Page 18 of Second Chance with the Enemy CEO (Second Chance Hockey Players #1)

Chapter thirteen

Hazel

T he sharp ping of my phone jolts me awake, breaking through the haze of an annoyingly pleasant dream I cannot quite remember. Groaning, I squint at the screen, my thumb swiping to unlock it.

The glow of the early morning light makes everything look hazy, but I can make out the message.

Unknown number:

Hey Photographer Princess,

I figured I should grace your day with my thoughts since you’ve probably been too shy to reach out. It’s Decker, by the way (in case you’ve forgotten, though I doubt it - people don’t usually forget me).

Bet you did not expect to hear from me so soon, huh? Don’t worry; I know you are probably wondering how I got your number. Let’s just say I have my ways - it’s part of my charm.

Anyway, I thought I’d save you the trouble of figuring out how to reach me. So, here’s the thing: I have to reschedule our inevitable future date because I’m heading to an important conference.

No worries, though - I will be back soon enough, and we can pick up right where we left off. Trust me, I am worth the wait.

Stay beautiful (like you could do anything else),

Decker.Xoxo.

The audacity. My jaw drops as my brain processes each nauseating word.

Photographer Princess? Cringe. Future date? I do not even remember agreeing to one.

“Gross,” I mutter, fingers moving swiftly to delete the message like it is contaminated. A conference? Great. Maybe he will stay there forever.

I toss the phone onto the bed and bury my face in my pillow with a muffled groan. This is not how I wanted to start my morning.

Pulling myself out of bed, I shuffle toward the shower. Hopefully, some warm water will wash away the memory of that.

By mid-morning, I am fully dressed and waiting for my best friends to arrive. An hour later, the doorbell rings, and I smile to myself as I head to the door.

“Hazel!” Maya bursts in first, as always. Her excitement fills the room. “This place is amazing! You are living the dream, girl.”

I chuckle, holding the door open for the others. Grace follows behind Maya, carrying her usual calm energy, while Luke brings up the rear, shaking his head at the chaos. “I didn’t think it was possible to be this dramatic about an apartment,” he says dryly.

“Trust me, it’s an art form,” Maya quips, stepping inside. “Where do you keep the wine? I need to see what kind of real living you are doing here.”

I roll my eyes but lead them into the living room. “You guys should see my wine cellar,” I tease, and they all laugh.

“Honestly, Haze, this place is gorgeous,” Maya squeals.

“Thanks,” I laugh, pouring the drinks.

“Wow,” Maya says again, her eyes darting around the space. “You were not kidding when you said Liam’s guesthouse was nice. This is..., incredible.”

“It’s just a guesthouse,” I say, but Grace raises an eyebrow.

“Hazel, this ‘guesthouse’ is bigger than my actual house.”

Luke chuckles. “And where does Mr. Broody live?”

I point toward the massive glass house visible through the windows. “There.”

All three of them turn to look, their faces a mix of awe and curiosity.

“That,” Grace says, “is obscene.”

“And also, kind of hot,” Maya adds, wiggling her eyebrows.

I groan. “Can we not talk about Liam? Please?”

“Not yet,” Grace says, grinning. “But we will.”

An hour later, we are sprawled across the living room, wine glasses in hand. Laughter bubbles up as we share stories, and the air is light and carefree.

“So,” Maya says, leaning forward with a mischievous glint in her eye. “How’s work going?”

I shrug. “It is fine. Busy, but good.”

Grace narrows her eyes. “And Liam? Any new... developments?”

I hesitate, feeling the weight of their expectant stares.

“Hazel,” Grace presses, “spill.”

“It’s... complicated,” I say, twirling the stem of my wine glass.

Maya gasps, her eyes wide. “Wait. Did something happen?”

Luke leans back, smirking. “Oh, something definitely happened. Look at her face.”

I sigh, realizing there is no way out of this. “We kissed,” I admit, my cheeks flushing.

The room erupts. Grace’s glass nearly tips over as she gasps. Maya claps a hand over her mouth in mock shock, and Luke lets out a low whistle.

“You what?” Grace shrieks. “Details. Now.”

“When?” Maya demands, bouncing in her seat.

“Details,” Luke says, grinning.

“It wasn’t - it wasn’t like that,” I stammer. “We were arguing, and then he just..., kissed me.”

“That’s the best kind of kiss!” Maya says, practically vibrating with excitement.

“Start from the beginning,” Grace demands.

I recount the argument, the way his lips crashed against mine mid-sentence, and the confusion that followed. I gloss over the emotional turmoil, focusing instead on the sheer insanity of the moment.

“Sounds intense,” Luke declares, shaking his head, “that man has issues.”

“But good ones,” Maya adds with a sly grin. “I mean, come on, Hazel. You are still into him, aren’t you?”

“Absolutely not,” I lie, but my flushed cheeks betray me.

Grace leans back, eyeing me knowingly. “You cannot keep dancing around this forever, Hazel. You two have unresolved…, everything.”

“Yeah, well, some things are better left unresolved,” I mutter.

Luke smirks, “Hmm…”

I roll my eyes. “It doesn’t matter. It was a mistake.”

“Doesn’t sound like you think it was a mistake,” Grace teases, nudging me with her elbow.

“It was,” I insist, though the memory of Liam’s lips on mine lingers in the back of my mind.

Maya clutches her chest dramatically. “That is so romantic.”

“It’s not,” I insist. “It’s confusing and messy and...”

