𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭

seven

Kaiden

The sun was just beginning to dip behind the trees, casting long shadows over the park as Ethan and I relaxed on one of the benches. It had been a long week, and we were making the most of this rare break from hockey and classes. Ethan was going on about something, his hands moving animatedly as he recounted some story I'd half missed while my mind wandered.

"...and then, dude, I swear, he skated right up to the guy, shoved him, and the ref didn't even blink. Like, come on! It's hockey, not a ballet recital." Ethan chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. "Sometimes I feel like they're just out to mess with us."

I nodded along, but my attention was drifting to the path around the lake, where a familiar figure caught my eye. She walked with purpose, the same cool, distant look I'd seen countless times on her face. Delphine Beauford—figure skater, campus enigma, and someone I couldn't seem to figure out.

She had her headphones draped around her neck, arms crossed loosely over her chest as she strolled by the lake. I couldn't tell if she noticed anyone around her; she looked so locked in her own head, like the whole world was tuned out.

Ethan's voice broke into my thoughts. "So, are you just gonna keep staring, or are you actually going to talk to her one of these days?"

I rolled my eyes, knowing he'd caught me zoning out. "I'm not staring, man."

"Sure, sure. You're 'observing,' right?" He shot me a grin, clearly amused. "It's okay. She's like a puzzle you can't solve, huh?"

"Something like that," I muttered, my gaze lingering on Delphine. We'd talked about her before—me, half curious and half baffled, and Ethan trying to make it sound like I had a crush or something.

Ethan laughed, giving me a playful nudge. "Man, just admit it. She's got that mysterious ice-queen thing going on, and you're eating it up."

"Right," I said, shaking my head. "She'd probably just ignore me anyway."

He snorted. "Maybe. But she might be more interesting than you think. Eliza says she's got this intense routine, like skating's her whole world. Apparently, she's practically killing herself on the ice every week."

I raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious. "That serious?"

"Oh, yeah. According to Eliza, she'll practice until she can't even stand sometimes. Then her coach chews her out, and they argue in French. Real dramatic stuff." He chuckled. "Sounds kind of like you on game day."

I shot him a look. "I don't 'argue in French,' for one."

He laughed. "Yeah, yeah, I know. But you're intense too, even if it's in a different way. You both put everything into what you do. I don't know; maybe you two could actually get along if you gave it a shot."

I shrugged, though a part of me couldn't argue with him. The way he described her...maybe that was part of what drew me to her in the first place. She wasn't just skating to skate—she had that same drive, the same fire I felt every time I laced up for hockey.

"Look, all I'm saying is you've clearly been curious about her for a while," he continued, grinning. "Why not just go talk to her?"

I scoffed. "Sure, because I'm dying to get a cold stare from Delphine Beauford."

He shook his head. "That's just her vibe, man. People say she's cold because she doesn't care what anyone thinks."

"Yeah, I noticed." I leaned back on the bench, folding my arms as I glanced in her direction again. She was standing by the edge of the lake now, hands tucked in her pockets, gaze fixed somewhere on the water. Her shoulders were tense, posture perfectly poised but somehow distant, like she was in a different world altogether.

It was easy to see why people thought she was untouchable. Delphine always moved like she had it all together, like she didn't need or want anyone. But I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more going on under the surface, that maybe she wasn't as perfect or as collected as she seemed.

Ethan nudged me again, breaking my thoughts. "So, what's the plan? Gonna sit here and stare, or actually do something about it?"

I snorted. "It's not like that, man. She's just...interesting."

"Right. 'Interesting.'" He gave me a knowing look. "You know, you've called her that at least five times since we started talking about her. Just admit it. You're intrigued."

I didn't respond, glancing back toward Delphine instead. I didn't want to admit it, but he wasn't entirely wrong. Something about her made it hard to look away. The way she carried herself, the focus in her eyes—it was like she was in her own orbit, and everyone else was just watching from a distance.

Ethan stretched, glancing at his watch. "Well, as fascinating as this conversation is, I need caffeine. You coming?"

"Yeah, sure," I replied, but my gaze lingered on Delphine as she finally turned away from the lake, her expression unreadable as always.

As we walked toward the campus café, Ethan kept talking, but my mind was somewhere else. I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to Delphine than she let on, that maybe she wasn't as unreachable as she seemed. I didn't know if I'd ever get the chance to find out, but for some reason, I found myself hoping I would.