****Callie's POV****

I spent the next few weeks feeling like a complete loser.

My vagina was still thumping at the thought of him, I found myself daydreaming constantly about him, about that night, and had dreams of seeing wolves which I think are seriously unrelated.

"Really now, Callie, how good was the sex that it left you this way for this long?" Gianna asked me as we lounged away in the open field.

"I tell you, Gi, I've never felt this alive in so long... I mean with none of the young men I've been with, he's older but... I don't know, he seemed more experienced and what we shared was hot, too hot..."

I rubbed my neck where he had left his mark, my arousal spinning anytime the mark began burning.

I didn't tell Gianna and Arielle about the mark, they knew about the constant daydreaming I'd been having but didn't also know I had wet dreams and saw things.

If only they knew how intense that night had been, they wouldn't blame me for my obsessiveness about that mysterious man.

"Oh Callie, I wish we could find your mystery man for you...I've never seen you this happy and lively."

I snorted. "I know right? Now you see why I'm like this..."

"Yeah, I get you, finally get someone who fucks you the way you want and now you can't find him? I'll literally go crazy..."

"Right..."

I shook my head, we spotted Arielle from afar off approaching eyes, her eyes widening as she kept waving.

"O, it's Arielle!" Gianna chuckled.

"Callie. Gianna, oh my God, I've been searching for you girls..."

"We texted you earlier." I smiled.

Arielle raises her phone which shows it's dead as she finally gets to us. "Dead battery. I think I forgot to charge again, I've been speaking to Mackie and I lost track of time..."

"Mackie?" I raised a brow in confusion, Mackie was our fellow team mate on the hockey team.

"Yeah... he and I have kind of been talking since the night at the club, we're really hitting it off." She collapsed beside me on the field.

"Oh... wow."

"Come on, Arielle, I thought you weren't into college students?" Gianna teased, hugging me as we both chuckled.

"Yea.. but Mackie, there's just something about him, I think I feel a spark." She said her eyes, all dreamy and whatnot. "He's charming."

I pouted.

"Wow, guess there must have been something so spectacular about that night at the club and the men you and Callie met, to have y'all wrapped up like this..." Gianna teased.

I cleared my throat, sliding my hair to the other side revealing the mark.

"Callie!"

"What?" I asked in pretence.

"What is this girl?" They chorused. "Is it... a hickey?"

I covered it immediately, looking away proudly. "I don't know about you guys but I'll find my mystery man and kick things up with him, no kidding..."

"OMG!!?" They exclaimed, rushing over me.

We spent most of the time running around the field, teasing each other till the devil showed up.

Nate.

"Hi... Callie." He appeared behind us, I almost had a heart attack. "Can I...talk to you?"

"No." Arielle stepped in front of me, while Gianna shielded me. "There's nothing to talk about Nate, if you don't want the whole school knowing about your mess, leave Callie alone."

"I wasn't talking to you, Arielle."

They gasped rushing protectively In front, knowing Nate was only trouble, I decided to step in.

"Girls..." I held them back. "It's okay, I'll handle him."

"Callie...you can't give him a chance."

I tapped their shoulders assuring them, then turned to Nate. "You have two minutes to say whatever you have to say, and that's it."

"Can we at least talk where they aren't watching?"

I rolled my eyes at the nerve of him. "No, whatever you have to say, say it now, they stay."

He exhaled, rubbing his nose persistently in paranoia. "Look Callie, I'm really sorry. You know I don't love anyone apart from you, Tomika, she's...."

"Look Nate. I don't want to hear any excuses from you, you can't deny this now, you were right beneath her and...you looked like you were having a good time, so I suggest you don't bother nor my friends anymore."

He sighed, tears already forming. "I'm really sorry, Callie, I promise this is going to be the last time."

"Oh, don't give me that crap, Nate, we're done. Done and don't start with those crocodile tears, they don't work on me just so you know..."

"So... you're just going to leave everything behind, all we've shared Callie?"

"Yes, Nate, you threw it to the dogs so deal with the consequences..."

I walked out on him angrily. My two friends trailing behind me probably mocking at him.

"That was a good one..."

"Yeah, he'll definitely never disturb you again."

I hope so. I sighed as they hugged me tight. We made our way back to our dorms, Arielle and Gianna still hugging me protectively.

I got to my personal room, closing the door shut and slumping right on my bed thinking about everything.

Then my phone buzzed.

It was a text from Nate.

I sighed, almost wanting to swipe it to trash when the text body caught my attention, I opened it reading the words aloud.

"If you leave me, Callie, consider all I know about you and your stepdad out in the open."

I dropped the phone in shock.

Oh no, he wouldn't...

I had secrets, deadly secrets that haunted me to this day, Nate conspicuously found out when he saw the things I wrote in my diary.

About the crazy things that happened when I was just a teen.

About my evil step father who was now locked up in prison.

And now he planned to use it to blackmail me? Nate may have been a lot of things, a cheat, manipulator and liar but I never expected him to go so low as using my past against me.

What was this obsession about me and why did he want to go this extent.

My heart raced.

Noone knew about it, not even Arielle and Gianna, and now...it may all come crashing if Nate let's a word out.

I didn't want to go back to him, but now I had two choices, stay away from Nate and risk it all in the open or secondly, go back to him and forever regret it.

****Callie's POV****

If there's anything I've learned about being a top player, it's this-skill alone won't keep you on top.

I was at my peak, the top of my college team, but I was also a scholarship student... and I needed to stay afloat.

Maybe that meant crawling back to Nate-for now? Can't believe I even considered this...

