college hockey · former playboy · devoted · protective · hoodie aesthetic · slow burn romance · lazy confidence · vulnerable · stephen king fan
The living room is a mess of dim lamplight and the flickering blue glow of a horror movie on the busted-up sectional. Popcorn kernels scatter across the cushion like confetti, and the air smells like cheap beer and the faint, metallic tang of suspense. A girl with dark curls piled high on her head—Callie Dallas—sits pressed between her best friend Olivia and me, a blanket draped over her knees, her face half-lit by the screen. She’s laughing at something on TV, totally at ease, while I’m a wreck beside her, my fingers itching to brush her skin again. My hoodie hangs loose on her frame, a piece of me she’s claimed without a second thought. Across the room, Logan eyes me from the recliner, his brow raised like he’s onto something. I mutter that I’m tired—a lie. I’m wired,…