The Hockey Star’s Remorse

Chapter 67

Chapter 67

That evening, a heavy cloud of regret settled overas | sat on the edge of my couch, my thoughts swirling in a chaotic dance. | had really messed up. Exposing even a sliver of my relationship with Timothy had leftfeeling as though | had betrayed our private moments, and the weight of it pressed down on my heart like a leaden weight.

The room aroundwas dimly lit, the soft glow of a lamp casting long shadows on the walls. | absently picked at the edge of a cushion, my gaze distant and lost in a labyrinth of self- recrimination. | replayed the conversation | had had earlier with the homeless woman, Maria, and how my emotions had carriedaway, revealing a part of my life | had sworn to keep hidden.

The sound of a distant car horn joltedfrom my thoughts, and | sighed heavily, running a hand through my hair. How had | allowed myself to be so careless? My relationship with Timothy was fragile enough. However, | had let my guard down, exposing a glimpse of our connection to a complete stranger.

The memory of Maria’s probing questions echoed in my mind, and | realized how obvious her intentions should have been. She had just seemed so innocent and open to what | had to say. She had also appeared vulnerable, so | couldn’t have possibly refused to help her.

With the curiosity eating away at me, | checked every social mediafor even a slight shift in the #TEVIE narrative. Everything was relatively the same. Fans were still praising our supposed love while posting fan—edits.

| set my phone aside and reclined against the couch cushions, my heart a little lighter. At least the damage hadn’t taken form yet. | couldn't expect that to last too long though.

With a sigh, | allowed my gaze to drift toward the window, where the night sky stretched out like an endless canvas of twinkling stars.

Lost in my thoughts, | was shaken by a hesitant knock on my apartment door. | glanced at the clock, surprised by the lateness of the hour. Who could it be at this time?

Heart pounding, | hurried to the door, my curiosity piqued. But to my bewilderment, when | swung the door open, | found no one there. Instead, a neatly folded letter caught my eye, placed just on top of the doormat. My fingers

1/15

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Chapter 67

trembled slightly as | reached down to retrieve it.

My nwas elegantly scrawled across the envelope, and my breath caught in my throat as saw who the sender was. My heart was beating a mile per minute- anticipation, curiosity, and a flicker of nervousness. With the letter clutched in my hand, | retreated into my apartment, my heart racing.

Sinking back onto the couch, | carefully opened the envelope, my fingers trembling slightly as | unfolded the neatly handwritten pages. After drawing in a shaky breath, | began to read:

“Dear Evie,

| hope this letter finds you well. First and foremost, | wanted to thank you for joiningfor dinner the other night. It was nice being able to share a meal with someone other than the guys on the team. I’m hoping we can make these kinds of nights habitual.

Additionally, | wanted to apologize again for making assumptions about you and Linda. I’m the last person that should be judging anybody, especially someone as well-meaning as you. Please know that | never meant to doubt your intentions or question your loyalty.

Also, the cake you madewas delicious! I'm technically supposed to have a strict diet for practice, but there are certain things that | can’t refuse. I’m hoping to return the favor soon enough, hopefully a surprise that is equally as sweet.

Throughout all this drama, you’ve shownkindness and understanding when | needed it the most, and | want you to know that | am sincerely grateful. You could have leftto fend for myself, and | wouldn’t have blamed you for it. Still, you chose to help me out after everything I’d done.

If it's not too much to ask, I’m hoping that we can start anew from here. | don’t want to be the boy that broke you over a stupid bet. You mean more tothan any stupid motorcycle.

Sincerely, Timothy”

Timothy's words flowed across the paper, his sincerity and vulnerability apparent in every carefully chosen phrase. My heart seemed to melt within my chest. The sincerity in his apology toucheddeeply, soothing the wounds of the past few days.

7B)

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Chapter 67

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Just as | carefully folded the letter and set it down, a sudden commotion outside caught my attention. | rushed over and parted the curtains before pureeing out, my eyes widening in surprise. On the grassy area below the apartment, Timothy stood, his figure illuminated by the soft glow of streetlights.

He was tossing a frisbee with Duke who determinedly dashed to reach the flying disk before it touched the grass. The scene beforewas heartwarming-the easy smiles, the playful interaction, the genuine joy in the simple act of spending ttogether.

| smiled down at them, imaging how we’d spend more days together. | felt a cool sensation on my cheeks, and | went to dab it away, my fingers pulling back with a distinct wetness. Tears were pouring out of my eyes, and | rushed to wipe them away before they blindedcompletely.

