A Hockey Player's Guide To Deception

Chapter Seventeen

They never discussed the absolute disaster of that shower incident. Louis didn't ask for her help again, and Kayla was both relieved and grateful. The aftermath had left her feeling unsettled, out of sync with herself. That night, she tossed and turned in bed, desperately trying to scrub the image of naked Louis from her mind. To her horror, she woke the next morning realizing he had invaded her dreams too, naked!

Absolutely not. She was never doing that again. 

Kayla found that when Louis wasn't being an absolute jerk, he was surprisingly tolerable—despite her internal protests, she quite enjoyed his company. They had settled into a comfortable routine, and most nights, when she was worn out from hockey, she'd end up in his room. They often helped each other with schoolwork, but more often than not, they fell into easy, idle conversation. 

A friendship was slowly blossoming, and Kayla was unsure about how to feel about it, she was still skeptical about Louis, she didn't trust him. She wondered if Louis only tolerated her presence because his friends had abandoned him, not even bothering to speak to him for the past four weeks. Next week, he'd be off bed rest and back in class, albeit with the help of crutches until his ankle fully healed. Kayla couldn't shake the feeling that once he regained his independence, she'd be cast aside.  She was too used to being the butt of the joke, Kayla didn't want to feel crushed when Louis eventually decided he no longer needed her. She was all too familiar with the pattern. Making a new friend, feeling hopeful, only to be shattered when she found out they had befriended her on a dare. She was often made a laughingstock and mocked for her gullibility and naivety. She'd be left hating herself for even daring to believe that anyone might genuinely want to be friends with someone like her.

"Kingston?" Louis raised his dark brows.

"Hmm?" Kayla hummed, snapping her head toward him.

"Is everything okay? I've been calling your name for the past five minutes."

"Just zoned out," she shrugged, smiling sheepishly.

"I have to head to the library. I need to make a call."

"It's Wednesday already? Shoot, wasn't it just Sunday?" Kayla blinked, puzzled.

"Yep. Can you help me with the crutches?"

"Sure."

She walked around Louis and picked up the wooden crutches that lay beside his bed. As she handed them to him, their fingers brushed briefly, sending a jolt of unexpected warmth through her, she blinked slowly.

"Thanks," he said, his eyes meeting hers for a moment longer than usual.

"Just take it slow, okay?" she said, her voice softer than she intended.

"Don't worry, I've got this," he replied with a confident grin, though the slight tremor in his hands betrayed him. 

"This is all so weird." Louis admitted as they shut the door behind him and walked slowly down the hall, his crutches supporting his body, but Kayla stayed close to him in case he missed a step and tripped.

"What?" Kayla asked, tilting her head.

"Me, you, this injury," he replied, shrugging his shoulders. "It's crazy how things change so fast. I've been injured before; hockey is a rough game. But I've never been hurt this badly...never to the point of being bedridden."

"Do you miss the ice?"

Louis paused, looking at her as if weighing whether to share the truth or fabricate a lie. "Surprisingly, I don't. It's like a breath of fresh air not having my mind filled with the pressure of leading a team that obviously doesn't like me."