Chapter 4 Careful Lemaire.

I'm so dumb and stupid.

Felix had somehow tapped into the hatred I felt for him, thereby making me accept the stupid bet. He didn't force me, no, just made me convince myself with the vision of him crawling on the snow.

It was late into the winter, and the snow was harsh during this time.

“See you on the ice, Lemaire.” I watched him walk away, leaving me alone in the locker room. I inhaled and exhaled, a bet was a bet and I was going to give it my all just so I could make him do whatever I want.

I should not lose.

I didn't want to think of what he'll make me do if I do and I don't want to find out.

So I would not lose.

I made my way out of the locker room and met up with my teammate. I apologized for the tardiness and lied. I was trying to get my head in the game, though it wasn't. That was exactly what I was doing before Felix had come to disturb me. Julian cast me a look, which I returned and which meant he shouldn't ask because I wasn't going to tell.

The arena came to life the moment it was time for the game to start, people all over the world cheered as Felix made his way to the rink. The fucker was still famous and liked by everyone, except me.

My team skated into the ice with Julian leading us, the crowd cheered loudly. It was the finals, and only one team would win the championship. It was going to be ours.

The announcer's voice echoed through the arena, hyping the matches while all of us were filled with tension. Ravenberg had been the champions for as long as I can remember and this was my team's first time qualifying for the championship, maybe because I got drafted and had an excellent game play which sadly I had Felix to thank for that. Felix skates towards one of his teammates and whispers something into his ears, probably trying to switch up their poison.

I frowned when he smirked at me then mouthed. “Remember our bet.”

Julian turned to me. “Why's Sawyer whispering to you?”

“I don't know.” I shrugged. “Probably wants to throw me off my game so they'll have better shots at winning.”

Julian hummed then told the team to come together, we did and he gave a series of motivations. If we play like we've practiced then we will have better chances of winning the game, and we should not panic on the ice. The announcer's voice came through once again, saying the game was about to start and we skated back into our position.

The whistle blows immediately.

From the first clash, it was obvious nobody was holding back. The puck drops, and everything moves at once. Skates cutting across the ice, sticks clashing with each other and our bodies colliding.

I move fast, keeping my focus sharp and tracking every movement. Felix was already in motion, playing like the beast he is.

That idiot was ruthless on the ice, but I wasn't the same nerdy boy that he once knew.

We clash not long after, our shoulders slammed against each other as we both go for the puck . He shoves back just as hard, his eyes locked on mine as he smirked at me.

“Try harder,” he added as he pushed past me.

“Don't you ever just shut the fuck up,” I shot back without missing a beat. The game goes on like that, back and forth, neither side giving anything away. Minutes had passed since the game had started and the score on the board still remained the same.

I swear I could feel tension finding their way into my body with every play.

I moved in again, aiming to cut him off but he was fast, faster than he had been before. He knocks into me hard, enough to throw me slightly off balance and I let out a sharp breath as my skates slides before I recover

“Careful Lemaire,” he says under his breath as he passes. “You might just kiss the ice with your ass.”

I glared at him. “You wish.”

But he was already gone, chasing the puck again. And the stupid puck came his way again and this time, he didn't let it go. He dodges past one of my teammates, then another, cutting through our position with clear precision, heading straight for the goal.

I moved to intercept, pushing forward but he was already taking the shot. The moment his stick connects, he hits the puke with everything he's got. I stopped skating, not only me but Julian too. The whole crowd watched in anticipation, for a moment everything seemed to slow down. The reflex of his arms, his stick connecting to the puck, the puck heading straight and fast.

I could only watch as the whistle blew and the arena roared like hungry beasts with cheers, chanting Felix's name. His teammates skate towards him, patting him on his back as everyone else celebrates him.

I could only stand there, watching him from the other side of the ice. The snow seems to pour heavily now or maybe it was me trying to process what had just happened. No, no, no…it wasn't supposed to be like this, I stared at the scoreboard that had just been updated. The number mocking me for placing that stupid bet in the first place.

“Lemaire,” Julian's voice came through as he skated towards me but I stood frozen at that spot. The only sound I heard was my breathing, as the scores embedded into my brain.

“Lemaire,”

They said when you put your all into something, you would succeed. All my life, I've been the best at whatever I set my mind to doing, I gave it my all. From academics, to pottery, to debates, to swimming, to hockey.

I had succeeded till now, Felix looked at me and smiled widely. I don't want to believe what had

just happened, it wasn't real. Yes, I was still sleeping. Yes that.