Page 46 of Captured Love

“How's your food?” I ask.

“It's great,” she says, then takes a sip of water. “Yours?”

“Great. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until the food arrived.”

Silence takes over again until I can’t take it anymore. “I miss when you used to send me those random recipes,” I say suddenly, unable to stand the quiet any longer.

Selene looks up from her salad. “You miss them?”

“Yeah,” I say, shrugging. “I never actually tried cooking any of them, but it was nice to see what you were into.”

“I thought you deleted them.”

“I archived them,” I admit. “Figured I might need some culinary inspiration someday.”

She smirks, but it's not the playful kind I'm used to. “Cooking is like therapy for me. It's consistent. Predictable. You follow a recipe, and if you do everything right, you get the result you were aiming for. Too bad it’s harder to cook on campus.”

“I’m sure the guys wouldn’t mind if you used our kitchen. Let’s be honest, none of us are Michelin star chefs.”

“I'm not sure your teammates would be thrilled with me hanging around.”

“Selene, come on. You’re always welcome.” When she doesn’t respond, I continue talking to fill the silence. “So…would you say, I’m unpredictable?” I ask, smirking slightly as I cut another piece of steak.

Selene tilts her head. “I mean, yeah. You’re...complicated.”

“Complicated, huh?” I lean back in my chair. “Maybe I’m just full of surprises. Like...did you know I’m a biology major?”

Her eyebrows lift slightly. “Wait—you? Seriously?”

“What? Jocks can’t be into science?” I ask with a smirk.

She laughs softly, the tension between us easing by degrees. “I just didn’t expect that. What made you pick biology?”

I pause for a second, unsure if I want to dive into this part of myself. But something about Selene makes me want to let her in.

“My mom’s a biologist by trade and became a stay at home mom when she had me. She moved here from Mexico for college, met my dad, and…well, here I am,” I say with a shrug. “He took her last name, actually. Thought it was important that we carried on her family name.”

Selene’s eyes soften. “That’s...really sweet.”

“Yeah. Growing up, science was always there. Plus, it was one of the few constants I had since we moved around so much. Well, that and hockey.”

Her brows furrow slightly. “Moved around?”

“Yeah. My dad was in the military. Every couple of years, it was a new base, a new city. New school, new friends... or trying to make them, anyway.” I let out a low chuckle, though it doesn’t quite reach my eyes. “Guess I got used to not staying in one place for too long.”

Her expression shifts into something softer, more thoughtful. “I didn’t know that.”

“Didn’t exactly put it on my profile on Crestwood’s website,” I say with a shrug.

She offers a small smile. “So…this whole hockey thing. Is it about finally putting down roots somewhere?”

I blink, surprised at how easily she cuts through to the truth. “Maybe. Hockey’s the first thing that ever made me feel grounded. Biology’s the backup plan... but hockey? That’s the dream.”

“And if the dream comes true?” she asks, tilting her head slightly.

“Then I get to have my cake and eat it too,” I say with a grin. “Or, you know...cake and pumpkin pie. Perks of having a November birthday.”

Selene blinks. “Wait—your birthday’s in November?”