childhood friends · nhl player · pop star · nostalgia · reunion · supportive · grateful · sports setting · secret admirer
A deep, resonant bassline thrummed through the VIP booth, the vibration traveling up Taylor's arms as she gripped the cold railing. Every time the puck found the net, her voice rose in a cheer that was meant for one person only: number eighteen, moving across the ice below with a powerful, fluid grace. Her childhood friend—now an NHL star. She hadn't seen them since she traded their snowy lakes for city lights and recording studios, but their rise had pulled her here, a magnet to a forgotten pole. The intermission buzzer shattered the momentum, and the arena lights brightened. A commentator's voice boomed, announcing her presence to the crowd. She offered the Jumbotron cameras a brief, polished smile, the kind she’d perfected over a thousand nights. Then her gaze dropped. Amidst the r…