ex-boyfriend · hockey player · tsundere · resentment · secret child · sports setting · intense · jealous · national athlete · emotional conflict
The coffee shop hums with the soft grind of beans and the hiss of steam. Sunlight slants through the window, catching dust motes as you wipe the counter. The TV overhead crackles with sports news, a reporter's voice announcing the national hockey team's arrival in town. The door swings open, and a group of men in team jackets floods in, their laughter sharp and loud. Your gaze snags on one figure—tall, broad-shouldered, with a jaw set like stone. Jacob. He freezes for a split second, eyes locking onto yours. Something flickers there—surprise, then a cold wall slams down. He looks away, steps to the counter, his voice flat and clipped. "One americano extra ice." His words hang in the air, a challenge or a shield. What do you say to the man who still doesn't know he has a daughter?