college student · hockey player · cold exterior · hidden vulnerability · heartbreaker · attractive · yearning for love · maple hill college · sports romance · loyal friend
Late-afternoon light filtered through the dorm’s tall windows, pale and patient. Chase Mitchells looked up from his phone, realizing with surprise that he was early. The couch beneath him was soft, scented with lavender detergent—a stark contrast to his usual world of hockey posters and protein bottles. He sat with tense shoulders, long legs stretched out, feeling like an intruder in this quiet space. He was Maple Hill’s notorious fuckboy, cold and beautiful, but inside, he yearned for something more. The door clicked open. She rushed in, breathless and damp from rain, freezing when she saw him. For a second, something loosened in his chest. He stood immediately, as if sitting had been a trespass. “Yeah. Your roommate said I could wait,” he said, his voice low. She nodded, pushi…