Page 15 of Cold Front
I stiffened. “Uh. Yeah.”
A few heads turned toward me, and I clenched my jaw, feeling the heat rise to my ears.Great. Just great.
“If you had to market yourself as a hockey player,” Williams said, “what would your brand be?”
I frowned. “Brand?”
“Yes. Marketing isn’t just about products. It’s about perception. If you had to sell yourself to a team—or, say, an endorsement deal—what would your angle be?”
I hesitated. The silence stretched.
Then, from beside me, Eli whispered, “Grit.”
I shot him a glare, but... he wasn’t wrong. I wasn’t the flashiest player. I wasn’t the top scorer. But I worked my ass off. I was the guy who showed up, who pushed through, who didn’t quit. But it wasn’t exactly right either. Still, it gave me something to latch onto.
I cleared my throat. “Grit,” I said. “I’m not the guy with the most points, but I’m the guy who puts in the work, the one who does the hard stuff.”
Williams nodded. “Good. Hard work, perseverance. That’s a strong brand. But remember—grit alone isn’t always marketable. You have to package it in a way that sells.”
The class moved on, but my brain was stuck on the moment. On Eli, who had somehow given me the push I needed.
When the class ended, Eli stood, stretching. “You good to give it back after? Or need it longer?”
“I’ll bring it to the apartment,” I said quickly, fumbling with my bag and then shoving Eli’s notebook into my bag. I stood, ready to make a quick exit. But before I could overthink it, I turned to him.
“Hey… um,” I said, voice low. “Thanks. For… you know...” I gestured vaguely, scowling at my own awkwardness.
Eli blinked, then smirked. “You mean the answer?”
I huffed. “Yeah. That.”
He grinned, eyes dancing with amusement. “Anytime, Captain.”
“I, uh... gotta go. Meeting.”
“Sure,” he said, that smile still there, still easy. “See you later.”
I nodded, turning away before he could say anything else. The meeting was a lie. There was no meeting. I just needed to get out of there before I did something stupid, like actually talk to him.
As I pushed through the lecture hall doors, I could feel his damn smile following me out the door.
CHAPTER7
ELI
Wind carried the crisp bite of early fall as I stepped onto the dirt path winding through Haven Hollow Park. Golden leaves clung stubbornly to branches, the last defiant holdouts before Michigan’s inevitable winter. I shoved my hands into the pockets of my hoodie, the weight of my phone a familiar presence.
I’d never been the guy who stopped to take pictures of scenery—hell, back in L.A., my camera roll was mostly screenshots and random selfies my sister took when she stole my phone. But something about this place made me want to capture it. Maybe it was part of the whole reinvention thing. New town, new school, new major, new… me.
Lifting my phone, I framed the lake on my screen. Sunlight bounced off the water, turning the surface into liquid gold. A few people were out—some jogging, a couple walking their dogs. Normal. Peaceful. I snapped a few shots, adjusting the angles, playing with the composition. When I lowered the phone, my fingers itched to post one. My Instagram had been practically dead for months, but maybe?—
A low, familiar voice cut through the quiet.
“Didn’t take you for a photographer.”
I startled, nearly dropping my phone. Turning, I found Niall standing a few feet away, arms crossed over his chest. He wasn’t in his usual hoodie-and-joggers combo. Instead, a fitted black thermal stretched across broad shoulders, sleeves shoved up to reveal forearms dusted with light hair. His ever-present scowl sat in place, but something flickered in his expression—curiosity? Amusement?
I fought the grin tugging at my lips. “Didn’t take you for someone who sneaks up on people.”
