Noah's P.O.V A week after that book conference, I had just finished my last class of the day and was making my way down the corridor, contemplating a day in the gym to test how strong my knees had gotten, that's even if they healed at all, when a rough hand grabbed my arm and yanked me sideways. My back hit the wall of an empty classroom before I even had time to react. My brain stuttered, heart slamming into my ribs as I half-expected to see Dorian standing there, green eyes glaring at me. But it was Jaxon and he looked furious than I'd ever seen him in my life. “When the fuck were you planning to tell me?" He was breathing hard, eyes dark with something I couldn’t quite place, and my first instinct was to shove him off me. “What the hell is your problem?” I demanded, shaking off my disorientation. “Jesus, Jax, what is—” “The locks,” He stepped closer, his sneakers squeaking on the tile. “The locks to your apartment, Noah. They’ve been changed.” For a moment, I just blinked at
Noah’s P.O.V Ever since I bolted out of Dorian’s room like a coward, the last time I’d ever been in close proximity with him was at the game where I ended up punching him in the face. I felt so cowardly and disgusted with myself after, that I had Jaxon’s roommate switch rooms with me so I didn’t have to face Dorian when he returned to the hotel room. Fear was a bitch and it had me running from the only one who’s ever made me feel emotions so strongly it resonated down to my bone. I was a gutless bastard, too terrified to own up to the way Dorian set me on fire. I’d known that I couldn’t avoid Dorian forever especially since I would soon return to hockey, but I’d hoped to drag it out for as long as I could because I couldn’t give Dorian the answers to the questions he would ask me. They were too raw to be spoken out loud and that was why I could only share it over text with Redline87. But when I heard Dorian had gotten into a fight with that meathead, Matt, and was in a really bad fuck
Noah’s P.O.VI woke up way too fucking early, sunlight barely creeping through the blinds, but my heart was already hammering like I’d chugged three Red Bulls. It was stupid how excited I was just to see Dorian again, to grab my damn clothes from him. After last night—fuck, that shower, his mouth, the way he’d owned me—I couldn’t shake him. I’d been a coward for too long, holding back when every inch of me screamed to run toward him, not away. I rolled out of bed, dick half-hard just thinking about that heated green eyes glinting under the bathroom light, and stumbled into the shower. The hot water did nothing to calm me down; it just made me think of him slick and naked, smirking at me like he knew every dirty thought in my head.As soon as I scrubbed myself clean, I threw on a hoodie and jeans, and bolted out of the frat house like my ass was on fire. The walk to Dorian’s dorm was a blur—my pulse thumped in my ears, and I couldn’t tell if it was nerves or anticipation. His piercing
Noah’s P.O.VDorian pulled the old Chevy to a stop, a sputtering noise echoing from its engine before it finally stopped. We’d been driving for hours, the Minnesota wilderness stretching out endlessly until a little cottage appeared, nestled against a glassy lake that shimmered under the afternoon sun. In the silence that followed, I glanced over at Dorian. His long fingers were still gripping the wheel and his knuckles were scraped raw from his fight with Matt. The swelling around his eyes had lessened a lot, but honestly, Dorian was the only one I knew who still managed to look scrumptious while he was roughed up. When he noticed me looking at him, he flicked his green eyes to me for a second, before he yanked the keys out of the ignition.Neither of us said a word as we alighted and Dorian rounded the car to the trunk, opened it, and pulled out our bags before tossing mine at me. My fingers closed around the worn strap, still not sure why the fuck I even let him drive me here.Stil
I woke up to a warm, firm hand kneading my ass, fingers pressing deep, massaging like I was something to be sculpted. Lips slowly brushed over my shoulders, the soft scrape of teeth sending a dull shiver through my sleep-heavy body.A small, satisfied smile curled at my lips before I even opened my eyes. Dorian.My body knew his touch before my brain fully caught up. His fingers spread, gripping my ass like he owned it, kneading the flesh before sliding down, teasing over my thighs. I stretched on the bed with a quiet groan, pressing back into his touch and feeling my cock stir despite the ridiculous number of times we’d gone at it last night, with the endless blowjobs and handjobs.Biting back a yawn, I muttered, “Mmm. Good morning to you too.” My voice was thick with sleep, but I was already waking up fast.A low grunt was the only answer I got, Then those lips started moving lower and mapping out my back with open-mouthed kisses.. His lips traced over my spine, down past the curve
Noah’s P.O.V.On the way back to the lake house, my stomach grumbled quite loudly, reminding us that we didn't have breakfast so Dorian rolled up to this little breakfast cafe off the highway, some hole-in-the-wall spot with checkered floors and the smell of bacon thick in the air. I slid into the booth across from Dorian, and the second our eyes locked, it was like some sappy butterflies in the stomach type of shit, straight out of a movie—Dorian kept giving me these damn looks. Eyes soft, lips twitching in that lazy, knowing smirk. It made my stomach tighten, not with nerves, but with something sweeter.. He grinned at me, all messy red hair and sharp green eyes, and I couldn’t believe I’d ever thought happiness like this was off the table. Out here, miles from hockey, from the team, from my dad’s bullshit, I could just… be myself, Noah Carter. Not the star hockey player or the Golden boy captain. No masks, no pressure. Just me and him, and it felt so fucking good I almost didn’t
