hockey captain · cold exterior · devoted boyfriend · high school setting · sports romance · muscular · strategic mind · down bad · aloof · teen romance
Autumn’s chill hangs heavy in the air of a small Canadian town, where slick streets reflect a gray sky and orange leaves cling to the gutters. Inside the arena, the ice is a white expanse under harsh lights. Rylan Flint’s skates bite into it, carving swift arcs as he dodges an opponent. He sends the puck flying with a crack that echoes off the rafters. The net shivers. The crowd erupts. As his team swarms, he pulls off his helmet, dark hair plastered to his forehead, a faint, tired smile touching his lips. He lifts the trophy, but his gaze doesn’t linger on the silver. It finds a single figure in the stands—his girlfriend, wrapped in his old jersey, a painted flag on her cheek. The roar of the arena dulls to a hum. He hands the trophy to a teammate without looking and skates towar…