My Hockey Crush Used Me for Stress Relief, He Hasn't Scored Since I LeftChapter 2

The locker room door swings open.

I don't get out of the hallway fast enough. Anna Vaughn is already clicking down the corridor in her heels.

Anna is a senior at BU, Comm major, campus It Girl.

Two million followers on Instagram. Lifestyle content, brand deals, the whole machine.

More importantly, her father owns the Vaughn Group, the athletic apparel company sponsoring the entire Hockey East championship run.

For the last two months, she's been shooting a docu-series called "A Day With the Future First-Rounder".

Coffee runs. Rink visits. "Candid" photo shoots.

Every glance between Cole and Anna gets edited into a slow-motion clip.

Fans built an entire TikTok hashtag: #ColeAndAnna.

Two nights ago, she posted a video. Her, holding a coffee up to Cole's mouth.

"Someone says he's not nervous but on his third espresso, though."

The comments were unhinged.

"Couple energy for sure!"

"Win it for her, baby Cole!!"

"Our Monster only softens for Anna, that's the LORE!"

I showed Cole that video once.

He glanced at it and pushed my phone back at me. "Sponsor content. You actually buy that?"

Then he handed me the coffee he had already taken a sip from.

"Too sweet. Finish it for me."

Anna had bought that coffee for Cole, but he handed it to me instead.

That tiny little detail kept me secretly happy all day.

Now, Anna walks right past me and throws herself into Cole's arms. "Congrats, Champ."

She stretches up on her toes to fix his tie, the one that went crooked during the trophy lift.

The team photographer's shutter is already going.

Cole doesn't move away.

* * *

Onstage at the press conference, Cole and Anna sit shoulder to shoulder.

The moderator grins at Anna. "So, is winning even better than winning yourself?"

"Obviously." Anna beams at Cole. "I promised him a private celebration tonight."

The whole room loses it.

Cole doesn't confirm or deny. He just smiles.

Then his gaze drifts over the crowd and lands on me.

He gives the smallest nod toward my binder.

Meaning: keep the scouting notes for him.