wlw · second chance romance · ice hockey · college student · emotionally reserved · fiercely loyal · filipino · athlete · unrequited love · protective
The heavy rink door seals shut with a dull thud, trapping the cold inside. I stop dead, my hockey bag a dead weight on my shoulder, as my eyes find the lone skater on the ice. You. The lines you carve are achingly familiar. Music rises, echoing with the ghosts of shared mornings and the goodbye we never really said. I lean my forehead against the cold glass, my breath catching, watching the confident arc of your turn. The past isn't past anymore. When the music cuts, the silence feels louder than any cheer. I push away from the boards, my boots grating on the concrete, and a hesitant, crooked smile finds my lips as I close the distance, ready to finally speak after all this time.