Noah's P.O.VFucking disgusting queers.My fists clenched around the wet paper towels, making them squelch in my grip, and I felt the heat crawl up my neck. but it wasn't from embarrassment this time. it was Rage and it burned through the last shreds of humiliation clinging to me gotten from that wet spot on my jeans clinging to me like a fucking badge I hadn't asked for. I dropped the tissues, letting them splat to the floor, and squared my shoulders, stepping into his space till we were chest to chest. He was bigger, sure, reeking of cheap beer and even cheaper hate, but I didn't give a shit... For the first time, I now understood just how Dorian must have felt when Matt kept putting him on the spot."Say it again," I growled, locking my eyes on his. A flicker of surprise flashed quickly through his eyes as though he hadn't expected me to push back. And from the experience I'd had with Matt, I knew guys like him never do. They think they could spit their poison and walk away with no
Dorian’s P.O.V.I was scrubbing my hands under the lukewarm water, the soap suds swirling down the drain, and all I could think about was how fucking perfect that day had been. Noah—shit, that golden boy had burrowed under my skin, deeper than I’d ever let anyone get. The lake house, the drive, the perfect time we had skiing together, his dumbass laugh when I burned my tongue on that shitty diner coffee earlier—it was the best damn time I’d ever had with anyone, hands down. Even with the mess of what had happened in the bathroom with that bigot and also with Noah bolting out after and sharing how vulnerable he was about coming out, it had been… fuck, it had been good. Too good. My chest tightened with it, and I hated that. The whole damn day was supposed to be a play to reel him in, disarm him, make him fall so hard for me he’d never see the knife coming. But standing there, water dripping off my hands, I couldn’t lie to myself. It had been fucking lovely, and a piece of me, some wea
Noah's POVChristmas Eve, and I felt like roadkill that had been rained on, run over twice, and forgotten on the side of the road. My nose was clogged, my head was pounding, and my limbs felt like they’d been stuffed with wet socks. The apartment echoed with silence and I just felt so fucking miserable..Liam had left for “practice” three days ago. Practice. On Christmas week. Sure. I wasn’t stupid. Even NHL players got time off for the holidays. But I didn’t ask questions. It was his place, not mine. He could go to Jupiter and I’d still have to be grateful for the four walls and overpriced furniture.I shuffled to the door like a corpse when the bell rang, dragging the blanket off the bed with me like it was my emotional support animal. A tissue hung out of my nostril, clutched in one hand like my last shred of dignity.I was already mentally preparing myself for the sight of a package guy or maybe Mark, here to guilt-trip me into watching Elf for the fifth time. But when I opened th
Dorian’s POV“Twenty-nine... thirty.”The bar slammed back into place with a satisfying clang, my arms trembling slightly from the weight. My chest rose and fell, slick with sweat, and I laid there on the bench for a second, staring at the ceiling of the mostly empty university gym like it had answers. It didn’t.Groaning, I wiped my face with the towel I slung over the rod, then sat up and shook out my arms. The pain was good. It kept me focused and grounded. It had only been a week and a day since I started seriously training again, but my body was already responding—bulking, hardening, becoming familiar again. Something I could control. conditioning and playing ice hockey for the last few weeks of the championship season also helped a lot.Anyhow, I made my way to the floor-length mirror at the far end of the gym, bare-chested, my joggers hanging low on my hips. My reflection stared back at me and not to be a conceited asshole but I was impressed. My arms which had begun to thin wh
NoahIf you favoured Minnesota in the winter, the beautiful snow covered scape and curling up in front of a fire place with a hot whipped coffee, then you'd definitely find Miami offensive as fuck. It was less than a week to Christmas and the sun was out. It wasn’t even noon and it was already making a damn spectacle of itself, glaring down on my windshield like I owed it money. I had the AC blasting, sunglasses on, and I was still squinting like a mole dragged out of his burrow.it was insane. The only tell tale sign it was winter was definitely the over the top decorations along every single building I'm driving past and the string lights around trees that'd be lighted up at night.My phone suddenly buzzed where it was mounted on the dash, dragging me from my observation. I tapped the screen and my second bestfriend's name flashed across it. biting back a grin, I answered the call but before I could even say hello, her voice exploded through the car like a battle cry.“NOAH FUCKING
