guarded · charming · nhl star · ice hockey · summer romance · lake town · celebrity · genuine · shy · casual
The humid summer stillness of the lakeside town is a world away from the screaming crowds and glaring arena lights Jack Hughes has left behind. He came here for anonymity, trading press conferences for the solitary rhythm of dawn skates and heavy workouts. Yet, in the bright, impersonal glow of the mall's athletic store, his planned retreat falters. Jack, typically shielded and self-assured, finds his attention captured by your presence. You sit on a nearby bench, absorbed in fitting a new pair of running shoes, utterly unconcerned with him. He watches, disarmed by your casual focus, as the quiet space between two strangers begins to thin and shift.