Page 14

KATERINA

The following morning comes too fast.

My alarm blares, and I slap my phone, turning the alarm off groaning as sunlight spills through the blinds. I roll out of bed, my head only slightly pounding. It could’ve been worse. Alina is already up when I shuffle into the kitchen. She leans against the counter, scrolling through her phone, sipping coffee like the image of ease.

She glances up. “Morning, sunshine,”

I grunt, grabbing a mug and pouring myself coffee. “Don’t start.”

She grins.

“Start what? Talking about the fact that Aiden was practically eye-fucking you all night?”

I freeze mid-sip.

“He was not.”

She shrugs, unbothered. “Maybe not in an obvious way, but I noticed,”I scowl, sinking into a chair.

“It was just the game. He was being his usual arrogant, annoying self. Nothing new.”

Alina hums in amusement. “Sure, Kat. Whatever helps you sleep at night.”

Before I can argue, my phone buzzes on the table. I unlock it to see a message from the devil himself.

G rumpy Hockey Player

I glare at the screen like it personally offended me. “Unbelievable.”

Alina peeks over. “Oooh, texting already? Cute.”

I shove my phone into my hoodie pocket. “It’s not cute. It’s torture.”

She grins. “Same thing.”

An hour later, I’m lacing up my skates, my irritation growing when I spot Aiden already on the ice, casually stretching like he didn’t spend last night making my life difficult. He looks up as I step onto the rink, smirking.

“You’re late.”

I scowl. “By one minute.”

“Still late.”

He twirls his stick. “Gonna make me regret having you teach with me?”

I tighten my ponytail, rolling my shoulders back. “You will regret it.”

His grin is slow, teasing as he says. “Prove it.”

As the kids pile in, we’re off, pushing each other, challenging, bickering, pretending that there isn’t something lingering between us that neither of us is ready to name.

“Thanks for the class, Ms. Hart!”

One of my little skaters grins as she glides toward the bench, her cheeks pink from the cold. I nod, waving at her.

“See you on Monday!”

She gives me a bright smile before disappearing toward the exit. I should consider my next lesson plan or focus on the lingering warmth from teaching. But my mind keeps drifting back to him. To the way he looked at me before storming off. I swallow hard, my eyes flickering to the exit where Aiden had disappeared minutes ago. He’s mad at the whole body shot thing. I know he is. And the worst part? I don’t even know if I want to fix it.

“Malyshka, are you ready?”

The familiar voice makes me freeze. I whip my head to the right, convinced I’m imagining things. But no—standing by the rink’s entrance, beaming at me like I just won an Olympic gold medal, is my mother. A sharp breath escapes me before a wide smile spreads across my face.

Mama.

Without a second thought, I skate toward her, stepping off the ice and pulling her into a tight hug. I don’t care that I forgot to put my skate-guards on. But, of course, my mother does.

“Your skates, baby,”

she scolds, her strong Russian accent making the words sharper. “You will ruin them. Put your guards on.”

I smile at her, already grabbing the blade covers from my bag. “I missed you so much, Mama.”

She cups my cheek as I stand up correctly, her blue eyes shining warmly. “I missed you too, Malyshka.”

For the first time since I set foot at Pleasant Oaks University, I can breathe. All because of her. The moment is perfect—until I feel eyes on me. I look up, my breath catching in my throat. Across the rink, just before the exit, stands Aiden. His deep brown eyes pierce through me, unreadable yet heavy with something I can’t name. My heart clenches. I should look away, but the intensity of his stare keeps me locked in place. Something electric hums in the space between us.

Then, as suddenly as he appeared, he was gone. I exhale slowly,

my chest tightening.

“Alexei is excited to see me, and I can’t wait to meet your roommates,”

my mother says, unaware of my spiralling thoughts. My stomach drops. Right. I haven’t told her.

“About that…”

I purse my lips, suddenly fascinated by my skate guards. I take a deep breath, then blurt it out in one breath: “Theadmissionsofficemadeamistakeandinsteadoflivingatthesatinghouse,ilivewithfourhockeyplayers.”

My mother stares at me dumbfounded. “What?”

I sigh, inhaling sharply before repeating, “The admissions office made a mistake, and instead of living at the skating house, I live with four hockey players.”

Her mouth parts slightly, but nothing comes out.

“Boys?”

she finally asks, her voice pensive.

I nod, bracing myself. “Yes, but they’re great. Like older brothers—mostly. They take care of me.”

She doesn’t look convinced. I scramble.

“You’ll meet them tonight for dinner! I’ll make sure they’re all there.”

