8. Ethan

8

Ethan

Why did I think coming here was a good idea?

I don’t regret kissing her.

“Ellie, can we…” I start. I stop and blow out a breath. “Can you think about being my PR manager, please? My parents are on my back about overhauling my image. They're threatening to take the team and my spot on the team away from me.”

“That doesn’t seem legal.”

“See, that’s why I need your brains because I didn’t even think about the legality of it all,” I say lightly.

She smiles.

Yes! A smile is a good sign.

“I’m not surprised.”

“You’re so damn smart, El. You’re the only person who could take this job and help in the ways that I need it. You were practically my PR manager before without the title. You’re the reason I got the college scholarship and the reason the NHL scouts looked at me.”

“I am not the reason. Your hard work and talent got you those.”

“They never would have seen me without you making and sending the videos though. Had you not sent articles to the newspapers and made them all learn my name, it wouldn’t have been possible. That doesn’t even count all the other stuff you did for me.”

“I can’t do it.”

“Tell me why not.”

“My ex can’t be my boss.”

“We were best friends, Ellie. Come on. My entire career is on the line.”

“That’s not my problem.”

“I know that. It’s my problem, but you’re the solution.”

She shakes her head and I take a step closer to her.

“I…”

“I will pay you a hundred grand retainer, right now. I will give you an annual salary of two hundred grand on top of that. Please. It’s not just for me, it’s for the team as well.”

She blows out a breath, her eyes imploring mine.

I take another step toward her, pulling her into me and kissing her once more. I will risk getting slapped in the face again just to feel those full pouty lips against mine.

She doesn’t stiffen, but wraps her arms around my neck and deepens the kiss. My hands go to her hips as I pull her against me.

We have too many clothes on.

I would give anything to be inside her right now.

I pull away, falling into the depths of her brown eyes again.

“Ellie, why are your eyes a different color?”

“It’s something different I was trying,” she shrugs. “I thought it would be fun to use colored contacts.”

“I like your green eyes. Back to what we were talking about, I will get on my knees and beg, Ellie, please.”

“On one condition,” she breathes.

“What’s that?”

“You stop kissing me. We can never be a couple again, Ethan. Please understand that.”

I take a deep breath, it feels as if she just slapped me across the face again. My heart hurts but I nod in agreement anyway.

“Deal.”

There’s a twinge of shock on her face and I can tell that tears are about to form in her eyes.

Why did she say it if she didn’t mean it?

“Thank you. You can go now.”

“I’ll have a courier bring you the retainer check and paperwork tomorrow. We’ll meet at ten in the morning to brainstorm.”

“I will be at the boutique.”

“I’ll see you there,” I say over my shoulder as I walk out the door.

She quickly shuts the door behind me. I stop my trek to my car and turn around to look at the door, almost willing her to open it and run straight into my arms.

No such luck.

If it’s going to take baby steps to win her back, then I’ll do it.

***

As I lace up my skates in the chilly silence of the hockey rink, the sound of blades cutting through ice echoes around me. It's early morning, and the rink is still relatively empty, save for a few die-hard players like myself. The crisp air fills my lungs as I take a deep breath, preparing for another intense practice session.

I glide onto the ice, feeling the familiar rush of adrenaline as I pick up speed. The rhythm of my strides soothes my mind, blocking out any lingering thoughts of the past. But as fate would have it, the tranquility is shattered by an unexpected intrusion.

Kiara Moreau.

My ex-girlfriend.

Her entrance is like a whirlwind, disrupting the calm with her presence. I watch as she strides into the stands, her long hair trailing behind her like a banner of trouble. She waves excitedly at me, before calling out my name.

She has a smile on her face as if nothing has changed between us. As I skate over to her, she goes in for a hug, but I instinctively step back, avoiding the embrace.

"I see you're not going to make this easy on me," she says, her tone a mixture of frustration and desperation.

"What are you talking about?"

She takes a step back, her expression softening slightly as she searches my eyes for a sign of understanding. "I'm here to make amends, Ethan. To atone for my sins."

I let out a dry chuckle, shaking my head in disbelief. "We’ve been over this.”

Her shoulders slump, and for a moment, she looks almost vulnerable. "I'm sorry... for cheating on you. I really messed up. But I want to try again. I want us to work things out."

"You may want to try again, but I don’t. It wasn’t working between us for a long time," I say incredulously. "You think a simple apology can erase months of betrayal? I can't trust you, Kiara. And I want nothing to do with you. Nothing has changed since I told you the same thing a few months ago."

“Come on. You need me and you know it.”

“I don’t need anyone, especially not someone who betrayed me with a teammate and at least five guys that I didn’t know.”

“You have no right…”

“If you didn’t want me to call you out on your bullshit then you shouldn’t have shown up here. You know that it’s my quiet time, my practice time. You’ve never respected me, clearly. You should leave.”

“I’ll leave now, but this isn’t over. I’m going to prove to you that I’m not that same woman.”

“I don’t care,” I chuckle before I skate off.

Kiara is all about perceptions and money. I have no doubts that the only reason why she is here to make amends is because I’ve been all over the news lately since I’ve taken over the hockey team.

She doesn’t care about me, she cares about the money and the fame that I bring with me.

That doesn’t matter though, because I have no feelings for her whatsoever. Honestly, she was just someone I passed the time with before.

