𝐑 𝐎 𝐒 𝐀 𝐋 𝐈 𝐄 ' 𝐒   𝐏 𝐎 𝐕

Cara is the person who goes with the flow. She doesn't stress about the little things and is the spontaneous one who would travel the world the very next day. However, when it comes to her artwork, more specifically showcasing her artwork to professionals in the industry, she is a nervous wreck.

Picking at my freshly manicured nails as I sit on the bathroom counter in the art gallery, my legs are crossed. One peeks out of the slit of my deep red satin knee length strappy dress that brushes against my skin.

Cara paces in front of me, her arms flailing all over the place and her actions are a stark contrast to her confident outer appearance. "Why am I here?"

I raise my eyebrow and part my lips. "Because you have an exhibit here?"

Cara rolls her eyes before turning to face me with her hands on her hips. "No, I mean I should not be here with the seniors who have this amazing artwork and two more years of experience. Was my professor high when she asked me? Seriously, she's eaten brownies in class before and I bet you any money they were weed brownies."

"Now you're being dramatic," I tell her as I jump off the bathroom counter and place my hands on her shoulders. "Get it together."

"I'm going to throw up," Cara fans herself with her hand and I shake my head.

"Cara, listen to me. Your artwork is amazing. You deserve to be here. Your professor wouldn't have let you if she didn't think you weren't. Ok? There are going to be people that love your art," I explain, and her eyes soften as a vulnerable look flashes across her face.

"And the ones that don't?"

I take my hands off her shoulders before smoothing my dress down. "You tell them to go fuck themselves."

Cara laughs. "See, we're best friends for a reason. Thank you and thank you for being here. It means a lot."

"Always," I truthfully state before I hug her. Pulling back, I grab my clutch that sat on the counter. "Now pull on your big girl pants or in this case dress. Strut out there with your head held high and if you see me fighting someone later because they said something about your art, you might have to bail me out of jail."

"Guess it's the least I can do if it's about my art." She shrugs and I nod my head. "Ok, let's do this."

Linking my arm through hers, we make our way out of the bathroom and back into the gallery. Elegance and poise energy flows through the gallery, radiating from the people dressed in formal event clothes to the waiters serving champagne glasses.

The gallery is now buzzing with energy, with more people having arrived since we were in the bathroom. Classical music plays through the building and soft chatter can only just be heard over the music.

Different displays surround the floor with the artists proudly standing by them conversing with anyone who comes by. My eyes flicker over to where Cara's stands seeing people over there and I nudge her before nodding over there.

"Go."

She takes a deep breath before standing straight and strutting off to her display. Immediately conversing with the people there, including her professor. Smiling at her confidence, my eyes scan the gallery before landing on the gallery door that opens. Isaiah and Octavia walk through, looking like the most attractive couple in the room like always.

Miles follows behind them, buttoning his suit jacket up with a nervous look on his face. To my surprise, Roman follows in behind them, dressed in black suit pants and a white button shirt that has the sleeves rolled up to his elbows allowing his sleeve of tattoos on his left arm stand out.

My black strappy heels click against the tiled floor as I make my way over to them. Octavia smiles when she sees me and my eyes look behind her seeing Roman's eyes roam down my outfit. His eyes paying attention to the cowl neck showing my cleavage. Octavia hugs me as soon as I get close enough.

"Don't you all clean up nice," I comment as we pull back before I joke. "For hockey players."

"Says the girl who lives in hoodies," Isaiah jokes, and I roll my eyes. "Hope you don't mind. We brought some strays."

I chuckle, knowing he is referring to Miles and Roman. "The more support for Cara the better, she's a nervous wreck."

"Cara?" Roman raises his eyebrow and I nod my head.

"When it comes to people judging her art, she isn't the confident girl she always is." I shrug before I look over to Miles, whose eyes are locked on Cara's frame. "I'm sure she'd love to see a friendly face."

Miles' eyes shoot over to me as I nod my head over there, and he looks nervous. Roman pushes him forward, making him stumble before he shoots a glare at Roman.

Miles shoots me a nervous smile as he walks past and makes his way over to Cara, who is now alone as the people she was talking to have walked off. The four of us stand watching, not so subtly, and we watch as Cara catches Miles' figure walking towards her. I can only imagine her surprise since she didn't think he'd be here.

They stand opposite each other as they talk, and my eyes widen as Miles takes hold of Cara's hand that rests at her side and she doesn't reject his touch. She looks up at him as they talk and not seconds later, she wraps her arms around his waist in a hug. He hesitates before wrapping his arms around her and hugging her before placing a kiss on her head.

"This is already a weird night," Roman comments and we all laugh in agreement. Isaiah and Octavia say about going to check out the artwork leaving Roman and I.

"Did they force you to come here? I didn't think it was your scene," I ask as we stand side by side, our eyes occasionally glancing at Cara and Miles' interaction.

"It's not. Isaiah and Octavia were coming and then they persuaded Miles to come after assuring him Cara wouldn't tell him to leave. Miles said he'd only come if I came in case things went south, so here I am." Roman shrugs.

"As much as you piss me off, you're a good friend," I admit, and Roman looks over at me.

"Same goes for you." Roman states before he heads over to the closest piece of art and I follow, not wanting to interrupt Cara and Miles. "I don't understand art." He tilts his head and furrows his eyebrows as he stares at the painting and points. "What even is this?"

"It's abstract. Meaning it's whatever you want to see," I clarify, and he raises an eyebrow.

"I'll stick to hockey," Roman grumbles, and I chuckle. "How do you think that will play out?"

