Hands Off The Ice King Novel – Hope’s POV “Congratulations! We are calling back to inform you that you have been hired as the new Physical Therapist of the New York Glaciers.” I nearly dropped my phone. My fingers went numb, my breath catching somewhere between disbelief and hope. I threw my apron into the dirty linens while my best friend, Freya, stared at me, mouthing, ‘what’s happening?’ I held out a hand, my voice trembling. “Oh—this is unexpected. Thank you so much! Do I need to do anything for now?” “The details have been sent to your email. Please head to the office by Monday for the contract signing.” “We are pleased to welcome you to our team.” “Thank you again. Really, really thank you.” The call ended, and the silence lasted only a second before I squealed, jumping in place. Freya squealed with me, laughing even though she had no idea why. “What’s happening?” “I’m hired for the New York Glaciers!” I exclaimed, my chest feeling too small to contain the words.
Her eyes widened before she screamed louder than I did. “Oh my gosh! This is great news! You’ve been wanting to become the PT of a sports team since forever!” I smiled, my cheeks aching from it. “Well, it’s hard getting hired in this economy, especially when you didn’t graduate within the strict timeline.” She sighed, opening her arms. I fell into her embrace, letting myself feel it—relief, pride, something close to vindication. “This is your big break, Hope. You can finally leave this fast food hell.” I laughed softly, pulling away. “You have to leave it soon, too.” “Don’t worry,” she grinned. “I’ll be a bigshot photographer soon.” I nodded, feeding off her energy, before glancing at the clock. My heart skipped. “I have to go tell Connor. He must be back from practice,” I said, the excitement bubbling all over again. Her expression faltered. Just slightly—but I caught it. “What now?” “Nothing, nothing,” she said quickly. “I don’t want to ruin the moment, but Connor is the reason you started working in this hellhole in the first place.” “You had to work just to pay for his hockey equipment and workshops, which then caused the delays in your graduation.” I sighed, the words familiar, worn into me. “You already know the reason, Frey.
His parents didn’t support him playing hockey. But they’ve finally accepted him after all these years.” A small smile tugged at my lips. Connor, my boyfriend of three years, had wanted this his entire life. He only started playing in college, after years of being told to become a doctor. I was the one who told him to chase it anyway. And now, he was with the New York Glaciers. Meanwhile, I took four years to finish a two-and-a-half-year degree. But I never regretted it. Not when it meant standing beside him. “He’s a benchwarmer, though,” Freya muttered. I ignored her, slinging my bag over my shoulder as I headed for the door. “See you tomorrow! I’ll hand in my resignation letter.” She smiled despite everything, waving. “Stay safe!” I made my way to the apartment Connor and I shared, my steps lighter than they had been in years. The business district buzzed around me, but all I could hear was the echo of that call. Rent was expensive in central Manhattan, but Connor insisted we stay near the rink. Thankfully, my three jobs kept us afloat. Barely, but still. I entered the old building, the familiar creak of the door greeting me. The elevator was broken again, as always. My legs ached, but it didn’t matter.
I took the stairs two at a time, my heart racing for an entirely different reason. I pushed the apartment door open, my smile unstoppable, my chest full. “Con—” The word died in my throat. A sound slipped through the air. Soft. Breathless. A moan. “Ahh, Connor! Right there,” a familiar voice gasped. My body froze. “Fuck, you like that?” Connor’s voice—low, rough, unmistakable—wrapped around me like chains. “Yes,” the woman moaned. “You’re the best I ever had.” Connor chuckled. I heard it—the wet, intimate sound of mouths colliding and skin slapping against skin. “And you’re the best for me, too. No one else can compare.” Something inside me cracked. It felt like ice water flooding my veins, freezing everything in place. Still, I moved. One step at a time, even as dread coiled tighter in my stomach. It couldn’t be. It shouldn’t be. After everything, he couldn’t do this to me. The bedroom door was open. Connor lay on his back, a blonde bombshell riding him, her body moving like she belonged there. Like he belonged to her. My throat went dry. Just like that, the happiness I carried home shattered into nothing. “Your dick is so big! It’s hitting all the right places,” she moaned, breathless.
Connor gripped her hair, pulling her closer. “You moan so cutely.” “Cuter than your girlfriend?” “Of course.” The words landed harder than anything else. She shifted on top of him, her sounds filling the small apartment—the same apartment I paid for. Cleaned. Built a life in. I immediately recognized her. Delaney Rhodes. A famous courtside reporter for the national league, and also, the daughter of Dennis Rhodes, the very coach of the New York Glaciers. My bag slipped from my shoulder, hitting the floor with a dull thud that shattered the moment. Delaney gasped, scrambling off him, clutching the sheets—the ones I washed this morning. Connor looked at me. Surprise flickered in his eyes, but only for a second. Then it was gone. It was quickly replaced by calmness. “Hope,” he said, like this was nothing. “You’re not on night duty today?” “No…” My voice felt foreign. “That’s Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. It’s been like that for years, Connor.” I watched something shift in his face before it eventually broke. “Look, Hope, I’m sorry you had to find out like this, but it’s inevitable.” “Inevitable?” My voice rose, sharp and disbelieving. “How is cheating on me inevitable?” He scratched the back of his neck, like he was inconvenienced. “Thank you for taking care of me all these years, but now that my career is finally kicking off, I need someone… worthy by my side.” Worthy. The word echoed in my mind.
