The Hockey Star’s Remorse

Chapter 114

We were in the midst of making dinner, our usual Friday ritual, but there was an uneasiness in the air that I couldn’t ignore. Aria, usually so chatty and animated in the kitchen, was unusually quiet, her eyes focused on chopping vegetables with a distant look in her eyes.

She’d been a little distant since last week. She’d avoid eye contact and even headed. to work earlier than usual. Her avoidance made me uneasy.

“Aria,” I said tentatively, “is something on your mind?”

Aria’s knife faltered for a moment before she resumed chopping, her shoulders tense. She seemed hesitant, as if she were debating whether to share her thoughts.

Finally, she let out a deep sigh and looked at me with a mixture of regret and guilt. “Don’t hate me.”

My heart sank. The serious tone in Aria’s voice was like a storm cloud on a previously sunny day. I put down my spatula and turned to face her.

“What happened?” I asked, raising an eyebrow in warning.

Aria met my gaze, her eyes filled with remorse. “I… I confronted Timothy.”

My heart skipped a beat at the mention of Timothy’s name. Aria had promised not to interfere, to let me handle my own heartache. I had hoped that I could heal in my own time.

“Why would you do that, Aria?” I asked, my voice trembling slightly. “I told you I could handle it.”

Aria’s shoulders slumped, and she looked down at the vegetables, as if they held. the answers she needed. “I know.”

I let out a long sigh and set the spatula aside, watching as the beef sizzled in its pan. The grease around it bubbled and popped, with the occasional drop landing on my arm. Somehow, the sting of it didn’t make me shift. away.

“I just couldn’t stand seeing you in pain,” Aria continued. “I thought maybe I could make him see what he’s missing, but it was a mistake.”

I couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for Aria, despite my frustration. She

1/4

Need Top Metal Stamping? Get a 10% Discount (Start Now]

A

Chapter 114

and concern for me, even if it had been misguided. “What happened when you confronted

hesitated before confessing, “I talked to him about

that had haunted my thoughts and my dreams. The woman who had taken Timothy away, even though he had never been mine to begin

brush it off like it was inconsequential. But inside, my heart was breaking all over again. “Perfect.

bore into mine, as if she could see through my facade. She knew me better than anyone, and she could sense the pain that lay beneath

desperate hope, “maybe it’s time for you to move on as well. Get out there, meet new people, have some

moving on still too painful to bear. “I’m

humor in her expression. “But it helped last time, didn’t it? It won’t take you long to find some other mysterious

need to tell you, Aria. Something

eyes narrowing. “What is it,

welled up in my eyes as I spoke. “I never had

she began to stutter. “What do

“I lied, Aria. I made up the whole story about the one–night stand so you and Lucas would

filled with compassion. “Evie, why would you have to lie? We were just worried about

couldn’t bring myself to meet her eyes as the embarrassment returned ten–fold. “But I thought it would work…until it didn’t, so now I feel

2/4

Top Metal Stamping? Get a 10%

A

Chapter 114

me like a shield. “Evie, you’re not a failure. We love you, and we just want you to be

clung to Aria, grateful for her understanding and support. “I know, Aria. You shouldn’t have to

me tightly, as if she could protect me from all the pain in the world. “If you’re in pain, we’re going to take care of you as much as

to cry. Aria smoothed by hair

a girls‘ night in? We can watch some dumb rom–coms, eat junk food, and

managed a weak smile. “That sounds

haven, with blankets, pillows, and an array of snacks scattered