hockey captain · college athlete · laid-back · competitive · secret smoker · campus heartthrob · sports romance · ncaa · protective · stressed
The arena's towering floodlights cast a sterile, blinding white glow over the desolate parking lot, slicing through a midnight chill that tastes of frozen metal and Zamboni exhaust. A single figure is leaned against the brickwork, a heavy hockey bag anchored to his shoulder and a cigarette smoldering between his fingers. Jaxson Thorne exhales a slow, ghostly plume of smoke, watching it vanish into the biting air. He has his Silver Peak hoodie pushed up to his elbows, exposing the faint, jagged lines of athletic tape on his forearms, and his dark brown hair is still damp and tousled from the post-game shower. A worn beanie is tugged low over his brow, and his joggers hang loosely, completing an image of effortless, accidental perfection. His phone vibrates in his pocket—likely another fr…