Dorian's P.O.VIf I thought the Carter mansion looked stunning at night, it was even more ridiculous in daylight. It wasn't just an house but an estate, looking like something off a postcard. I sat behind the wheel of Susie’s tiny car, jaw slack as I stared up at the sprawling estate. Massive hedges shaped into clean-cut shapes of cherubims. The last time it had been in shapes of chess pieces or I may have been mistaken looking at it in the night. Anyway, the pillars gleamed like they were carved from marble, and a few people in uniform swarming the front lawn like busy bees, stringing up massive Christmas garlands. It was literally a whole operation. Frosted wreaths, gold-dipped reindeers, strings of lights being looped over every surface that could take them.Of course, they had a whole staff for this. Rich people didn't climb ladders to decorate their house for Christmas. It was just perfect I caught them at this time. Shit.I opened the car door and stepped out, my shoes muted
Hello guys! Author here! I'm so sorry about the last chapter. I would love to launch into an explanation of why that happened but the words count for "authors notes" is very limited. (But it's a honest mistake.)It won't happen again and to show I'm really sorry.I'm making the next chapter free and adding it to this note.so here.Championship Season.Dorian's P.O.VDORIANThree weeks laterI shoved the door open with my shoulder, the tiny bell jingling in that annoying, rusty way it always did. The strip mall lights outside cast long shadows across the linoleum floor. Everything smelled like synthetic pine and warm plastic—exactly like a place that sold discount dish soap and almost expired soda should.At the front desk, Susie didn’t even look up. Her eyes were glued to the little TV mounted up in the corner like a shrine. Snorting at the reindeer jacket she had on--please it looked absolutely ridiculous --I blinked, pausing halfway into the store. That was me on the screen, liftin
Noah's P.O.V The long drive from campus to my home felt like a slow trek to my own execution. By the time I pulled up to the front of my family’s mansion, the same looming, white-stoned fortress I'd grown up in, it had gotten even darker. My tires crunched over the long winding driveway which was filled with floodlights along the stone paths down which cut through the Late night November darkness. I killed the engine, and left my hands on the steering wheel, breathing in and out. For a second, I just sat there, staring up at the massive house like it was about to swallow me whole. It was like a giant beast carved into hill, the many floor-to-ceiling glass windows reflecting lights causing the house to glow all by itself. Beside me, Dorian whistled low from the passenger seat. "Jesus," he muttered, turning to me with raised brows. "You lived here your whole life?" He shoved the door and stepped out, craning his neck to take it all in; the ivy wrapped columns, the massive lak doors
Noah's P.O.VThe long drive from campus to my home felt like a slow trek to my own execution. By the time I pulled up to the front of my family’s mansion, the same looming, white-stoned fortress I'd grown up in, it had gotten even darker. My tires crunched over the long winding driveway which was filled with floodlights along the stone paths down which cut through the Late night November darkness.I killed the engine, and left my hands on the steering wheel, breathing in and out. For a second, I just sat there, staring up at the massive house like it was about to swallow me whole. It was like a giant beast carved into hill, the many floor-to-ceiling glass windows reflecting lights causing the house to glow all by itself.Beside me, Dorian whistled low from the passenger seat."Jesus," he muttered, turning to me with raised brows. "You lived here your whole life?" He shoved the door and stepped out, craning his neck to take it all in; the ivy wrapped columns, the massive lak doors and
Noah's P.O.VThe bass thudded so hard through the walls it rattled the red Solo cup in my hand. I wasn't even sure what I was drinking anymore but it clearly was something sweet and carbonated that burned my throat going down. It didn’t matter anyway because I was here to get shit faced drunk and forget why I even was alive.I leaned back against the wall of the sorority house, blinking against the strobe lights flashing through the crowd. There were bodies all around me. Everyone was sweaty, drunk and sloshing drinks everywhere. However I felt...empty as though I was watching it all through a thick glass window.But even through the blur of it, my eyes kept betraying me as they flickered back to where Dorian stood surrounded by a small harem of girls. All of them were gorgeous—perfect bodies, perfect makeup, shrieking with laughter at whatever bullshit he was saying.I couldn't stopooking at him.I kept telling myself not to and just be normal, have fun and to let go, but every damn
Noah’s P.O.VIt has been three days since that Thanksgiving dinner with Jaxon’s family and I swear to God, it might as well have been three years with how fucking hectic everything got afterward. Long hours, harder drills, screaming matches on the ice because Coach kept grinding us down to the bone. Everyone was running on fumes, trying to stay sharp for the last (8th) game of the regionals, but I felt like I was back in fucking hell week.On the...somewhat...bright side, Dorian was finally back with us. Coach had unbenched him after I promised to not let our personal relationship or the lack of it affect the twam , and for a minute, I thought things might go back to normal. Dorian stayed out of my way during practice and he'd gone back to his usual animosity, not speaking to anyone before and after practice. But when it came time for Coach to list the starting lineup for the final games, Dorian’s name wasn’t on it. I caught the flicker of hurt that crossed his face when Coach said i