“And you liked it,” Grace finishes, her tone teasing.

I glare at her. “Can we talk about something else now?”

Luke chuckles. “Fine, but do not think these girls are letting this go. Speaking of broody McKisserson-related, how about we hit the ice rink? It has been forever.”

Maya claps her hands in agreement, and before I can protest, they are all on their feet, grabbing their stuff.

“No way,” I say immediately.

“Yes way,” Maya counters. “Come on, Hazel. It will be fun.”

“Fine,” I mutter.

****

The local ice rink is buzzing with silent energy while music plays overhead. My friends rent skates with the enthusiasm of kids on Christmas morning while I lag behind, regretting every life choice that led me here.

“I haven’t skated in years,” Grace says, looking a little nervous.

“You’ll be fine,” Luke assures her. “It’s like riding a bike.”

I lace up my skates, already regretting this decision. “Why did I agree to this again?”

“Because you love us,” Grace says, tugging on her gloves.

Maya grins, “and because you love me.”

Luke nudges my shoulder. “Relax, Hazel. It is just skating. What is the worst that could…”

His words trail off as his eyes land on something - or someone.

“What?”

Maya freezes, her eyes going wide. “Oh. My. God.”

“What?” I ask, glancing around.

She nods toward the rink. “Is that…, Liam?”

My heart plummets to my stomach. Sure enough, there he was, moving across the ice with a grace I did not know he possessed. He is wearing a black hoodie and jeans, his focus entirely on the ice as he skates in practiced loops.

“What’s he doing here?” Grace whispers, leaning closer.

“Clearly, he’s living his best life,” Luke quips.

“Great,” I mutter, pulling my hat lower over my face. “Let’s just…, ignore him,” I say quickly, standing and wobbling slightly on my skates.

“Too late,” Luke says, smirking. “He saw us.”

“Fantastic,” I mutter under my breath.

“Are you going to talk to him?” Maya asks, nudging me.

“Absolutely not.”

Grace lets out a low whistle. “Well, if the tension between you two gets any thicker, I’m pretty sure it’ll snap and take us all out.”

Luke laughs. “She will just skate away. Won’t you, Hazel?”

I roll my eyes, pulling myself to my feet. “Exactly. Now, can we drop it? We are here to skate, not have a staring contest with Liam.”

I can feel his presence on the ice, a faint hum in the background of my senses, but I refuse to give him the satisfaction of even a glance. Instead, I focus on the rink, the cool air brushing against my cheeks and the slight wobble in my ankles as I adjust to the ice again.

As I push off, the motions come back effortlessly, muscle memory taking over. A couple of laps later, I feel the tension in my shoulders ease. It has been a while, but the rhythm feels as natural as breathing.

“You’ve still got it, Haze!” Luke calls as I effortlessly glide past him, a grin tugging at my lips.

“Girl, did you take skating classes or something?” Maya asks.

“I told you,” I say with a grin, leaning into a turn that sends a satisfying spray of ice into the air, “once in a while.”

Luke chuckles. “You liar. You look like you have been practicing non-stop! What did you do, get a private tutor while you were away?”

I snort, skating backward for a moment. “Not quite. But I guess it stuck.”

After a few more laps around the rink, Luke suddenly pulls ahead, skating backward. “Alright, let’s do that trick we used to do! You know, the one where we spin and jump at the same time. Come on!”

I glance at him, grinning. “Are you serious?”

“Of course!” He grins back. “For old time’s sake!”

“Alright, on three,” I say, grinning.

“One... two... three!”

We meet in the middle of the rink, and Luke grabs my hand, steadying me as we line up. The trick was something we had practiced endlessly years ago: a simple lift followed by a spin. It was not professional level or anything, but it had always wowed the small crowd at the rink.

“Ready?” Luke asks, and I nod.

We take off, our movements synchronized. He lifts me easily, spinning us both in a controlled circle. As I land back on the ice, the applause from Grace and Maya echoes across the rink.

“That's still awesome!” Maya cheers.

Grace claps her hands together. “You two should be in the Olympics or something!”

I laugh, brushing a stray strand of hair out of my face. “Hardly. But thanks.”

We skate a few more laps, the laughter and teasing making it easy to forget the heavy weight of Liam’s gaze lingering somewhere behind me.

After a few more minutes of silly stunts and tricks, the mood starts to settle. I skate a little slower now, just gliding around, the chill of the air mixing with the warmth of the laughter.

“I missed this place,” I say, my voice low as I circle around them, taking in the familiar lights and the echo of our voices off the walls.

Grace looks over at me with raised eyebrows. “When was the last time you came here?”

“A week before I left,” I reply, the words tumbling out before I can stop them. “I came with Josh.” A small, bittersweet smile creeps onto my lips. “That guy could skate. He was good.”

“When was the last time you saw him?” Luke asks.

“Um, three years ago, I guess. Has anyone else seen him?”

Everyone shakes their heads no. For a moment, none of us say anything, and then Luke claps his hands together, breaking the tension.

“Alright, enough sappiness. Let’s see if Grace can make it around the rink without falling on her face.”

Grace gasps, swatting at him playfully. “I’ll have you know, I’ve been doing great!”

As they bicker, I glance across the rink. Liam’s still there, skating with the same quiet focus. He does not look in our direction, but I feel the weight of his presence all the same.

Maya looks at me, then says, “You’ll be okay, Hazel.”

I nod. “Yeah... I will be.”