The Hockey Player (Matt Sturniolo)

A Game

Aurora's POV

Wow.
That's what he thinks of me?
I'm just...
Nothing to him?

It was all a tease. Fake. A game, deeper than the one he played with other girls. He purposely wormed his way into my heart and teased my feelings, so he could wreck it and use it to throw my brother off a fucking hockey game.

I closed my eyes. Fuck. I wished I wasn't Dan's sister. My hand turned clammy and slacked in Matt's, and my arm fell limp at my side. I didn't have the energy to hold it up anymore.

Matt Sturniolo gave me exactly what I asked for, and showed me his true self. I was too blind and stupid not to see it earlier. Of course he didn't like me. Why would he? His Mom warned me, and I was a fool for thinking he was more than that.

I didn't want to be here. His words were a sharp knife into my heart. All I wanted to do was go home, go to bed and cry. I knew he was like this, ignored every red flag fired in my face, and allowed him to get under my skin.

I hate him.

More often than not, I tried to give people the benefit of the doubt. But this....game was too much. And not too much, too soon.

"You were at first, Aurora"

I barely heard him. A squeezing sensation gripped my throat and my tears distorted his sorrowful eyes. I shook my head and he furrowed his eyebrows.

"You were Dan's little sister, he's the arch nemesis of my school. Spoiler of the championship last year, the guy who's hazing my brother, and the trasher of my Mom's house and my truck...twice"

Hockey war with Dan was his priority. Salt in the wound, Matt. I put my hand on my hip and shook my head. I couldn't hear what I already knew.

"I'm just getting warmed up, sweetheart" he counted off on his fingers. "Your full name is Aurora Mary Hillary. Your favourite colour is yellow. Your hobby is reading and cooking. Your favourite class is English. Your favourite flowers are daisies"

What is going on? I don't care about any of this crap Chris asked me....

Chris asked for him. Inside dirt, and now he was throwing it in my face. If he was playing with my emotions, it was working. Each beat of my heart became a cry for him to stop.

"You don't have a favourite song. You have a reputation for being stubborn, but you haven't dated since freshman year. Not because of your brother, but because you have too much of a stick up your ass against high school guys to make room for someone else"

Wrong. My mouth opened- why did I want to argue? He lifted his hand and took mine back. I hated the security he wrapped around it.

"You work a shitty job to save up for college. You have a soft heart, giving rides to your drunken brother and rookies you feel sorry for. You don't have many friends, but you're loyal and worth being protected. You're cute when you dance with  old people and play with kittens, but you have terrible balance. Seawater makes you puke..."

"You bite your lip to avoid eye contact when you're anxious, and you secretly love when I call you baby"

I gasped and covered my mouth with my hand. His words sent shockwaves through my body. In one long description, he made me feel like part of me, the broken part of me wasn't how he saw me. He saw positive things.

But yet? He was wrong. Guilt filled my stomach, and I was deaf to his words. What he described wasn't me, but a version I wished I was. He spoke like he knew the whole package....when all he saw was the fake projection I perfected from years of practice.

I didn't know whether to sigh or cry.

"Once again, speechless" he smirked. "I'll take it I'm half right"

Matt stepped closer and dropped my hands. I didn't like that I missed his holding it until both his hands extended slowly, brushing strands of hair behind my ears.

"There's more to you" he whispered, lifting my gaze. "I'm sorry, Aurora. You have no reason to trust me. I don't deserve to breath the same air as you, but I like you. I didn't plan to catch feelings, but I did, and I won't lie to you. I want to know you, the real you....Not what someone else tells me"

He couldn't mean that. If he thought I'd open up after that, he was delusional. Straight up crazy. Was I supposed to be blown away by how he sounded when he admitted he liked me?

I should have pushed him away, screamed, cursed him out for his mistakes, something, but I focused on the way he stroked my cheek.

His holding me up after shattering me to pieces made me hate my reactions. He couldn't. It wasn't....He leaned closer and my eyes lowered halfway. The warmth of his breath teased mine to open.

It was soft and quick, that I wasn't even sure it happened. But he took everything from me in that kiss. I snapped my eyes open under the sensation. That. That was the last stab of cruelty into my heart.

"Shouldn't do this" Matt mumbled to himself or to me. I didn't know. His fingers left my face and he cupped the back of my neck. "You deserve better"

I wanted to refuse to believe this was happening, but I knew better. I should have known better. He wanted me to be broken over him, and it was embarrassing how close I was to being in that state.

I turned around and marched back to the ice rink. "Aurora, I'm sorry"

What happened next might have been caused by anger or anxiety. I wasn't sure, but the memories of Jack's harassment came flooding back. The rumours. The lies. The pain. I wanted to scream or burn Matt at the stake.

That stupid girl. The one who let a guy harassed her into silent humiliation for eighteen months. Who stepped back instead of sticking up for herself. I sure as hell wasn't going to not stick up for myself this time.

I turned back around. "You know what? I don't accept your apology. Do you want to know why I hate hockey players? Because my life was ruined by one!"

Matt's eyes widened and he stood still. "Physically and emotionally, I was wrecked. My body and character was assaulted and I'll never let that happen again. Shove you apology up your ass!"

Matt's face froze, but I didn't stay and wait for a response. With my arms wrapped around myself, I left. With my head down, I allowed my tears to fall.

I'm so fucking stupid.