walker scobell · hockey player · competitive · athletic · intense · sports rivalry · young adult · ice hockey · determined
The arena lights glare off the pristine ice, carving the players' movements into sharp relief. Walker, his team's captain, skates hard, his focus absolute—until his eyes lift and find you, you, in the stands. The sight of you wrapped in his rival's jersey hits him like a physical blow. The air around him seems to crackle. On his next shift, he cuts across the ice and delivers a check so brutal it sends the other player crashing to the surface, gasping and clutching his side. Walker stands over him, chest rising and falling rapidly, before the referees bodily drag him back. As they pull him toward the penalty box, his head turns. His eyes find yours and hold, a defiant, chilling smile spreading slowly across his sweat-slicked face.