Page 77 of The Sweetest Revenge

CHAPTER36

ARIELLA

Why couldn't anything ever be easy?

The sharp crack of hockey sticks against ice echoed through the empty arena, making me flinch. The familiar glow of Kacie's MacBook login page mocked me as I tried her third password combination.

Access denied.

Again.

Zaiden and Sterling's skates carved violent figure-eights into the ice as they fought over a puck. I wasn't a regular at the ice arena, but currently, it was the only place I knew I wouldn't run into anyone from the football team. I knew I'd eventually have to face them, but I'd already been disowned. I wasn't sure how they'd react when they saw me again, and I wasn't ready to find out.

I shifted in my seat, the laptop wobbling on my knees as I keyed in another password attempt. The rhythmic scraping of blades against ice had become almost hypnotic over the past half hour, but it couldn't quite drown out the voice in my head asking why Kacie would suddenly change her password after using the same one for years.

Today was the first day since the shooting that they'd opened the rink and the sports hall where everything had gone down. I wasn't ready to go back into the sports hall yet, but thankfully, the rink had an exterior entrance, so I didn't have to.

"Still playing digital detective?" Mila dropped into the seat beside me, immediately pulling one knee up to her chest and wrapping her arms around it. Her dark hair was tied in a messy bun, and her baggy sweatshirt hung below her cutoff shorts, making it look like she wasn't wearing anything but the hoodie. "Any luck?"

I shook my head, running a finger over the laptop's edge. "Kacie used the same password for everything. Like, literally everything." I glanced at Mila. "Why would she decide to be security-conscious with her cloud?"

"Maybe because—" Mila trailed off, her usual quick comebacks absent. She slumped lower. "I don't know. But if anyone can crack Kacie's mind games, it's you. You were her person." Her voice caught on the past tense, and she quickly pulled out her phone, hiding behind her screen.

Sighing, I sank back in my seat, letting the laptop teeter on my lap. “Have you heard anything about practice?"

"Yeah," she said, scrolling through her phone. "We are meeting with the sports director in about an hour on the field."

"What do you think he's going to say?"

She shrugged. "He's either going to tell us they found a new coach, or we are taking the rest of the season off."

"Honestly, if it weren't for my scholarship, I'd be okay with taking the rest of the season off."

"Is that because you've been banished from the team?"

"Pretty much," I nodded.

Movement on the ice drew my attention to where Zaiden was "practicing" with Sterling – if you could call it that. Zaiden circled Sterling like a shark, all fluid grace and predatory focus. Each stolen puck came with a flourish meant for the empty stands - meant for me. I caught him watching between plays, that familiar smirk playing on his lips. The same smirk he'd worn at the party, right before he'd grabbed my wrists and said those three words: "You're mine now." Sterling might think they were practicing, but Zaiden was performing, showing off his power. His control.

"So, what's going on with you and the hockey God down there?" Mila's eyes narrowed like I was a puzzle she needed to solve. "Everyone saw you leave the party with him."

I gripped the MacBook harder, the plastic edge pressing into my palms. "According to him, I'm 'his' now."

"His?" Mila's whole body stiffened. "Like his girlfriend?"

"No…" My phone chimed with a new email, distracting me. My gaze narrowed to see that it was my school email. My eyes zeroed in on the name. Scott Hillard. Coach Hillard was not only the head football coach, but he was also the sports director. "Coach Hillard just emailed me."

Mila perked up. "What does it say?"

"He wants me to meet him in his office—now." My gaze lifted, meeting hers. "Why would he want to meet with me before the meeting?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. Do you want me to go with you?"

"No," I shut the laptop, "I'll meet you at the meeting." I pushed out of the seat. "If Zaiden asks where I went—" My eyes lingered for a long minute on the ice. "lie." The last thing I wanted was for Zaiden to show up and stick his nose where it didn't belong.

I held up the computer. "I'll take another crack at this after practice today."

"I'll see you on the field," Mila said, gathering her things. "I'm gonna meet Journey at the smoothie cafe, grab a smoothie, and head to the field."

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