Arielle and Gianna, would have my neck if they found out, but what choice did I really have?

I tied my shoelaces and walked out of the dorm, waving at a few colleagues, I noticed two girls right beside my locker, talking in what they felt were hushed tones but I could hear them clearly.

> "Is it true Callie and Nate broke up?"

"Definitely. Tomika said she saw Nate dumping her in public..."

"No way..."

> "I don't blame him though. Callie was never his perfect fit."

"Come on, didn't you once say they were your favorite player couple of all time?"

"Forgive my sweet mouth," she giggled.

I slammed my bag into my locker and yanked it open.

They scampered, finally noticing my presence.

I was so sick of their gossip.

So sick of being their favorite headline.

I stormed out of the locker room, ignoring their stares.

*****

"Out early?" Arielle beamed as she spotted me.

"Just needed some air before practice," I muttered.

She nodded, probably sensing my mood.

"Anyway," she said, leaning in with a grin. "Heard the new coach is coming in today."

"Finally," I sighed. "Hope he's decent."

Arielle chuckled. "Coaches are everything but nice."

"Right," I smirked. "Where's Gianna?"

Arielle shrugged. "She got an urgent class ans is stuck there right now."

"Oh...wanna grab lunch then? I'm starving."

She folded her arms and gave me a knowing look. "You stressed?"

I shrugged. "Why?"

"You only overeat when you are."

I forced a smile. "I don't know, Elle. Just... want to stuff my face right now."

She grabbed my arm. "Lunch is on me."

"Definitely."

"Hey! You tricked me!" she yelled as we walked off.

I laughed, and we both dissolved into giggles down the hallway.

*****

We were halfway through lunch when a girl burst into the dining hall, rushing to her friend's table.

> "Y'all-the new coach? He's HOT."

> "Wait, how hot?"

> "Over 2-0-1."

> "For real?"

They squealed and dashed off.

I looked at Arielle. She was already giggling.

I reached over and picked at her food.

"Hey!" she cried playfully. "That's mine!"

*****

My stomach ached from how much I'd eaten.

I was running late for practice, and Arielle had already left early to go catch a glimpse of the "hot coach."

My phone buzzed with a message from her:

"Okay. I'm siding with the girls. Code hot red."

I laughed, shaking my head.

By the time I got to the rink, it was packed.

Everyone had shown up. And definitely not for practice.

I scanned the crowd until I saw Arielle. She waved me over.

"You're late," she whispered.

"My stomach says hi."

She chuckled. "Look for him. Stretch your neck-you'll see."

"He better be worth it."

"Oh, he is," she said, placing a hand dramatically over her chest.

Minutes later, the coach finally emerged from the sea of students.

He had his back turned, but something about him...

That strange heat pulsed beneath my skin-right above my right breast.

The mark was burning again.

"You okay?" Arielle asked, noticing the change in my face.

"I-It's nothing," I whispered.

And then... he turned.

My heart leaped for what felt like... Joy?

Not from awe.

But because I knew him.

That face. That sleek jaw. Those eyes that beamed.

He was the man.

The stranger.

My mystery man.

I bolted upright.

"What is it?" Arielle tugged my sleeve, giggling. "That stunned, huh?"

I couldn't answer. I moved through the crowd, heart pounding, needing to be sure.

I stood in front now, watching him speak. His mouth moved, but I heard nothing.

It was like the world had muted.

He looked up. His eyes locked onto mine.

He froze.

I froze.

For a second, it felt like time had stopped for this moment.

He recognized me. I saw it.

But then... he looked away.

Just like that.

My knees buckled slightly.

He didn't acknowledge me.

Didn't say a word.

Did he really not remember me?

Arielle appeared beside me again, her voice low. "You're causing a stare. Let's get out of here."

But I couldn't move. Not yet.

*****

Hours later, after practice had ended, I stood outside the training hall.

Arielle had gone back to the dorm, but I stayed.

I needed to see him again.

To know I wasn't losing my mind.

The cold crept into my tank top as I sat on the bench, arms wrapped around my knees.

An hour passed.

The door flew open. Footsteps approached and I felt someone bend to my crouched level.

"Hey," a deep voice said. "You okay?"

I looked up.

It was him.

He paused when he recognized me. His entire body stilled.

"You..." I whispered.

He stood up quickly. "Are you alright?"

"You recognize me," I said quietly.

He blinked.

"No. I don't."

The words stung more than I expected.

I smirked bitterly. "You're a terrible liar."

He stayed calm.

"I believe you're my student. I'm your coach. I don't think we've met outside of this rink."

My chest burned. So that was his story.

Pretend. Deny. Bury it.

He pulled off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders.

"You'll catch a cold, you shouldn't be out here in the open." He smiled. "Excuse me."

And just like before...

He walked away.

Leaving me in the silence.

More confused-and more consumed-than ever.

I would say this was fate-if I actually believed in stuff like that.

But here he was.

My mystery man.

Real. And standing right here in my college.

And more?

He was my coach.

My heart leapt into my throat.

The mark tingled.

I looked down.

His jacket was still on me.

I raised it to my face and breathed in deeply.

That scent.

I knew it. Knew it anywhere.

No matter how hard he tried to act like nothing happened-

No matter how cold he pretended to be-

He remembered me. I was sure of it.

Maybe he was embarrassed.

Maybe he regretted it.

Maybe it scared him to know his one-night stand turned out to be a student.

I should be scared, too. Ashamed, even.

But I wasn't.

I wanted him. Again.

And I wasn't going to stop until I had him.