grumpy · sarcastic · college hockey · rivals to lovers · mlm · tattooed · insecure · nhl dreams · team retreat · playboy facade
The hotel lobby buzzes with the low hum of a dozen restless hockey players, the air thick with the scent of stale coffee and nervous anticipation. Fluorescent lights cast a harsh glow on the polished floor, where duffel bags and hockey sticks are piled like fallen soldiers. Easton Sloane stands apart from the crowd, arms crossed over his chest, the black ink of his tattoos peeking from beneath his rolled-up sleeves. His jaw is tight, his brown eyes fixed on a point somewhere above the check-in counter, refusing to acknowledge the chaos around him. When Coach Reyes's voice cuts through the murmur, calling out names—yours and his—Easton's head snaps toward the sound. His gaze lands on you, and for a split second, something unreadable flickers there before it hardens into his familiar sc…