That seems to do it. Her lips twitch, then curve into a small smile. “I would love that.”

I exhale, relieved, wrapping my arm around hers as we head toward the exit.

Pulling out my phone, I quickly text the group chat.

Hockey House + Ice Princess

Ice Princess

William

I chuckle, sending back a reply.

Ice Princess

“Are you texting them?”

My mom raises an amused eyebrow.

I nod. “Just letting them know they can’t skip dinner.”

She laughs softly. My phone pings again.

Roman

Graysen

William

I roll my eyes, but before I can put my phone away, another message pops up.

Grumpy Hockey Player

Three simple words. My pulse stutters.

“Are you okay? You’re breathing weird.”

My mom studies me, concern laced in her voice. I force a casual smile. “Yeah, just excited for dinner.” Liar.

No one knows me better than my mother, so I avoid her gaze.

“Let’s grab some ingredients so I can cook,”

she says, connecting her phone to my car’s Bluetooth. The moment she starts playing Russian music, nostalgia hits me like a freight train. I missed her. I missed this.

When dinner rolls around, the entire house is buzzing with energy.

The girls and Alexei arrive first, eager to help with the meal. The boys arrive exactly at six—loud, chaotic, and ready to meet my mother.

“Honey, I’m home!”

Will announces dramatically, stepping into the kitchen like he owns the place. I grin, but my smile falters the second I meet Aiden’s gaze. He’s unreadable, his expression carefully blank. But the tension crackles in the air between us, thick and undeniable. The guys introduce themselves one by one, earning hugs from my mother. But something shifts when Aiden steps forward.

“Hello, ma’am. I’m Aiden.”

His voice is calm and polite, but his eyes flick to me for half a second. My mom smiles, wrapping him in a hug.

“Nice to meet you, Aiden. You seem like a quiet one. Let me guess, you keep them in check, don’t you?”

He laughs slightly. “I try. It’s your daughter who keeps us in check.”

I blink. What? Since when do I keep him in check?

My mother raises an eyebrow, looking between us. Suspicious.

Then, before I can react, Aiden moves toward me—and in a swift motion, he crouches slightly and wraps his arms around my lower back.

My heart stops. Why is he hugging me?

“Angel face,”

he murmurs, his voice low and hoarse.

I freeze. Then, like a reflex, I wrap my arms around his shoulders. My fingers press against warm muscle, and his scent—a mix of clean soap and something undeniably Aiden—invades my senses.

I breathe him in, my eyes fluttering shut for just a second. Why do I like this?

Aiden, let’s go first and takes a step back. The loss of his warmth makes my skin prickle. I meet his gaze, my heart hammering, and he smirks at me.

Asshole.

This is a game. He knew the hug would throw me off. Fuck him. He nods at me once before heading toward the kitchen.

I barely have time to process it before I hear my mother

clearing her throat. I turn slowly.

She’s standing there, arms crossed, eyebrows raised. “Just roommates, right?”

I gulp. “Of course.”

She does not look convinced at all.

When we all sit in the living room, my mom announces dinner is ready. We approach the dining table, but Will flashes right by me and into my seat. Will grins at me while I shoot daggers at him. I glare at him again, taking the only seat available with a sigh. I was supposed to sit by Maddie, but someone almost glued himself to the chair… cough…cough…. Will, forcing me to sit next to Aiden.

I feel sick. Not because the food isn’t incredible—it is. But because every time Aiden moves, his thigh brushes mine. I can’t focus. I can’t breathe.

I hear Aiden scoff, and I bring my attention to him. “Problem?”

He shrugs. “Your mom was saying she loves your new coach. I was just thinking it’s insane that your coach has you training six hours a day on top of everything else.”

My mother’s head snaps toward me.

“Malyshka, is that true?”

I murder Aiden with my eyes. He just smirks, taking another bite of his food. Oh, he’s dead.

Tonight.

I don’t care if my mother is here. Aiden Knight is going to suffer. I don’t care that we’re in the middle of dinner. The second I can get him alone, it’s over for him. I glare daggers at him as I force a tight smile toward my mom, who is observing me, her fork hovering mid-air.

“Malyshka,”

she says slowly, “are you pushing yourself too hard?”

I shake my head immediately. “No, Mama, I—”

“She is,”

Aiden interrupts, casually sipping from his water like he didn’t just throw me under the bus.

I snap my gaze back to him. “Aiden.”

He raises an eyebrow, feigning innocence. “What? It’s true. You’re covered in bruises half the time, and let’s not forget that time you nearly collapsed after practice.”

