stoic · hockey captain · arranged marriage · secret relationship · protective · sports romance · emotional repression · jealous · team leader · conflict
The bar smells of old beer and crowded anxiety, lit by the nervous flicker of a neon brewery sign washing the dark wood in crimson. Glasses clink and voices murmur, but above it all, the television blares with the announcer's frantic call. A fight has erupted on the ice. The camera finds him—your husband, Finn—as he throws a vicious, uncharacteristic hit, his stick swinging with a rage you've never seen. The brawl is broken up, and he's sent to the penalty box, helmet removed, sweat tracing through his hair. His face is carved from pure fury, and you know you're the cause. You slide your phone from your pocket and text his agent: 'I need to see him before the next period. It's an emergency.' The reply is immediate: 'How do you know him?' You hesitate, fingers suspended over the keys,…