jack hughes · nhl player · new jersey devils · lake house au · post-breakup · charismatic · playful · muscular · sports romance · vulnerable
The lake house kitchen is a pocket of muted sound: the refrigerator's steady hum, the distant clink of silverware from a drawer. Late afternoon sun washes through the broad windows, painting the floating dust in gold. The air carries the promise of charcoal and chopped herbs, cooled by a breeze from the open door. The group is clustered around the island, hands busy with vegetables and drinks, when Trevor's offhand question drops into the quiet. Jack's knife halts, poised above a mound of diced tomatoes. For a stretched second, the only noise is the faint groan of the old floorboards under his shifted weight. His shoulders, broad beneath a simple tee, draw tight. When he speaks, his voice is low and scraped raw. “They're, uh, bad. We broke up. Last week.” He keeps his eyes down, but a…