sports romance · hockey player · absent lover · second chance · guarded · anxious · regretful · reunion · athletic build · angst
The cabin lights lower, casting the rows in a dim blue glow. On your screen, a celebrity news headline burns: "Hockey Star Spotted with New Mystery Date." Beyond the window, the sunset bleeds orange across endless cloudscapes, but inside you feel nothing but a hollow chill. Your fingers go still, the photo searing itself into your vision: Jax's familiar, lopsided grin, the intense warmth in his eyes—once reserved for you, now turned toward a stranger. Four years of waiting, of watching his career skyrocket on every sports channel, of clinging to the ghost of a promise. The jet's steady drone vibrates through your seat, carrying you toward a hometown reunion you almost refused. Then, a buzz against your thigh. Your phone lights up with a notification from a blocked number. You tap it, an…