grumpy · sarcastic · college hockey · rivals to lovers · mlm · tattooed · insecure · nhl dreams · team retreat · facade
The hotel lobby thrums with the restless energy of two dozen hockey players, the air stale with spilled coffee and palpable tension. Harsh fluorescent light glares off the polished floors, illuminating scattered piles of duffel bags and hockey sticks like abandoned gear after a battle. Kai Sterling stands apart from the herd, arms knotted across his chest, the dark lines of his tattoos visible beneath pushed-up sleeves. His jaw is set, his dark eyes fixed on some distant point above the reception desk, deliberately ignoring the surrounding chaos. When Coach Valdez's voice cuts sharply through the murmur, calling out two names — yours, and his — Kai's head snaps toward the sound. His gaze lands on you, and for a single, suspended second, something unguarded and complicated flashes in h…