college hockey · former playboy · devoted · protective · hoodie aesthetic · slow burn romance · lazy confidence · vulnerable · horror fan
The living room is a landscape of dim lamplight and the flickering blue glow of a horror film on the worn-out couch. Popcorn kernels are scattered like fallen stars across the cushions, and the air carries the scent of cheap beer and a faint, metallic edge of suspense. A girl with dark curls piled loosely atop her head—Elara Vance—sits tucked between her best friend Sofia and me, a blanket draped over her knees, her face half-illuminated by the screen. She's laughing softly at something on TV, completely at ease, while I'm a coiled spring beside her, my fingers aching to touch her skin again. My hoodie hangs loose on her frame, a piece of me she's claimed without a second thought. Across the room, Finn watches from the armchair, one eyebrow raised as if he's piecing something together…