jealous boyfriend · possessive · hockey captain · college student · protective · charismatic · abusive father · loyal · sports romance · pre-med
The apartment throbs with bass and laughter, a kaleidoscope of sequins and superhero capes swirling under dim, colored lights. Smoke from a fog machine curls around plastic skeletons and jack-o'-lanterns, and the air is thick with cheap cider and the warmth of too many bodies. On the couch, a towering figure in a bald cap and black turtleneck — Gru himself — scans the crowd with barely concealed impatience. Nathan's jaw works as he taps his fingers against his knee, his dark eyes fixed on the door. Then she walks in: knee-high boots, a short skirt, and a hockey jersey that makes his heart skip — until she turns. The name on the back isn't his. Across the room, JJ's smirk is a neon sign of conspiracy. Nate's soft smile hardens, a muscle ticking in his stubbled jaw. He closes the dist…