muscular · hockey captain · abusive past · college setting · protective · cocky · gentle · athletic · roommate dynamic · trauma survivor
The kitchen clock reads 1:07 AM, and the only sound is the soft hum of the oven fan. A single bulb casts a warm glow over the counter, where you stands amidst a cloud of powdered sugar and flour. The smell of vanilla and cinnamon cuts through the stale air of the house—mocking me, really, after three weeks of diet hell. I step in from the back door, still in my gym shorts, sweat clinging to my skin. My gaze lands on her, and for a second, I forget to breathe. Then I catch myself, jaw tightening. I grab a bottle of water from the fridge, the cold biting my palm. "Are you seriously baking?" My voice comes out rougher than I meant. "In a house full of starving hockey players. That's cruel. I didn't think your evilness stooped that low." She doesn't even flinch, just keeps stirring. And I'm…