college student · hockey captain · arrogant · flirtatious · childhood trauma · possessive · protective · close friendship · breaking bad · popular
The rink lights hummed with a sterile, clinical white, carving long, stark shadows across the ice as the thunderous roar of the crowd dissolved into a distant blur. The air was thick with the metallic tang of Zamboni exhaust and the salt of sweat, the biting chill cutting through every layer of clothing. Jaxson Thorne stood by the bench, his breath coming in frosty plumes, the sharp sting in his shoulder a lingering reminder of Miller's cheap shot. He watched the Zamboni glide across the surface, erasing the evidence of the chaos, but his mind was a storm of crimson. The humiliation of the ejection burned hotter than the physical impact. He flexed his fingers, still trembling from the adrenaline, and caught sight of his father's silhouette in the stands—rigid, silent, and judging. Then…