Page 1 of Devil on Skates

XAVIER

I PUSH MY WAY THROUGH the crowd, brushing past unfamiliar faces. Out here, I’m just some random guy with a drink at a college party who’s trying to forget his name. I’m definitely not Xavier Gallagher, the hockey golden boy, and that’s exactly what I need.

I take another sip from my red cup. It burns its way down my throat, but whatever. My teammate Ronan, who brought me here, disappeared I don’t know how long ago, which is classic him. He’s probably halfway through his fourth drink and making out with someone by now.

I’m fine on my own. Actually, I prefer it.

“Want a top-up?” someone asks.

I look at a girl with bubblegum-pink hair and a bottle already tilted toward me as she gives me a big smile.

I hold out my cup. “Sure.”

She pours a generous splash, and our hands touch for, like, half a second. “You from around here?”

“Just passing through.”

I say it like I’ve said it a billion times before, because I kind of have. It’s my go-to answer that’s vague enough that no one asks follow-ups.

She stares at me a beat too long, then shrugs and moves on. Perfect. I’m still anonymous.

I let out a breath. This is why I like these parties. They’re just far enough away from my campus that nobody from there shows up, but not so far that Ronan complains about the drive. And tonight? Yeah, I needed to go out.

My phone buzzes for like the sixth time in my pocket. I don’t even have to look because I already know who it is.

My dad.

He’s probably ready with another lecture about footwork or nutrition or how the scouts are watching . I silence the phone without checking. I’ll deal with it tomorrow.

I down half my drink, and the edge in my brain softens a little. It’s not gone, but it’s easier to ignore. There’s no pressure here, and no one waiting to call me a disappointment.

The living room’s been turned into a dance floor. People are grinding, jumping, and yelling, so it’s just total chaos. I lean against the wall and watch. It’s kind of nice being relatively invisible in a room full of people.

After a few minutes, I head for the back door because I need air and some space to breathe.

Outside, there’s a bonfire going, and smaller groups are hanging around it. The night air is cool, and I find an empty chair near the edge of the yard. My legs are still sore from yesterday’s practice. Coach had us doing drills like we were being punished, and maybe we were.

I drop into the chair and stretch out.

“You look familiar,” someone says next to me.

Shit.

“I doubt it,” I mutter.

“No, seriously—”

“You’re wrong,” I cut him off.

I don’t have the energy to deal with someone recognizing me. If Coach knew I was here, drinking the night before practice? I’d be benched. And if my dad knew? Game over.

The guy holds up his hands. “Okay, dude. Chill.”

I chug the rest of my drink and stand. “Time for a refill.”

Back inside, it’s even more packed. I push through the crowd to the kitchen. Everything’s sticky, including the counters, floors, and probably my shoes now too. There’s a game of quarters going on, and people are yelling like it’s the most important thing in the world.

“You in?” some guy asks, pointing at an open seat.

“Nah,” I say. “Just getting myself a drink.”

I give up on alcohol and try mixing some weird juice, but it tastes like shit. I drift into a quieter room with fewer people. One couple’s basically attached on the couch, and there’s a group playing cards. It’s all low-key, so I find a seat and let myself relax again.

This is what normal college kids do. Party, hook up, and drink until their problems don’t matter. There are no cameras and no pressure. Just dumb fun.

My phone buzzes again.

I check it this time. A bunch of missed calls and texts, all from my dad. The last one catches my eye.

Call me immediately.

I turn off the phone and shove it back into my pocket. It feels good, like flipping him off without having to say a word.

“You look like you’d rather be anywhere else,” someone says.

I look up at a cute blonde. She’s tipsy and sits down on the arm of my chair before I can even react.

“Just enjoying the break,” I say, giving her the kind of smile that says don’t get too comfortable .

“I’m Gwen,” she says, like we’re about to become best friends.

“Xavier.”

“So what brings you here?”

“I needed a change of scenery,” I say.

“Running away or running toward something?”

I shrug. “Either way, I’m not staying.”

She laughs. “We all have our reasons for escaping.”

She puts her hand on my arm. And yeah, normally, I’d go with it. Hook up and forget for a while. But tonight? I’m not in the mood to be someone’s idea of a good time. That’s not why I came here. Besides, she’s drunk, and I’m not. Not yet, anyway.

“I think my friend’s looking for me,” I lie, standing up. “Nice meeting you.”

I head back to the main room, which has gotten even louder and hotter. The music’s shaking the floor now, and the crowd’s just a blur of movement and sweat.

Perfect.

I grab another random cup and take a sip. It’s some kind of soda, but it’s not totally terrible.

Time passes by as I talk to people without saying anything real or important. As I drift from room to room, I smile, nod, and fade into the background. And I’m perfectly fine with it.

I run into Ronan at some point. He’s got a girl under his arm and a drink in the other.

“Gallagher! You’re still upright!”

“Barely,” I say, laughing a little while pretending I’m drunk.

Sure, getting drunk would make me forget all my worries, but it would also make me forget myself, and I can’t take that risk. No matter how much I want to ignore Coach’s and my dad’s rules, I don’t want to risk my career and my future for nothing.

Ronan leans in. “Coach would lose his mind if he knew we were here.”

“Him, my dad, and the entire department,” I say. “Lucky for us, we’re nobodies tonight.”

“Hell yeah.” He grins, bumps his cup with mine, and goes back to flirting.

I move on. Every room in this house offers some version of escape. And for once, I don’t have to be perfect. I don’t have to be anything or anyone that I don’t feel like being.

Eventually, I end up back in the main room. The dancing’s wilder now, and everyone seems to be in their own little world.

And then I see her .

She’s off to the side, leaning against the wall and watching everything like she’s not really here.

Long dark brown hair. Dark eyes. Shimmery black-and-silver lace dress that reveals her curves and her legs. Impossibly hot.

But it’s not just that. There’s something in her expression, as if she’s somewhere else. Not bored, more like... detached. Sad, maybe. I know that look because I sometimes have it too.

She sips from her cup, her eyes scanning the room. Her eyes meet mine, and she holds my gaze.

Something passes between us, as if we see each other. As if we get it.

Then she gives me the smallest smile that’s barely there and looks away.

I’m frozen on the spot. I don’t believe in fairy tale moments or whatever, but... this just did something to me.

I want to know her. I want to know why she looks the way I feel, and I want her to look at me like that again.

And I always go after what I want.

I put my drink down, take a breath, and start moving toward her. The crowd shifts around me, people stepping aside as if they don’t even realize they’re doing it.

Everything else fades away.

She’s still not looking at me, but I have a plan.

A smile spreads across my lips.

Mine.