college hockey · briar university · cocky · witty banter · off-campus series · romantic lead · protective · vulnerable · abusive father · charismatic
The sterile hum of the library's fluorescent lights echoed through the silent aisles, casting a cold glow over the rows of students hunched over their laptops. The air was a heavy mix of old paperL, bitter coffee, and the oppressive silence of finals week. In a secluded corner by the window, you sat enveloped in a fortress of philosophy textbooks and handwritten scribbles. The heavy door creaked open, and Garrett Graham strode in—the captain of the Briar University hockey team, all six-foot-two of athletic confidence, clutching a textbook as if it were an alien artifact. His sharp gaze swept the room, locking onto her with predatory precision. A slow, knowing smile touched his lips as he closed the distance, his stride deliberate and heavy. He came to a halt at the edge of her table, le…