out the players of the Shadow Blades, introducing them to the crowd.
"Is this team from our university?" I ask.
"No, the Midnight Howlers are from our university."
Each player's name is announced as they step onto the ice and stand in front of their opponents.
"We welcome our defenseman, Aiden Greenwood!"
Rain jumps up from her seat excitedly as Aiden enters the arena.
"Look, Amelia! That's my boyfriend!" she squeals, pulling on my arm.
I stand beside her and smile at her excitement. Aiden scans the crowd before his eyes land on Rain. He smiles and blows her a kiss. She looks away shyly, squeezing my arm so tightly that—ouch—that actually hurts. I smile through the pain at their interaction. Rain quickly pulls me back down into my seat, her face as red as a tomato.
She's cute.
Aiden waves at Rain one last time before walking over to his team, his expression shifting from joy to seriousness as he faces his opponents.
"And now, please welcome the captain of the Midnight Howlers—our final player—the university's heartthrob, Nicolas Damien Sinclair!"
I feel my heart drop as soon as I hear his name. My hands tremble at my sides as my eyes dart around, searching for that familiar face.
It can't be him. No—it can't be him.
I repeat those words over and over in my mind. But I was wrong.
It is him.
Nicolas steps into the arena, waving at the crowd with a rare, wide smile on his face. He knows how to smile?
Everything slows down the moment his eyes meet mine in the crowd. The cheers, the music, the air itself—everything freezes.
I clench my fists on my lap. He's still looking at me. Why is he staring? Look away—hey, look away!
And then, finally, he looks away. But wait—no... no, let's rewind that again.
His lips curl into that signature, infuriating smirk—the one that used to make my heart race for all the right reasons, and now for all the wrong ones—before he turns away, like he didn't just knock the air out of my lungs.
What?! Why?!! Why did he smirk?!
I need to get out of here ASAP. I shoot up from my seat—right as the music stops and the audience falls silent.
I swear I hear a pin drop. Or maybe that's just my dignity hitting the floor.
I feel everyone's gaze on me—including him.
This is so embarrassing. Damn it! It's all because of that asshole.
I feel Rain pull me back down with a confused expression on her face. I look up, only to see Nicolas still smirking at me, amusement dancing in his eyes.
"If only I didn't have to write a novel about something I know nothing about, I wouldn't have to see this jerk again." I mumble to myself, glaring at him.