Kissing the Hockey Captain

Ava’s POV

I didn’t know my boyfriend was cheating on me until I saw him on a livestream… on my bed, with my roommate.

Three years.

That’s how long Daniel and I had been together. Three years of late-night calls, shared secrets, and promises that suddenly meant nothing.

"Ava… don’t freak out, okay?" Lily whispered as she handed me the phone.

"Why would I—"

"Just… watch."

I should have looked away.

The comments were pouring in, the numbers climbing higher every second. When I saw the username, my stomach twisted painfully. Nina. My roommate. Always chasing views, always needing attention, but this?

This wasn’t content.

This was my life.

I could hear the sounds first, laughing, careless, and wrong. My chest tightened as the camera shifted, revealing the room I knew too well. My room. My bed.

And then I saw him.

Daniel. My Daniel.

His hands were on her waist, pulling her closer, like he had done with me a hundred times before. They were drunk, laughing, completely lost in each other.

Like I didn’t exist.

"Turn it off," I whispered, my voice hollow, like it didn’t belong to me.

But my thumb wouldn’t move.

I couldn’t breathe. I couldn't think. Couldn’t look away.

A sharp laugh broke through the hallway behind me.

"Damn, she’s actually watching it—"

"Shh! Shut up!"

My ears rang as whispers spread like wildfire.

Ava… Ava…

I couldn’t do this. Not here. Not in front of them.

I turned and walked. Fast. Then faster—until I was running.

I slammed into the bathroom, gripping the sink so hard my hands shook.

"Why?" I whispered to my reflection.

My eyes were already red, my chest tight like it was collapsing in on itself.

"They filmed it," I choked out. "They actually filmed it."

My phone buzzed violently on the counter.

Daniel. Again. And again.

I stared at his name, my stomach twisting.

Three years… and this is how it ends?

"Stupid," I muttered to myself, pressing my palm against my mouth. "You’re not crying over him. You’re not."

The door burst open.

"Ava!"

I quickly wiped my face, turning away. "I’m fine."

"Yeah, and I’m the Queen of England," Lily snapped, locking the door behind her. "Who do I need to kill first? Daniel or the roommate?"

A shaky breath escaped me. "Get in line."

She grabbed my shoulders, forcing me to face her. "I swear, if I see him…"

"Don’t," I cut in sharply. "Please. Not here."

Because I couldn’t be that girl.

"I hate him," Lily said. "And Nina? Oh, I’m dragging her by her hair…"

"Lily," I said, softer now. "I just… I can’t do this. I can't stand there and let them watch me fall apart."

Her expression shifted slightly.

"You’re not staying here," she said firmly. "Not like this."

"I don’t care what they think," I lied.

"Liar."

She grabbed my wrist. "Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"There’s a party tonight. Hockey team celebration. You’re coming."

"I don’t want people staring at me like this."

"That’s why you’re fixing it," she said simply. "Shower. Get dressed. And we go."

I hesitated.

Then nodded. "Fine. But if I’m uncomfortable, we leave."

"Deal."

An hour later, I was standing in the middle of chaos.

The hockey house was loud, crowded, and suffocating. Music pounded through the walls, laughter and shouting blending into one overwhelming noise.

"See?" Lily yelled, handing me a drink. "Better already."

"I can’t hear myself think!"

"Exactly!"

I took a sip. It burned going down, harsh and bitter, but it was something. Something other than the hollow feeling in my chest.

I drank more, letting the noise drown everything out.

Until…

"Hey, look who decided to show up."

My body went still and I turned slowly.

Daniel.

Standing there like nothing had happened. Like he hadn’t just destroyed everything.

"You look hot," he said with a smirk.

Something inside me snapped.

"You’ve got to be kidding me."

"Ava—"

"No," I cut him off. "Don’t."

"I’m not starting anything," he said casually. "You’re the one making a scene."

"A scene?" My voice rose despite myself. "You cheated on me. With my roommate. On a livestream!"

"It just happened," he shrugged. "You’re overreacting."

Overreacting. The room quieted around us.

Not that serious. That’s what he meant. Three years… not that serious.

Lily stepped forward. "Okay, I’m actually going to hit him—"

I grabbed her arm. "No."

Because that’s what he wanted.

A reaction from me, a breakdown. A show.

I looked at him, really looked at him. He didn’t care, not even a little.

"Okay," I said.

He frowned. "Okay… what?"

"Okay."

I turned away from him. I wasn’t going to cry.

I wasn’t going to beg.

And I definitely wasn’t going to let him win.

"Ava? Where are you going?" Lily called out to me, but I didn’t answer.

I just walked.

But I could feel it, the stares and the whispers.

The humiliation clinging to me like a second skin.

They had all seen it, they all knew me now.

The girl who got cheated on.

No.

I wasn’t leaving like this, I won't be the victim.

I walked through the crowd but stopped in my tracks.

And that’s when I saw him.

Ryan Carter.

Leaning against the wall like he didn’t belong to the chaos around him. Calm. Untouched. Watching everything like it didn’t matter.

The hockey captain, the guy no one messed with… and also the guy everyone noticed.

And I knew exactly what I needed to do.

If Daniel could humiliate me in front of everyone…

Then I could rewrite the story. I could do just the same.

Right here. Right now.

My heart started racing and my instincts told me to run.

This was insane.

But it would work. It had to.

I lifted my chin and walked straight toward him.

He noticed me immediately. His gaze locked onto mine, sharp and filled with curiosity.

"You lost?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No."

I was done being the girl everyone pitied.

I grabbed his shirt and pulled him down before I could change my mind.

For a split second, I hesitated.

This is crazy and I knew it, but I did it anyway.

What could go wrong?

Then I kissed him.

And just like that, I changed everything.

I kissed the hockey captain.