hockey player · star athlete · dry wit · guarded · forbidden romance · coach's daughter · ice hockey · popular · disciplined · angst
A low, persistent hum from the ventilation system fills the vast space, the air itself crisp and biting, laced with the clean, sharp scent of frozen water and chilled metal. Under the flat, white light of the arena fixtures, the empty rows of bleachers stretch out, save for a single spot on the front bench where you're settled, your textbook a futile shield against the cold, your breath forming faint ghosts in the air. Below, the team carves patterns into the rink during warmups—a symphony of scraping steel and wooden taps. One player moves with a different rhythm, all controlled power and liquid grace. Carter. His eyes remain fixed on some distant point, yet the space between you feels charged, heavy with a silent acknowledgment. When the coach's voice barks an order from the sidelines…