A Hockey Player's Guide To Deception

Chapter Thirty-Four

Kayla's eyes narrowed as she looked up at Louis, tilting her head back just to meet his gaze. A cold pit formed in the bottom of her stomach....heavy, sinking. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong.

"What on earth is Edward talking about?" Her voice came out sharper than she intended. Louis flinched and shook his head. They stood alone in the courtyard, far from prying ears, but that only made the tension feel heavier.

"Just forget about it," Louis muttered, dragging a hand through his blond hair.

Kayla froze. Her eyebrows shot up, suspicion flaring hot in her chest.

"No, I will not forget about it. Not after what I just heard!" she snapped. Her heart hammered. She wasn't just surprised--she was stunned, rattled to her core.

"Kayla, trust me... you don't want to know."

"You don't get to decide what I do or don't want to hear." Her tone dropped to something cold, almost brittle.

"I don't want to ruin what you think of me!" he burst out.

"Well, Louis, it's either you tell me," she said, voice trembling with anger and fear, "or consider this over and done."

What could he have possibly done? A twinge of fear fluttered sharply beneath her ribs. She waited...begging him silently to speak, but he only stared at the ground, jaw tight, offering nothing. Not a word.

The silence felt like a slap.

Kayla shook her head, stunned, utterly floored that he'd rather let everything crumble than be honest with her. A heavy sigh escaped her.

"Consider whatever this is--" she gestured between the two of them, her chest tightening, "done."

She turned away, the finality of it hanging thick in the air. She wouldn't be with someone who couldn't do the bare minimum and be truthful with her. She refused...absolutely refused...to build anything on lies. She didn't care how much she liked him. She would not accept this.

"Kayla, don't be dramatic!"

She spun back away from him, fury sparking hot under her skin, then marched away, her fingers curling into tight fists. Oh, how glorious it would be to whirl around and shove the truth right in his face, break that perfect nose of his so he'd remember this moment forever.

His footsteps echoed behind her, quickening.

"Kingston!"

She didn't slow down.

"Kingston!"

She whipped around a corner, straight into a door. The impact jolted through her skull, and she staggered back with a sharp gasp. Before she could regain her balance, Louis caught up to her and grabbed both her arms, his fingers curling around her sleeves, gripping just firmly enough to keep her steady.

"I'll tell you," he said, the words worn, thin, almost collapsing out of him.

"But you have to promise me it won't change anything between us." His voice cracked, rough with anxiety and thick with uncertainty.

Kayla shook her head, frustration burning through her chest.

"I'm not promising anything," she ground out, her voice tight and choked.

Louis stepped closer, too close...leaning in until his forehead pressed against hers. Their breaths tangled; uneven, warm, filling the narrow space between them. 

"We used to be really close," he finally said after a long, heavy silence.

"Nolan, Edward, and I."

Kayla hummed faintly, urging him on. "Hmm."