Knowing he is speaking about the elephant in the room, I look over to see Miles with his arm around Cara's waist as they talk to a couple. "Who knows? Maybe it will be us they kick out of the cabin."

As soon as the couple Cara and Miles were talking to walk away, I see Isaiah and Octavia head over to them. Tapping Roman's shoulder, we make our way over also and we're gathered around her display as Isaiah and Roman who haven't seen her art look at it.

"Am I going to jail yet?" I ask Cara, who chuckles and shakes her head.

"Jail?" Isaiah raises his eyebrow.

"If you go to jail, I'll request they keep you in there, would make my life a lot easier," Roman comments and I glare at him.

"As long as I go to jail for your murder, I'll be happy," I smirk and before Roman can retaliate, Octavia speaks up.

"If you two are going to be like this the entire New Year's trip, you won't be coming," Tavia scolds.

"He started it."

"She started it."

Roman and I say at the same time, and the group shakes their heads at our childishness. Before we can continue talking, Cara's professor walks over and sticks a black dot on one of her paintings.

"Congratulations, you just sold your very first painting." The professor states before walking off and I launch at Cara, hugging her as does Tavia.

"I sold a painting." Cara lets it sink in as she beams and hugs us back.

"Wait wait wait...you get paid for this? I'm in the wrong major," Miles mumbles, making us all laugh before the guys congratulate Cara.

❈❈❈

"You look like you're going to fall asleep on this bench."

Opening my eyes at the sound of Roman's voice, he uninvitedly sits down next to me on the bench outside the art gallery. With my long trench coat wrapped around me to keep me somewhat warm. I wait for Cara, who is inside with the professor and rest of the students, everyone else has gone home. Now midnight, the place is deserted.

"Keep talking and I will," I state, and he rolls his eyes. "Where are the others?"

Roman leans his forearms on his thighs. "Octavia is in the bathroom, so Isaiah is waiting, and Miles is waiting inside for Cara. Why are you out here?"

"Was hoping the fresh air would wake me up," I explain, and he raises his eyebrow.

He smirks. "How is that working out for you?"

"Shut up," I mumble as he snickers and the door opening gets our attention as Isaiah and Octavia walk out.

"Cara is grabbing her coat," Octavia states and I nod my head. "Who knew looking at art could be so tiring."

She leans into Isaiah's side, and he wraps his arm around her before looking behind her. "Holy shit."

"What?" Octavia questions and he points inside the building. We look through the glass door, seeing Cara and Miles...kissing.

They pull away before they make their way outside and we all turn around to pretend we didn't just see what we saw. Cara and Miles walk over to us with his hand on the small of her back and she speaks up. "Ready to go?"

We all nod before sharing a glance and we say goodbye to the others who are sharing a cab back to the hockey house. Meanwhile Cara and I get one to our apartment. We don't speak on the way back, both of us are extremely tired from the night.

Paying the driver, we make our way up to our apartment. As soon as we get in Cara makes her way to her bedroom and I follow, before seeing her fall face first into her bed, groaning.

"You saw, didn't you?"

Nodding, I walk further into the room, and she lifts her head before sitting up on the bed and I join her. "We did."

"I don't even know what happened. He was helping me put my coat on and he had been so sweet all night and attentive. Calming me down, and it just reminded me how caring he is and how well he knows me," Cara explains, and I wrap my arms around her as we sit on her bed.

"Did you kiss him?" I ask, and she nods. "He was nervous, you know. When he came in he thought you'd tell him you didn't want him there."

"Of course I wanted him there." Cara sighs.

"Do you think there's a chance you'll reconcile?" I question, and she shrugs as she takes a few moments to gather her thoughts.

"Maybe, who knows? I think before we do, we need to talk considering we both said some horrible things to each other when we broke up and that's still on our minds," She explains before she stands up and takes out her earrings and takes off the rest of her jewelry.

"What's stopping you?"

Cara turns to me. "You know Miles was the first guy to not care that I identify as asexual. He didn't care that I didn't have any sexual attraction towards him or any desire to have sex. He said he could have waited years because he knew the only way I'd sleep with him is to compromise."

"He's a good one," I admit, and she nods her head. "But puck bunnies come along with the territory of dating a hockey player."

One of the biggest reasons they broke up is Cara couldn't handle the puck bunnies. They're relentless. Especially a certain one who would always be around Miles.

Sometimes randomly she'd kiss him and even though he pushed her away, it was a lot for Cara to handle seeing. She never blamed Miles. It wasn't his fault. The girl would even send her death threats. Cara wasn't cut out for it, and they broke up.

A few days after, Miles drunkenly slept with that exact puck bunny and when he woke up the next day and realized it was too late because the girl had sent a picture of Miles in her bed to Cara. She confronted him and he didn't deny it. 

The bridge was burned between them. Even though they were broken up, it hurt Cara that Miles could just move on that quickly from their relationship as if she meant nothing to him and it took a lot for her to trust him in the first place. The girl got kicked out of the college considering she sent death threats, kissed Miles without consent and took the explicit picture without consent.

"So, I guess the question is, is dating Miles worth the wrath of the puck bunnies?"

Cara sighs. "I fucking hate puck bunnies."

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𝐀 𝐔 𝐓 𝐇 𝐎 𝐑   𝐍 𝐎 𝐓 𝐄

「  Some Cara/Miles action for you all and a little into their backstory of what happened between them.  

Q: Would you be upset if the other person had done this a few days after? I've learnt with my previous book readers have different opinions on what characters do after they have broken up so I'm curious your thoughts. 

I have friends who this has happened to and it made them question if the person had been cheating on them throughout their relationship and made them feel like the relationship meant nothing to the other person if they could move on so quickly. 」