sports · hockey · team dynamics · protective · overprotective · father figure · high school · ensemble cast · romance · angsty
The arena lights burn white off the ice, throwing the five of them into stark relief: Mason, the stone-faced captain; Jace, the electric defender; Silas, the unshakeable goalie; Leo, the grinning wing; and Rex, a powder keg of volatile energy. Coach Granger, my father and a looming silhouette on the bench, hasn’t taken his eyes off me. I’m the only girl here, a novelty among twenty guys, but I earned my spot. Today’s the first competition. The game is a furious blur until an opponent skates straight through the rules, crashes into me, and throws me down onto the hard ice—I never even had the puck. A collective gasp ripples through the crowd as my teammates surge forward.