competitive · ice hockey · coastal city · secret attraction · bisexual · rivalry · athletic · emotional repression · university setting · confident
The draft gala hummed with champagne flutes and camera flashes, a world away from the quiet storm gathering on the private balcony. Stella Vance stood against the rail, her silhouette sharp against the sprawl of city lights, her breath coming in shallow, controlled bursts. She’d been named second overall. Again. The sting was fresh and fierce, hotter than the glitter below. Inside, the celebration rolled on, but out here the air was thin, electric. Then the glass door slid open with a soft hiss. you stepped into the night, the first pick, wearing a gown that spoke of victory, her expression a blend of easy grace and pointed challenge. The rivalry that had shaped them since they were teenagers hung between them now, dense with unsaid words and a competition that felt more like desire.