A Hockey Player's Guide To Deception

Chapter Twenty-Two

Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)
"So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Louis paced back and forth in his room, his body taut with tension and anxiety. Kayla sat nearby, every inch of her aching from the brutal beating she'd just endured. The room was steeped in silence, broken only by the low, unintelligible muttering of Louis as he rambled under his breath. Kayla barely registered his words; she didn't care to listen.

What surprised her most was her calmness. She had always imagined she'd be a wreck in this moment, but instead, she felt oddly composed. The idea of leaving tugged at her, both tempting and irresistible. If the school decided to expel her, it would be the perfect escape, a clean break from this relentless facade that she was putting up. Only the Lord knew her struggle, it was having a mental and physical toll on her. Most days she wanted to do nothing but fall into bed and sleep, but she couldn't there was always something that demanded her attention. 

"Now that I know what I know, it's... really hard to believe we fell for it," Louis said, shaking his head. His hand slid down his face, his expression a mix of disbelief and frustration.

Kayla shrugged lightly, her lips curving into a faint, sardonic smile. "What can I say? Not many people can pull off a facade like this."

"Even your voice," Louis said, shaking his head again. "Everything about you is just so..."

"Feminine? Demure? Elegant? Dainty? Meek?" Kayla offered with a teasing lilt, each word dripping with sarcasm.

"Odd," he finished bluntly.

"Oh," she replied flatly, her smile falling.

"I still can't wrap my head around it," he admitted. "It's insane. Impossible, even."

"Nothing's impossible," Kayla countered with a shrug.

"But this?" He gestured at her as if trying to put his thoughts into words. 

"This is outrageous. If you're not Nathan, then... who are you? Are you a spy? An FBI agent? A CIA operative sent to infiltrate our school?" His voice dropped dramatically, his eyes narrowing.

Kayla rolled her eyes, unimpressed by his outlandish theories. "Nathan is dead."

"DEAD?" Louis's jaw dropped. He leaned forward, his voice rising. "Did you kill him?"

Kayla's eyebrows shot up in amusement.

 "Seriously?" she said, giving him an incredulous look. 

"He was in an...... accident. Died on impact." She choked out, her voice strained.

Louis leaned back, still processing. "So... how did that turn into you stealing his identity and pretending to be a boy?"

"I didn't steal his identity," Kayla corrected firmly, her tone defensive. "I just... borrowed it."

"But why?"

Kayla hesitated, the question hitting too close to home. Her hands fidgeted in her lap, and her gaze shifted to the floor. She had never told anyone about the abuse, the bruises, or the desperate need to escape. And Louis Auclair, of all people, was not going to be the first to hear it.

"It's a long story," she said at last, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. The ache in her chest and abdomen was a sharp reminder of just how much she was already dealing with.

Louis fell silent, the weight of her words lingering between them.

"Are you going to expose me?" Kayla finally asked, breaking the tension.