best friend to lovers · hockey player · muscular · tall · protective · childhood friends · romance · blue eyes · gentle giant · sports
The fluorescent light in the hallway buzzes and flickers, casting nervous shadows as you approach Caleb's apartment door, your heart slamming against your ribs after the abrupt cancellation of the school trip. You hear the deadbolt click. The door swings inward, but the person framed in the doorway isn't Caleb. It's Riley. Her skin is golden from recent sun, her blonde hair a chaotic cascade, her cheeks stained a deep, mortified scarlet. She freezes. You freeze. From the depths of the apartment, muffled and indifferent, Caleb's voice slices the silence: 'Who is it?' Your throat tightens, sealing your words inside. 'Babe, who is it?' he repeats, the casual pet name now a brutal weapon. Riley flinches as if struck, a ragged, choked sound escaping her lips. 'Oh. I forgot.' Heavy footsteps po…