I dig my skates into the ice and continue my conditioning drills for another hour or so. I forget about Kiara quickly, my thoughts drifting back to Elena and how good it felt to have her in my arms again, if only for a fleeting moment.

Damn, I missed her more than I realized.

As the final whistle blows, signaling the end of another grueling conditioning session, I smile, realizing that I get to go see Ellie. Sweat drips down my forehead, mingling with the saltiness of my exertion. I glance around the empty ice, the echoes of my efforts still reverberating off the walls.

With a grunt, I peel off my sweat-drenched jersey, the fabric clinging to my skin like a second layer. The scent of my own sweat fills my nostrils, a familiar reminder of the hard work I've put in. Despite the exhaustion that threatens to pull me under, I can't help but feel excited about spending time with Ellie again

Having her back in Frostwood Falls is going to be the best thing. She’s always been my biggest fan and best critic.

After a quick shower and change of clothes, I grab my bag and head out of the locker room, the warm liquid providing a much-needed boost of energy. As I step outside into the cool afternoon air, I’m whistling as I make my way to my car.

“Can we talk now?” Kiara asks as she climbs out of her convertible that she’s parked next to my car.

“No can do, I’m on my way to an important meeting.”

“You can push it off.”

“I won’t.”

“Does our time together mean nothing to you?”

I laugh out loud. “It clearly meant nothing to you considering you were dating other people the entire time I thought we were monogamous.”

I climb into my truck and shut the door as she’s still trying to talk to me. I drive out of the parking lot without a second thought.

Ellie .

The thought of her brings a small smile to my lips. She broke my heart when she left, but I can’t help but still feel that deep connection with her.

I make my way to her grandma’s boutique, the familiar scent of vanilla and coffee welcoming me like an old friend. Grams has a coffee addiction and has an entire coffee bar set up in the corner of the store.

As I push open the door, I spot Ellie sitting at a table in the corner, her laptop open in front of her. She looks up as I approach, she doesn’t look happy to see me.

“I brought you a smoothie from the new shop down the road,” I say as I try to hand her the concoction.

“Thanks,” she murmurs as I set it on the table in front of her.

"So, did you come up with any ideas on how to fix my reputation?"

I take a sip of my smoothie, savoring the bitter taste on my tongue. "Plenty, you gave me a lot to work with. I've come up with a game plan to help you turn things around."

I sit down in a chair across from her and lean back. "Alright, I'm listening."

She shows me her laptop, revealing a detailed spreadsheet filled with color-coded columns and charts. My eyes widen in surprise at the sheer level of organization on display.

"First things first, we need to address your public image," she says, her tone businesslike. "We'll start by doing some community service work to show that you're not just some reckless jock."

"Sounds like a plan."

"And we'll need to work on your social skills too. No offense, but you can come off as a bit... prickish."

I raise an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in my voice. "Prickish, huh?"

"But don't worry, I'll teach you some tricks to make you not come off as a douchebag.”

I chuckle at her choice of words, unable to deny the appeal of her confidence. "I'll hold you to that."

As we delve deeper into our discussion, I marvel at the juxtaposition of our personalities. Ellie is fiery and passionate, with a drive that borders on obsession. I, on the other hand, am stoic and reserved, my emotions kept carefully hidden beneath a mask of indifference.

“There’s a lot we need to work on for you. Your public image is one of a douchey, entitled heir who has never had to grow up.”

“Are you enjoying calling me names? You shouldn’t talk to your boss that way.”

“It’s the truth, I understand that probably hurts. It’s necessary to overhaul your image.”

I chuckle inwardly and shake my head.

“I’m misunderstood.”

She cocks her head to the side and shoots me a look of disgust.

“Okay,” she snaps as she rolls her eyes. “There’s a lot of work to be done. Are there any types of charities you enjoy?”

“Charities that I enjoy? Who enjoys a charity? I hate going to those events because they’re full of people who just want to be seen, none of them actually care about the organization they’re donating to.”

She lets out a frustrated groan. “Do you enjoy working with troubled youth? Do you enjoy working with animals? Frostwood Falls has a youth hockey team, that would be good to bring them into the rink to practice with the team. If you spearhead it then it’ll be a double bang for your buck.”

“It’ll be good for me and the team to give back to the community.”

“Your dad never did anything like that. He would donate money but he wouldn’t necessarily be seen shaking hands with the people on the wrong side of the tracks. If you do it, people will respect you more.”

“What does that matter if dad isn’t the one calling the shots. He has to respect me and he clearly doesn’t.”

“What have you done to make him respect you?”

“I… I play professional hockey.”

“For the team that your dad bought.”

“Damn, El, I thought we were friends.”

“We are nothing,” she hisses. “You’re paying me to be your PR manager and to get your reputation out of the toilet. If I sugarcoat it or blow sunshine up your ass then it’s only hurting you.”

“You don’t have to be so harsh though.”

“Maybe I’m getting a little too much pleasure out of that,” she shrugs nonchalantly.

“Being seen with you here, right now, has probably raised my likeability by fifty percent.”

She rolls her eyes. “Your pick up lines are so lame. Have you taken too many pucks or sticks to the head since I’ve been gone? It’s like you remained a frat boy rather than maturing.”

I chuckle again as I shake my head.

Damn she’s harsh. She’s gotten feisty since the last time I saw her.

I’m not going to lie, I’m really enjoying this new version of her. She is savage and it is hot af.

I’m not sure how long I can keep my distance from her.