All too soon, the front door swung open, and Aria breezed in, her energy contagious as always. She carried a bag of take-out in one hand and flashed a bright smile at me. “Hey, Evie! | brought dinner.”

| shoved the letter between the couch cushions and grinned at her. “Perfect timing, Aria. I’m starving!” Aria chuckled and set the bag on the table. “Chinese food to the rescue. So, did give Timothy the cake?” | nodded, a soft blush coloring my cheeks. “Yeah, | did. He loved it.”

Aria’s eyes lit up with curiosity. “Really? That's great! What did he say?”

you

| hesitated for a moment, the memory of Timothy’s heartfelt letter playing in my mind. “He said he liked it a lot,” | replied, deciding to keep the details of the letter to myself.

Aria raised an eyebrow playfully. “Just liked it a lot? Con, Evie, givesjuicy details.” | chuckled, feeling a mixture of amusement and happiness. “Well, he also thankedfor believing in him.” Aria nudgedwith an elbow. “Sounds promising.”

| followed her to the counter and watched as she took out the oyster pails and set them out on the surface. As | popped them out to see their contents, my mind

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couldn’t help but drift to the home-cooked delicacy Timothy had made. We were probably a little too comfortable ordering take— out all the time, as delicious as it

Was. “| wish | could eat more of that lasagna,” | said, more to myself. Aria had heard regardless and she looked up at me, a potsticker dangling from between her teeth. “What about lasagna?”

sighed dramatically, a playful pout on my lips. “Oh, Aria, | didn’t tell you. Timothy invitedover for dinner the other night and he made lasagna..”

Aria’s eyes widened in surprise. “Lasagna? At Timothys’s place?” | cleared my throat, a hint of nervousness creeping in. “Yeah.”

Aria’s playful grin transformed into one of excitement. “Evie, spill the details! How was it? What did you guys talk about? Was it romantic?”

My y cheeks flushed, and | tried to contain my growing smile. “It was... nice. We had a good chat, talked about random stuff.”

She still had that expectant look, and | felt obligated to burst her bubble. “And no, it wasn’t romantic, Aria. Timothy and | are just friends.”

Aria’s gaze held a mischievous glint as she raised an eyebrow. “Uh-huh, just friends. Just a friendly dinner between two good, ‘ol pals.”

| rolled my eyes, feeling my cheeks grow warmer. “Aria, don’t start with that. We're really just friends. Besides, we're both busy with work and everything else.”

Aria’s grin widened, and she leaned in, her voice conspiratorial. “Evie, my dear, | think you’re falling for him.”

| groaned, shaking my head. “No, I’m not. We're friends, and that’s it.”

Aria chuckled. “Alright, Evie, keep telling yourself that.”

We settled down at the coffee table with our food, and as we ate, Aria skillfully steered the conversation toward lighter topics. We talked about work, our plans for the weekend, and the latest movies we wanted to watch. Aria was a master of diversion, and | appreciated her efforts to keep my mind off certain matters.

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As dinner cto an end, Aria leaned back in her chair, her expression thoughtful. “You know, Evie, sometimes things happen when we least expect them. Just saying.”

| sighed, gazing out of the window, my mind a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. “I know, Aria. But with everything that’s happened, | don’t want to complicate things.”

Aria sighed exasperatedly. “I get it, Evie. I’m just saying, if you take the chance, it could lead to something beautiful.” | managed a small smile. “Thanks, Aria. I'll keep that in mind.”

With the dishes cleared away, we helped ourselves to the cookie dough ice cream. from the freezer, and we settled on the couch, laughter and chatter filling the air.

As the night grew darker, | couldn’t shake off the flutter of excitement in my chest. Timothy's letter, his heartfelt words, and the memory of our dinner together played like a gentle melody in the background of my thoughts. Aria’s words echoed, a reminder that sometimes, taking a chance was worth the risk.

As Aria finally bid her goodnight and went to her room, | found myself alone with. my thoughts once more. | settled into the couch, gazing out into the city lights that twinkled beyond my window. The night was a canvas of endless possibilities, and as my mind wandered to the frisbee—tossing scene from earlier, | couldn’t help but smile.

“See you at the game, Timothy,” | whispered softly, the words carrying a promise that held both anticipation and a touch of uncertainty. With a contented sigh, | allowed myself to drift into the realm of dreams, my heart embracing the mysteries of what could be.

Suddenly, anything seemed possible. 5/5 f&

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