I kick him under the table. He barely flinches, but his lips twitch like he’s trying to hold back a laugh. Bastard. My mother’s gaze sharpens.

“What do you mean collapsed?”

Damn it. I shoot Aiden another warning look, but he’s enjoying this way too much.

“It was nothing,”

I say quickly. “I was just exhausted that day.”

My mom sets down her fork.

“Katerina, I raised you better than to push yourself to the point of collapse.”

I grit my teeth, resisting the urge to throttle the smug man

sitting next to me. “It was one time, Mama. I was fine.”

“Barely,”

Aiden mutters.

I snap my head toward him. “Do you have a death wish?”

I yell. He smirks, leaning in just slightly. “Just stating facts, Angel Face.”

I hate that my stomach flips. I hate everything about him. Before I can tell him exactly how much I loathe his existence,

my mom sighs and shakes her head.

“You are just like your father. Stubborn, reckless—”

My chest tightens. She doesn’t mean to bring him up. I know that. But still. I force a smile and reach for my drink. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

She sighs, clearly not convinced, but thankfully, Grayson saves me.

“So, Anya,”

he says, turning to my mom, “What do you think of us so far? We’re not completely terrible, right?”

she eyes them all thoughtfully, but her expression is warm.

“You seem like an outstanding group of boys. I was worried when I first heard Katerina was living with hockey players, but now I see I have nothing to worry about.”

Roman grins. “We protect our own.”

“Damn right we do,”

Will adds, nudging me with his elbow. I roll my eyes, but my heart swells. My mom smiles. “Then I’m happy.”

After dinner, we all help clean up. My mom insists on doing the dishes, but I convince her to let me handle it. Or at least, I try to.

“You are my guest,”

I say, practically pushing her toward the living room. She gives me a look. “You are my daughter.”

“And?”

“And I will always be the mother. So sit.”

I groan but don’t fight her. The others are already in the living room, lounging around as Will, Roman, and Grayson argue about some hockey stat that no one cares about. Aiden is nowhere to be found.

Coward. As I look around, I spot him near the back porch, standing just outside the open door. His arms are crossed, the cold night air ruffling his dark hair slightly. I shouldn’t go to him. I should stay inside, drink tea with my mom, and not acknowledge him. But, of course, I’m an idiot.

I step outside, the chill biting at my skin. “You’re avoiding me.”

Aiden doesn’t turn around to face me.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

“You threw me under the bus.”

He finally glances at me, that infuriating smirk still in place. “You mean I told the truth?”

I scoff. “You didn’t have to say it like that. My mom already worries enough.”

“She should.”

I freeze. His tone is different now—quieter, less teasing. He exhales, running a hand through his hair.

“Kat, you push yourself harder than anyone I know. And yeah, I admire the hell out of you for it, but…”

He pauses, his jaw clenching. “You also don’t know when to stop.”

“I can’t afford to stop.”

His gaze snaps to mine, something dark flickering in his expression. “That’s bullshit.”

I narrow my eyes. “Excuse me?”

He steps closer, heat rolling off him despite the cold.

“Kat, I get it. I do. You want to prove yourself. You want to be the best. But pushing yourself until you’re barely standing? That’s not strength. That’s self-destruction.”

I stiffen, the words hitting too close. “I’m fine,”

I say, forcing the words out. He lets out a dry laugh. “Bullshit.”

I grit my teeth. “You’re so dramatic.”

“And you’re so stubborn.”

I huff, crossing my arms tighter around myself. “Why do you even care?”

Silence. I sigh as Aiden presses his lips together, looking at me as if I’m important to him.

“Because it’s you.”

My breath catches. He looks at me, really looks at me, and I feel like the world tilts slightly. Aiden has always had this effect on me—this unfair ability to pull me into his gravity, to make my heart hammer in my chest even when I don’t want it to.

He steps closer, his voice lower now. “You drive me insane, Kat. And you’re reckless as hell. But I…”

He exhales sharply as if he doesn’t know how to express his thoughts. “I just—”

Before he can finish, the door swings open. “Kat!”

Will’s voice rings through the night. “Your mom wants to know where the tea is.”

I jump back like I just got caught doing something illegal. Aiden’s jaw tightens. I clear my throat. “Uh—second cabinet to the right of the stove!”

Will nods before disappearing back inside. The second the door closes, the tension between Aiden and me snaps back into place.

I shift on my feet. “I should—”

“Yeah,”

Aiden mutters, dragging a hand through his hair.

“Go.”

I hesitate for half a second longer before turning on my heel and heading inside. But even as I walk away, I still feel his stare burning into my back.