𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭

forty four

Kaiden

The locker room buzzed with the usual noise and chatter, but it all felt muted to me. I was lost in my head, still spinning over last night.

Waking up alone in my dorm, with Delphine nowhere in sight, shouldn't have felt like a blow. It was exactly the kind of thing I'd done with other girls, and they'd done to me—no strings, just one night.

But with her, it felt different. I'd woken up and half-expected her to be there, only to realize that she'd slipped out without a trace.

I glanced down, catching sight of the red marks across my shoulders, the faint stinging only adding to the reminder of her.

Normally, I'd brush it off as just another night, but now...I couldn't shake it. I didn't want to admit it, but I couldn't help feeling this restless, frustrated energy simmering beneath the surface.

What was it about her that was sticking
with me like this?

It was like she'd somehow carved herself into my mind, and I didn't know how to get rid of it.

"Damn, Kaiden," a voice cut through my thoughts, dragging me back to reality. It was Chris, one of the guys on the team, his eyes flicking over my back with a smirk. "Looks like you had a rough night...or maybe a fun one?"

I shrugged, trying to play it off. "Something like that."

"Something like that?" He snorted, shaking his head. "Come on, man, those aren't 'nothing' scratches. Who was it?"

I tried to dodge the question, keeping my face neutral, but Chris wasn't letting it go. He leaned back, a glint of interest in his eyes. "It was Delphine, wasn't it? The girl who's basically allergic to talking to people?"

The whole room went quiet. I could feel the other guys' stares, their surprise hanging in the air as they processed what he'd just said. Delphine's name was enough to turn heads, and I didn't even need to confirm it for them to believe it.

"Wait, no way," someone else muttered, their tone a mix of awe and disbelief. "Delphine Beauford? As in...the French figure skater? I thought she didn't even talk to people here."

"That's what I thought," another guy chimed in, shaking his head with a laugh. "She's like, the coldest person on campus. Barely even looks at anyone, and you're telling me you hooked up with her?"

I couldn't help but let a small smirk slip, even though I felt the heat of their stares. "Guess she's not as untouchable as you thought."

The disbelief on their faces was almost comical. Delphine wasn't exactly approachable—she had this reputation, this untouchable vibe that kept people at a distance. She'd never once seemed interested in anyone, let alone a guy from the hockey team. And I got it. I'd seen that look in her eyes, that cold, guarded mask she wore, like she had walls up a mile high.

"Dude, how did you even pull that off?" Chris asked, still sounding amazed. "She's like...untouchable. And American guys? She doesn't even give them the time of day."

I just shrugged, keeping it casual. "Sometimes things just happen."

More guys chimed in, a mix of admiration, curiosity, and plain disbelief. "Damn, Kaiden. She's gorgeous, but I thought she was practically a statue. Never thought anyone would break through that."

"Yeah, right?" another teammate said, shaking his head. "She's got that whole 'ice queen' vibe going. Always so focused, like no one even exists to her."

I could tell they were half in awe, half trying to figure out how I'd managed it.

But I barely had answers for them.

Delphine wasn't like anyone I'd been with—she was closed-off, focused, wrapped in layers that most people didn't even try to peel back.

But for some reason, I'd gotten a glimpse of something real, something raw, and I couldn't forget it.

She'd left before I could even process it, and now I was the one who felt like I'd been hit with something I didn't understand.