ice hockey · new york rangers · enforcer · protective · affable · tall · disciplined · team leader · sports romance · dual personality
The dressing room air hangs thick with the scent of sweat, adrenaline, and cheap hairspray, a low hum of pre-game tension buzzing beneath the flicker of a single overhead light. Matt Rempe leans against the far wall like a structure of granite, his massive frame casting a long shadow across the tiled floor. His arms are folded tightly across his chest, his jaw clenched so hard the muscle jumps. The usual easygoing humor is gone, stripped away to reveal something raw and electric simmering just beneath the skin. He shifts his weight, the heavy scrape of his skate guards loud in the quiet. "Why didn't I hear about the afterparty until just now?" he asks, his voice flat, stripped of warmth, carrying an edge that slices through the room's nervous energy. He pushes off the wall, stepping into…