STORY 1- CHAPTER 6

I flicked my short pixie hair with a sharp smirk. "Keep talking though. The more you run your mouth, the more everyone sees how pressed you are."

The hallway went silent for a second. I could feel the shift. Eyes were on me now, not her. And it felt damn good.

"You dare say that?" Natalie finally responded with shaky shoulders. Her face was real ugly now. Maybe I really hit that confidence spot of hers.

"That's the truth, tho."

"You said that after Ryan caught you were too close to your stepbrother? What now? An incest–"

SLAP!

My hand cracked across her face on instinct. I couldn't handle that. Damn it. The hallway gasped. Oh, so she knew now that I have a stepbrother. Never knew Ryan would be so chatty like a girl.

Natalie touched her burning skin with rage boiling over. "You fucking bitch–"

Ryan lunged forward and shoved me hard in the chest. "The fuck, Isla?"

"Say that again and I'll kill you both!"

"Whoa, that madness!" Natalie laughed darkly. "So maybe it's true?"

"Kai is my stepbrother, not my real brother! Whatever happened between us is clearly not your fucking business!" I roared.

Ryan strode closer and leaned in. "So you really fuck your brother, Isla?"

"Shut the fuck up!" I pushed him hard but he only pushed me harder. I crashed backward into the lockers with a deafening bang, pain shooting through my spine as the metal dug in.

The crowd erupted, phones started flying up, people shouting and recording.

Natalie stormed in and raised her arm, clearly wanting to slap me back and I'm ready for that.

"An eye for an eye, a slap for a slap." But when her hand was about to land on me, another hand caught her wrist.

"Hands off, Blondie!"

Asher's deep voice boomed through the chaos like a command on the ice. The star winger of the hockey team pushed through the crowd with powerful strides, his broad shoulders cutting through the sea of phones and staring faces.

"Asher?" I murmured. He was Kai's closest teammate, I could recall.

His golden hair tumbled messily across his forehead, still glistening from morning practice, while his snug team jacket strained over a powerful chest honed by countless explosive shots and punishing hits.

Asher was tall, confident, and moved like he owned every inch of space he walked into. He caught Natalie's wrist mid-swing, stopping her slap cold. His grip was firm but controlled and his eyes locked on her with zero patience.

"Back the fuck off," he growled. "Touch her again and you'll be explaining yourself to the dean."

Natalie's eyes widened in shock. She tried to yank her arm free but Asher didn't let go right away. He held her there just long enough for everyone to see who was in control now.

Ryan stepped forward with chest puffed. "This isn't your business, Asher."

Asher finally released Natalie and turned slowly toward Ryan. The way he moved was pure athlete: smooth, predatory, every muscle ready. His sharp jaw clenched as he looked Ryan up and down like he was sizing up an opponent on the ice.

"It became my business the second you put your hands on her," Asher said. He stepped closer to me, his big body naturally shielding mine without even trying. His arm brushed mine and I felt the heat radiating off him.

For the first time, I felt like Asher wasn't seeing me as Kai's little stepsister anymore. His eyes lingered... really drank me in.

They followed the sharp edges of my fresh pixie cut, how it made my neck look long and begging to be kissed.

Then lower, his stare turned ravenous, drinking in the way the crop top clung to my breasts, the tempting strip of bare skin at my waist, and the jeans hugging my hips and ass like they were made for his hands. The hunger in his eyes was unmistakable ... raw, open, and completely focused on me.

Like he was picturing exactly how he'd pin me against the lockers and wreck me in the filthiest, most delicious ways.

He turned slightly so his broad back was mostly blocking me from the crowd. One hand rested lightly on my lower back, like he was claiming his spot without saying a word. It felt protective. Possessive. And way too good after everything.

"You okay, pixie?" he asked softly, only for me. "That shove looked rough. Need me to get you out of here?"

I nodded, still catching my breath. My cheek stung from Natalie's slap but Asher's presence was already pushing the pain to the background.

Natalie recovered enough to sneer. "Since when do you play hero for Kai's little sister, Asher? This is hilarious."

Asher's laugh was low and dangerous. He didn't even look at her at first. His eyes remained locked on me, sweeping over my face once more as if making sure I was truly unharmed.

The way he looked at me sent butterflies exploding in my stomach. There was nothing 'little sister' left in that stare anymore. Just a scorching, very interested guy who obviously loved everything he was seeing.

"Kai's sister?" Asher said, finally glancing at Natalie with a smirk. "Nah. I'm looking at Isla. And she's handling herself just fine. You two on the other hand..." He shook his head. "Real pathetic."

Ryan's face turned red. "Stay out of this, man. She's my—"

"Ex," Asher cut him off sharply. "And from what I just saw, she's better off without you. Now both of you back off before this gets even uglier."

The crowd was eating it up. Phones were everywhere. Whispers turned into loud chatter. Asher had completely taken control of the scene. He was the hero now: tall, hot, confident, stepping in when no one else would.

He turned back to me, his voice softening again. "Come on. Let's get you some air. You don't need this bullshit." His hand slid from my lower back to gently hold my elbow, guiding me through the crowd like it was the most natural thing in the world.

As we walked away, I could feel Ryan's jealous stare burning into my back and Natalie's humiliated rage.

But all I could focus on was Asher's warm hand, the way his broad shoulder brushed mine, and the fact that for the first time today someone made me feel protected instead of pushed around.

What the hell was going to happen now?