Page 2 of Cold Front
He actually looked at me then, like I’d just said something idiotic. There was a mix of annoyance and a touch of humor. “Point guard’s basketball, quarterback’s football. I’m a center.”
I winced, not because his tone was harsh, but because I couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed. I was definitely going to need to brush up on my sports knowledge if I was going to survive the year with this guy.
I snorted, trying to ease the tension and cover my embarrassment. “Right. Guess I don’t know much about hockey.”
“Clearly,” he said, but there was the smallest hint of a smile tugging at his lips before he wiped it away.
I leaned against the doorframe, trying not to act like a bumbling idiot. “So, uh, you’re... captain?”
Niall’s face turned cold again as he gave a nod, his voice flat. “Yeah. Captain.”
Lucky guess.
I took a step forward, desperate to fill the awkward silence. “So, where are you from?”
He shrugged. “Michigan.”
I tilted my head. “Michigan’s a big place.”
Niall paused for a beat, then said, “Couple hours from here.”
I nodded. “Gotcha. So, why live on campus instead of getting a place?”
“Hockey,” he said simply.
“Hockey?”
“Scholarship,” he clarified. “Practice schedule’s pretty intense. Easier to be close.”
That made sense. Probably helped to roll out of bed and head straight to practice instead of dealing with a commute.
“Cool. I’m from L.A.”
His brow furrowed slightly, like that piece of information mildly interested him. “Bit of a change, huh?”
“You could say that,” I said, glancing toward the window. “Less sunshine, more... whatever this is.”
There was a brief pause, and then Niall hummed in acknowledgment—not exactly engaging, but at least not outright ignoring me.
“Okay, well, guess I’ll unpack then,” I said, feeling my cheeks flush a little.
The guy didn’t even grunt a word.
I sighed and took a few more steps inside, letting my gaze sweep over the apartment. It was open-concept, with a small kitchen near the entrance and a modest living area further in, furnished with a basic couch and a TV mounted on the wall. The place had the generic, slightly worn feel of university housing—functional but not exactly homey.
Niall still didn’t move or say anything, so after a moment of awkward silence, I figured I’d have to find my room on my own. I spotted a door on the left. It wasn’t locked, and there were no signs of anyone else’s stuff, so I nudged it open.
“I guess this is my room?” I asked, turning to Niall, hoping for some kind of confirmation. But he didn’t even look up. Just gave me the silent treatment as if I were asking the most ridiculous question in the world.
I shook my head, muttering under my breath. Great. This was going to be an interesting start to my year.
CHAPTER2
NIALL
Roommates were a hassle. Always had been, always would be. It wasn’t that they were bad people, just... a lot. Too much noise, too many expectations, too many chances for things to get complicated. I’d spent the better part of the summer enjoying the rare peace of having this apartment to myself—no drama, no distractions, no one to get used to only for them to leave. Just me, my routine, and the constant grind of fixing the mess I’d made of my junior year.
Now, that quiet was gone. Replaced by Eli’s energy—filling the space, pressing in, unsettling something in me I couldn’t put a name to. It wasn’t bad, exactly, just… different. And I didn’t like different.
