A Hockey Player's Guide To Deception

Chapter Eight

Trigger Warning: Violence, both physical and verbal abuse.

Kayla woke to the sensation of warm water hitting her skin. Her eyelids twitched as they fluttered open, confusion knitting her brows as her eyes adjusted to the light. She groaned softly, pushing herself off the dusty, spider-web-ridden floor. Her body ached, but something else was wrong—something that made her stomach churn.

It took her a few seconds to fully register what was happening. When she did, revulsion hit her like a freight train. Edward stood above her, smirking, as he was peeing on her. Her scrunch up, words caught in her throat, frozen in a mix of shock and disgust. She stared at him, speechless, unable to process the vile reality unfolding in front of her.

Edward snickered, noticing her expression. "What? Cat got your tongue?"

Kayla's face twisted with fury and humiliation. She wanted to scream, to lash out, but the disgust paralyzed her. All she could do was glare at him, her body trembling with rage. Kayla's face twisted with fury and humiliation. She wanted to scream, to lash out, but the disgust paralyzed her. All she could do was glare at him, her body trembling with indignation. She had never felt so disrespected in her life, she had been degraded and defiled. An anger that she didn't know she had possessed her as she pushed her left off her feet.

"I will skin you alive!" Kayla screamed, lurching herself at Edward with reckless abandon. She was smaller, her frame no match for his, but in that moment, she didn't care. Her fists flew wildly, hitting him wherever they could land. She was manic, blinded by pure fury, and swung without restraint.

Edward barely flinched at first, caught off guard by her ferocity. The other two boys tried to grab her, but she slipped from their grasp like she was possessed by something far beyond herself. For a few moments, Edward stood still, taken aback by the intensity of her outburst. But then, with eerie calm, he seized her wrists, twisting them slowly and cruelly until she was forced into an awkward, painful angle. Kayla hissed in agony, her face contorting as she tried to wrench free.

"Don't you ever touch me," Edward sneered, his voice low and venomous as he shoved her off him with a violent push.

She stumbled but quickly regained her footing, her lips curling into a dangerous smirk. "You try that shit again, and I'll castrate you in your damn sleep."

"Is that all you could manage?" Edward mocked, glancing down at his wristwatch. He flicked a stray piece of paper off his, well-pressed uniform while he was perfectly pristine and clean, she was covered in his nasty smelly body fluids, she was trembling with fury. Before she could respond, a voice came from behind her. 

"One would think for a star hockey player, you'd do better than that," Louis chimed in, his voice laced with smug amusement. Kayla whipped her head around, her glare burning into him.

 "One would think for a hockey captain, you'd be a better hockey player," she shot back without hesitation, her words sharp as glass.

Louis raised an eyebrow, clearly unfazed by her insult. "Oh, is that right?" he said, folding his arms across his chest. 

"And what makes you the authority on leadership, exactly? A few sloppy passes during practice? Or is it the way you throw yourself at people when you get angry?"

Kayla clenched her fists, her jaw tightening. "I know enough to recognize when a captain doesn't give a damn about his team. You might have the title, but you're no leader. You barely even talk to anyone on the ice. You act like you're above us all."

Louis chuckled coldly. "I lead in my own way. The fact that you don't get it only proves you're out of your depth. Leadership isn't about being everyone's friend, Nathan. It's about winning, and I'll do whatever it takes to make sure we do."