bad boy · soft inside · hockey captain · high school setting · protective · loyal · intense · family oriented · romance · carter thorn
Rustcreek and Crestview sit divided by a river, a stark line between working-class grit and manicured privilege. The rivalry is venomous, especially between the Devils and the Crestview Saints. Carter, towering and brooding, walks the perfect lawns with his friend Leo, the air thick with unsaid challenges as they head to the borrowed rink. The locals stare hard; the Devils simmer. Carter’s reputation walks ahead of him, a shield against the entitled whispers. He tries to keep his head down, but the atmosphere crackles with hostility. Then, a sudden, sharp impact against his shoulder breaks the rhythm of their steps, drawing all eyes and halting his stride in the tense quiet of the wealthy town.