Page 10

KATERINA

I am going to kill him. Not just yell at him. Not just throw something at him. Kill him. Because Aiden Knight has spent the past two days making my life a living hell.

Ever since our little race, he’s made it his mission to push each one of my buttons. And he’s enjoying it. It started small—stealing my seat in the library, purposely walking in front of me in the dining hall so I have to stop short, bumping my elbow just enough to mess up my notes in class. Annoying, but nothing I couldn’t handle.

Then he escalated. He changed my phone background to a photo of himself smirking, which he somehow got past my passcode (Roman was the traitor, I know it). He ‘accidentally’ knocked my gym bag over at practice, sending my neatly packed belongings everywhere. And the worst offense?

He took my coffee.

I had set it down for one second before practice, and when I turned back? It was gone. I found him on the ice, casually sipping from my cup like he owned the damn thing.

“You don’t even like iced caramel lattes,”

I had snapped at him. He had the audacity to take another sip and smirk. “I do now!”

I swear I almost lunged at him right then and there. So now, as I sit in the living room of the Hockey House, flipping through my notes, I am actively plotting his demise. Roman and Will are playing FIFA on the couch, Alina is curled up with a book, and Alexei is texting someone suspiciously fast. I barely glance up when I hear the front door open. But the moment Aiden steps inside, I feel it. It’s like my body has developed a sixth sense for detecting his presence. He makes a beeline for the fridge, grabbing a water bottle before he finally notices me. His smirk is already forming. I brace myself.

“Hart,”

he greets, leaning against the counter like he’s casually here and not about to make my life harder.

I don’t look up. “Knight.”

There’s a beat of silence before he speaks again. “You look tense. Thinking about me?”

I slam my book shut. “Oh, constantly. In fact, I was just imagining all the ways I could get away with murder.” He grins.

“You’d miss me.”

I scoff. “Like a migraine.”

Aiden pushes off the counter and walks over, plopping down in the armchair across from me. He stretches out, looking obnoxiously relaxed.

“You’re fun when you’re mad, you know that?”

I grip my pen tighter. “And you’re infuriating when you exist. We all have our talents.”

Roman, who has been listening with way too much amusement, leans over to Will. “Tension. So much tension.”

Will nods.

“They need to make out already.”

Alina nearly chokes on her drink. Maddie just smirks, looking entirely unsurprised.

I glare at them. “Both of you—shut up.”

Aiden, of course, is grinning ear to ear.

“Hear that? Even our friends see it.”

“There is nothing to see.”

“Mmm.”

He tilts his head. “You sure?”

I swear my face is on fire.

Before I can throw something at him, Aiden’s phone buzzes, and as he glances at it, his smirk fades slightly. Aiden stands up and, without another word, disappears upstairs.

We all blink in surprise. Roman is the first to break the silence.

“Well, that was weird.”

Alina frowns. “That was not normal for him.”

I chew the inside of my cheek, my irritation momentarily forgotten. Aiden looked off. Not like his usual smug self.

I tell myself I don’t care. I do. But later that night, I found out that’s a lie.

I’m heading to my room when I hear muffled voices coming from Aiden’s room, his door slightly ajar. I don’t mean to eavesdrop. I don’t.

But then I hear the frustration in his voice, and my feet stop moving.

“I know, Dad. I’m handling it.”

A pause. Then, sharper, “No, I don’t need you to—just forget it.”

Silence.

I hear a thud—something hitting the wall, followed by a heavy exhale. I don’t know what possesses me to knock, but I do. After a beat of silence, Aiden opens the door.

“What.”

I push the door open and lean against the frame. “Your charming personality is shining through right now.”

Aiden sits on the edge of his bed, running a hand through his hair. His phone is face down on the nightstand like he wants to hide it.

His eyes flick to me, and for once, there’s no smugness, no teasing. Just… something raw.

I shift, suddenly unsure why I even came here. “You okay?”

His brows furrowed like he wasn’t expecting that question. “What do you care?” I shrug.

“I don’t. But I'd rather not get caught in the crossfire if you’re about to go on a rampage.”

Aiden exhales, rubbing his face. “It’s nothing. Just my dad being his usual self.”

I hesitate, then step inside. “Want me to slash his tires? I have connections.”

That earns me a chuckle. It's a small one, but still. “Tempting.”

Silence stretches between us. It’s… different. Not tense. Just there.

Then Aiden shakes his head as if snapping out of it. His usual smirk starts creeping back. “Wow. You almost sounded concerned for a second there.”

I groan. “Forget it. I regret everything.”

I turn to leave, but before I reach the door, he calls my name. I glance back, eyebrows raised. “What?” I ask.

He rubs the back of his neck, looking almost awkward. “I, uh… I got something for you.”

I blink. “What?”

He gets up, walks to his desk, and grabs a small paper bag. Then he hands it to me.

I stare at him. “Is this a prank? Is something going to explode?”

He rolls his eyes. “Just open it.”

I do as he says, but I'm still wary.

It’s a coffee. My coffee. Iced caramel latte, just the way I order it. I look up at him, suspicious. “You stole my coffee, and now you’re giving me another one?”

He shrugs, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

“Figured I owed you.”

I don’t know what to say to that. Because of this? This was weird. Aiden Knight doesn’t do nice things. He steals my coffee.

He messes with me, but this was sweet, and that might be the most infuriating thing he’s ever done.