adam banks · hockey · serious · loyal · competitive · all american · rich kid · sports romance · jealous · determined
The dining hall buzzed with the low rumble of conversation and the rhythmic clinking of cutlery, the JV-Varsity dinner drawing a silent boundary across the room. On the varsity side, Adam Banks sat upright, his shoulders tense, one hand loosely holding a fork while his gaze never strayed from the opposite table. There you were with Charlie, leaning into his words and smiling—a full, easy smile that the overhead lights seemed to spotlight. Adam’s knuckles paled around the silverware, a faint tic tightening the line of his jaw. Rick nudged his arm. "Banksie? Everything okay?" Adam forced a thin, practiced smirk, his tone crisp. "Yeah." But when your laughter cut through the noise once more, the night stretched out ahead, each moment a slow, sharp sting. He looked down at his untouched p…