I wasn’t worthy enough to stand next to me. I glanced at Delaney. She looked almost sheepish, but not guilty. Not even close. “After everything I’ve done for you,” I whispered. Connor sighed, already done with me. “Anyway, you don’t have to worry about me staying here any longer. I already bought a bigger place closer to the rink. I just didn’t have the heart to tell you.” “I’ll head out for now so you can clear your mind. Delaney and I are going to have a vacation in Bora Bora before the season starts. I’ll come back after to get my things. Come on, Delaney.” Delaney slipped out of bed and reached for a dress. It was mine. The one Connor gave me on our first anniversary. He watched her with something soft in his eyes—something I used to think was mine—before taking her hand and walking past me like I was nothing. Like I had always been nothing. And just like that, I was alone. Surrounded by memories. By sacrifices. By a life I built for someone who had already decided I wasn’t worth staying for. Tears blurred my vision, but they didn’t fall fast enough to keep up with the way everything inside me was breaking.
2: HOPE Hope’s POV “That fucking bastard cheated on you? Him?” Freya exclaimed so loudly I was afraid the customers outside would hear. “Frey, keep your voice down,” I muttered, panic creeping in. Freya shook her head. “Nah—you’re telling me that he was the one who cheated on you? After everything you’ve done for him? I mean, I’ve never liked him for you in the first place, but this is an all-time low.” I had just finished telling her everything. She’d noticed something was off since the start of our shift, but it took everything in me to finally say it out loud. I stared at the hairnet in my hands and sighed. That was what kept me up at night, too—the weight of everything I had sacrificed for him. The extra shifts. The delayed classes. The way I bent my entire life just to keep his dreams alive. “Where is that bastard so I can punch his veneers in?” she snapped. “He’s in Bora Bora… with Delaney Rhodes.” “He’s on vacation?!” Freya nearly shrieked again, making me wince. “With that bitch Delaney Rhodes, too? She’s dated half the national league, but everyone thinks she’s a sweetheart! Isn’t she the one who got caught being rude to restaurant workers? And her coach daddy just buried it?” I swallowed, my chest tightening. “What do I do now, Frey? I thought this job would be my saving grace. Harley’s going to college, and he wants to play hockey too. I feel guilty not helping him… but I don’t even know how I’ll manage tuition and everything else.” “Take the job, Hope,” Freya said firmly, stepping closer and cupping my face so I had no choice but to look at her. “You’ve wanted this—long before you fell in love with Connor.” “How can I work there when he’s there, Frey?” “You just do,” she said, her voice softening. “Because you’re not there for him. You’re there for you.” She suddenly straightened, her energy snapping back. “This is actually a good thing.” Before I could react, she climbed onto the bench and raised her fist like she was on stage. “You’re free from that bastard! You did all the chores in your shared apartment. You paid more than your share.
And last but not least—you did everything in bed! He was a total pillow princess!” “Frey,” I hissed, my cheeks burning as one of our coworkers passed by. She hopped down and grabbed my hands, grounding me. “You’ve been shrinking yourself for him all these years. Don’t let him keep you in a cage, even now.” For the first time since yesterday, something inside me loosened. The ache was still there, but it didn’t feel suffocating anymore. “You’re right,” I said, exhaling. “I’m going to take the job.” “That’s my girl!” Our boss, Mr. Hampton—a balding man with a protruding beer belly—poked his head in, already scowling. “Tone it down. The customers can hear you from outside. I’ll write you both up if you don’t.” Freya didn’t even hesitate. She grabbed the resignation letter I had reluctantly prepared that morning and slapped it into his hand. “Write whatever you want, Mr. Ham,” she said smugly. “My best friend’s not working here anymore.” *** “Miss Hope Henderson?” “Yes, that’s me,” I said, smoothing my skirt, trying to steady my nerves. The woman in front of me—elegant, composed, with large pearl earrings—looked me up and down. I instinctively gulped, intimidated by her presence. Then she smiled. “I was the one who contacted you through the call. The name’s Beth,” she said, extending her hand. “Manager of the New York Glaciers and head of HR. Nice to meet you.” Relief flooded through me as I shook her hand. “Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity. It really means a lot.” “It’s my pleasure,” she replied. “You’re also prettier than your picture. The boys will be delighted.” I tilted my head to the side in confusion, but before I could question it, she already spoke again. “It wasn’t easy finding someone as competent as Nate, our former PT. He passed his resignation letter after his wife got pregnant, though he still insists on working while waiting for a replacement.” She sighed lightly. “Good thing, I saw your resume and was completely intrigued by the variety of your work experiences. Thank you for coming on such short notice.” “It’s no problem at all.” Beth glanced at her watch. “Time flies. I need to meet some sponsors.
Could you wait in the rehab room? I’ll join you shortly.” Before I could ask for directions, she was already on a call, heels clicking as she disappeared down the hallway. I blinked, then looked around.