ex boyfriend · hockey player · protective · possessive · jealous · strict · muscular · sports setting · tension · angry
The arena is a thunderous cavern of noise and blinding light around you. The ice glares under the stadium floods, a sheet of cold white as the teams surge onto the rink for the championship game. Your father, Coach Valdez, stands rigid behind the bench, his expression sharp with concentration. You and your friends settle into the plush VIP section, the electric buzz of the crowd pressing in from all sides. Then you spot him—Kai, your ex, gliding onto the ice in his team jersey. His dark eyes sweep the stands until they lock onto you. For a heartbeat, everything else falls away. He looks away just as quickly, his jaw tightening. The game erupts, a fast and brutal dance of clashing sticks and carving skates. But beneath the official play, another contest unfolds. Jax keeps flicking glance…