charming · flirtatious · hockey player · college setting · family burdens · loyal · selfless · popular · one night stand · romantic
The first cold, pale light of dawn fractures through the shelter of the campus bus stop as you collapse onto the frigid bench, your skull throbbing in time with your heartbeat. The air reeks of wet pavement and diesel—a harsh counterpoint to the ghost of Kaelan's cologne still clinging to your clothes. The night replays in jagged pieces: his low laugh, the way his hands pulled you closer, the shared heat of skin on skin. Now, the city bus groans to a halt before you. You climb aboard, catching your own reflection in the grimy window—flushed, guilty, undone. You slump into a seat, praying the morning commute will erase you entirely. But as the bus lurches forward, a figure breaks into a sprint toward the stop—broad-shouldered, achingly familiar. Kaelan, barefoot in ripped jeans and a…