# Chapter 37: The Ghost in the Arena
Hello everyone, it's me again! How are you all doing? Today I will continue to walk with you and review Chapter 37 of *The Deal: Off Campus*—a chapter that starts with laughter, heat, and the sweet rhythm of Hannah and Garrett's happiness, then rips the rug out from under us with a face from Hannah's past. So buckle up, because this one hurts in the best and worst ways.
We open in Garrett's bedroom, where Hannah and Garrett are in the middle of sex—and Hannah is complaining. Her legs are cramping, she is not flexible, and she is officially vetoing the position. Garrett laughs, but he listens, shifting her legs down and around his waist. The angle changes, and suddenly Hannah is very much on board. What follows is intimate, playful, and full of the easy chemistry that makes these two so addictive. Garrett finishes first, but keeps moving until Hannah shatters too, biting her lip so she doesn't alert his roommates. Afterward, she превращается into an affection monster, kissing his face and neck while he grumbles about her post-sex energy. She can't help it. Around him, she is soft, hungry, and happy.
And life really is good. A week has passed since Thanksgiving, and Hannah and Garrett are still going strong. They are both buried in final papers, including the one for Tolbert's class that Hannah has been helping Garrett with. Garrett's hockey schedule is brutal, and Hannah's showcase prep is just as intense—but for the first time in a long time, she is excited about performing. She and Jae have worked out an arrangement she loves, and Fiona even got her a private rehearsal space in one of the senior choir rooms. That means Hannah hasn't run into Cass or Mary Jane since they betrayed her. She still hasn't forgiven them. MJ keeps texting, asking to talk, but Hannah ignores her. Some wounds don't close just because someone sends a message.
Then there's the icing on the cake: Hannah's dad called with good news. Her parents are meeting her at Aunt Nicole's for Christmas. She's already booked her ticket and can't wait to see them. The only sour note is that Garrett can't come. The team has games scheduled around her trip, so he'll be spending the holidays with Logan instead, who apparently lives twenty minutes from Hastings. It's disappointing, but Hannah is trying to focus on the joy.
That joy gets interrupted by Logan pounding on the door, yelling that it's time to put their "p's and v's" away. Hannah is confused; Garrett laughs and explains it's grade-school slang for putting away their private parts. He gets dressed, promises to have someone save Hannah a seat at the game, and they head their separate ways.
Hannah drives Tracy's car back to campus for rehearsal. Without Cass around, singing feels like hers again. She and her personal cellist polish the ending of her song, and by the time she's done, she's buzzing with confidence. She texts Allie to see if she wants to come to the game, but Allie is busy with Sean, and her other friends are drowning in schoolwork. Hannah is grateful she got ahead on her own papers.
She arrives at the arena later than planned. The third period has already started, and the scoreboard reads 1-1. Briar is playing a Division II team from Buffalo—a team Garrett was sure wouldn't be competitive. He was wrong. A senior named Natalie has saved Hannah a seat behind the home bench. Natalie is dating Birdie and has been since freshman year, which is practically a lifetime in college relationship years. She's funny and warm, and she and Hannah bond quickly.
On the ice, Dean takes a brutal hit and goes sprawling. Natalie and Hannah gasp, but Dean pops back up, and the game continues. Then Garrett hits the ice, and Hannah's pulse spikes. He is fast, skilled, and physical. His first pass connects with Birdie, and they fly into the zone. Garrett chases the puck, wins a battle behind the crease, and snaps off a shot. The goalie saves it, but the rebound lands right on Birdie's stick. He slaps it back, and the goalie's glove is a second too late. Natalie leaps up, cheering herself hoarse. Briar takes the lead. The final minutes are tense, but Briar holds on and wins 2-1.
After the game, Natalie and Hannah walk toward the locker rooms. Natalie gushes that she's glad Hannah is with Garrett. She says Garrett is intense about hockey, hardly drinks, and doesn't get serious with anyone—but with Hannah, he looks happy and relaxed. Hannah likes hearing it. She likes being Garrett Graham's girl. It still feels surreal, but she's holding on to it.
Then she sees him. Garrett's father, Phil Graham, standing twenty feet away in a baseball cap, signing autographs for a group of guys in Briar jerseys. The sight of him makes Hannah's blood run cold. She hates him—the way he lives through Garrett, the way he pushes and pressures and looms. She is so focused on her anger that she doesn't watch where she's going. She bumps hard into someone.
And the world stops.
Rob Delaney stares back at her, just as stunned. Hannah hasn't seen him since the day he testified in court—on her rapist's behalf. Her body turns to ice. Shivers rack her spine. Her feet are frozen. Wave after wave of horror crashes into her. Rob is wearing a Buffalo State jacket. Someone shouts "Wellsy!" and Rob bolts like he's trying to outrun a bullet.
Hannah can't breathe. Garrett appears beside her, his hand gentle on her cheek, but her gaze is glued to Rob's retreating back. Garrett asks what's wrong, who that guy is. Hannah says nobody. Garrett searches her face, then his expression shifts into horrified understanding. He asks if it's *him*—the one who hurt her. Hannah quickly says no, it's not. But she finally admits the truth: the guy is Rob Delaney, Aaron's best friend, one of the guys who testified against her after the night she was assaulted.
Garrett is already stalking away.
And that's where Chapter 37 leaves us—heart pounding, stomach dropping, desperate for the next page.
## Reader's Impressions & Star Rating
This chapter is a masterclass in tonal whiplash. It begins with such warm, unfiltered intimacy—Hannah complaining about her legs, Garrett laughing, the two of them tangled in that easy, affectionate rhythm. It reminds us why we love them. Then it gives us a slice of normal college life: papers, rehearsals, hockey games, Christmas plans. It feels safe. It feels earned. And that's exactly why the ending hits like a slap.
The introduction of Rob Delaney is devastating. Hannah's reaction is written with such visceral accuracy—the freeze, the shivers, the inability to breathe. You feel her trauma in your own chest. And Garrett's immediate shift from concern to protective fury is both terrifying and understandable. He doesn't even hesitate. He's already gone. The cliffhanger is brutal, and it forces us to confront the fact that Hannah's past isn't just a shadow—it's a living, breathing thing that can walk into an arena and shatter her peace in seconds.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4.8 / 5 Stars
## Next Chapter Prediction
Garrett is about to confront Rob Delaney, and it's not going to be pretty. I predict a physical altercation—or at least a heated, terrifying confrontation that forces Hannah to intervene before Garrett does something that could get him suspended, arrested, or worse. Hannah will have to reveal more of her past to Garrett, and this will be a turning point for them. We may finally hear the full story of what happened with Aaron, the trial, and the friends who turned their backs on her. Garrett will have to learn how to support her without letting his rage consume him. This could be the chapter where their relationship is tested in the deepest way yet—and where Hannah learns that letting someone see her scars doesn't mean she has to face them alone. But first, someone needs to stop Garrett before he throws a punch he can't take back.
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