All Chapters of The Nerd and the Hockey King : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Lila stared at the comment until the words stopped looking real.She still doesn’t know what Ethan did after the bet ended.A cold feeling settled deep in her stomach.Beside her, Ethan went completely still.Which told her everything.He knew exactly what the comment meant.Slowly, Lila looked up at him.“What does that mean?”Ethan didn’t answer immediately.Maya glanced awkwardly between them before stepping back slightly. “Maybe I should”“No,” Lila said quietly, her eyes still locked on Ethan. “I want to hear it.”The rain had almost stopped now, leaving the parking lot cold and silent around them.Too silent.“Ethan.”His jaw tightened.“It’s complicated.”Lila let out a soft laugh filled with disbelief.“Every time you say that, my life gets worse.”That hit him hard.She saw it immediately.Maya looked uncomfortable now. “Lila…”But Lila barely heard her.Because Ethan still hadn’t answered.And the longer he stayed silent, the more her chest hurt.“What did you do?” she asked

Lila felt her heartbeat stop for a second.Vanessa’s words hung heavily in the cold air.They found the video.No one spoke immediately.Because everyone already understood which video she meant.Ethan’s face was drained of color.“How?” he asked sharply.Vanessa looked furious and panicked at the same time.“One of the players still had it saved,” she said. “Someone hacked the group drive.”Lila’s stomach twisted violently.Of course there was a video.Of course there was always something worse.“Where is it?” Ethan demanded.“Private forums right now,” Vanessa answered quickly. “But not for long.”Maya looked horrified. “What’s even in it?”Vanessa hesitated.That hesitation scared Lila more than anything else.“Vanessa,” Lila whispered, “what did he say?”Vanessa looked at her carefully.Almost sympathetically.And somehow that made it worse.“Enough to destroy you if it spreads the wrong way,” she admitted quietly.The words hit like a punch to the chest.Lila looked away immediat

Lila’s face burned.She wished she could disappear.Not later.Not tomorrow.Right now.Into the pavement.Into the rain.Into another universe.Anywhere but here.Maya stared at the phone.Vanessa looked horrified.Ethan looked confused.And Lila felt panic rising in her chest.“What post?” Ethan asked.Nobody answered immediately.Because suddenly Lila remembered exactly which post Maya was talking about.And that made everything worse.“Maya,” Lila said quickly.Too quickly.“Don’t.”Maya looked up.“Lila…”“Please.”Vanessa narrowed her eyes.“Now I definitely want to know.”Lila groaned.“Of course you do.”Ethan crossed his arms.“What did she write?”His tone wasn’t teasing.It was curious.And somehow that made Lila even more nervous.Maya looked between them.Then sighed.“It’s not bad.”The way she said it guaranteed it was bad.“Lila had a professor crush.”Silence.Ethan blinked.Vanessa blinked.Then Ethan frowned.“Professor Carter?”“NO!”The answer came out so loudly t

Lila couldn’t move.The message glowed on her screen.Now she knows.Her hands trembled.The parking lot around her suddenly felt unfamiliar.Unsafe.Too open.Too exposed.“Lila?”Ethan’s voice pulled her back.He had moved closer without her noticing.His expression had changed completely.The frustration and guilt from earlier were gone.Only concern remained.“What did the message say?”Lila looked up at him.Then silently handed him the phone.His jaw tightened immediately.“Who keeps doing this?”Nobody answered.Because nobody knew.On the other end of the call, her father’s breathing sounded uneven.“Lila,” he said urgently. “Are you with anyone?”She glanced at Ethan.Then Maya.Then Vanessa.“Yes.”“Good.”The relief in his voice was immediate.“Stay with them.”“Dad,” she whispered, “please tell me what’s going on.”Silence.Then:“It’s not something I can explain over the phone.”Fear crawled higher into her chest.“You have to.”“No.”His voice cracked.“I need to see you

Lila couldn’t stop staring at the message.A date.A location.One sentence.Ask your father what happened that night.Her hands trembled.The cold night air suddenly felt suffocating.Beside her, Ethan gently touched her elbow.“Lila.”She blinked.“What?”His expression softened immediately.“You disappeared for a second.”She looked down at the message again.“I think… I think I’m starting to understand why everyone has been lying to me.”Nobody argued.Because they were all beginning to see it too.“What’s the date?” Vanessa asked.Lila read it aloud.The moment the words left her mouth, her mother’s sharp intake of breath echoed through the phone.“Oh no.”Lila’s heart dropped.“Mom?”Silence.Then quietly,“Don’t go there.”Fear tightened in Lila’s chest.“What happened there?”Her mother didn’t answer.Instead, she whispered,“Please wait until your father gets there tomorrow.”“No.”The word came out stronger than Lila intended.Everyone looked at her.Even Ethan.“I’ve waited