My Hockey Boyfriend Kept Me a Secret, So I Went Public with Someone Else Chapter 01

My Hockey Boyfriend Kept Me a Secret, So I Went Public with Someone Else Chapter 01

[Amelia’s POV]

The library was empty in the back corner.

Chase had just finished two calculus problems when he tossed his pen aside and leaned in.

“I was so good today. Don’t I deserve a reward?”

His arms braced on either side of my chair. His face got closer. His hockey jacket hung open over a gray T-shirt. He smelled like clean laundry.

I turned my face away, blushing. “That’s your own grade. Why would I reward you?”

He chuckled low and grabbed my chin, turning me back to face him. “Because you have a job to do, Millie.”

I never got to answer.

Footsteps and laughter came from behind us.

Then I was shoved hard.

My back hit the armrest. It hurt like hell.

When I pushed myself up, Chase was already on the other side of the table. His face was distant, like a switch had flipped.

A group of young guys and girls walked past and spotted him.

“Chase! Getting your own private tutor again? Shooting for the NHL draft?”

They were his teammates on the hockey team.

“No wonder you never hang out with us. The two of you are secretly working hard.”

Chase smiled, easy and careless. “Don’t say that. You’ll scare off my tutor, and then you’ll have to buy me a new one.”

His dark eyes flicked to me with a teasing look.

I pressed my fingers into the corner of my book and mumbled, “Yeah.”

The air got colder.

A girl walked up to Chase and punched his shoulder.

“Chase! You promised to help me with those headshots for my internship application. It’s finally not raining. Help me out?”

Cute and playful. The kind of voice nobody could say no to.

I’d seen her twice before. Rosie Van Der Berg. His childhood friend. She’d just come back from Switzerland last year. Loud, cheerful, queen of the campus social scene.

Chase clicked his tongue softly and tossed his papers aside.

“Fine. You win.”

Someone looked at me. “Chase, you’re just gonna leave your tutor like that? Is that okay?”

Chase shrugged. “It’s not like we’re dating. Do we really need to be glued together every day?”

The whole group left in a noisy wave.

Someone bumped the table too hard. The cappuccino Chase had bought me tipped over. Sweet, milky liquid spread across the table and soaked the study notes I’d stayed up all night making for him.

I looked out the window and let out a long breath.

Just hold on. This won’t last forever.