Noah's P.O.V I was burning alive. Fury blistered under my skin, twisting me up from the inside out.Why did Matt always have to be such a colossal dick? The second he read out the note, especially that part signed N, it was like I’d heard a funeral bell in my own head. I swore everyone in the locker room was about to turn on me. Any second now, they’d put two and two together and realize the golden boy captain had been fucking the guy who was supposed to be his rival. But no one did. No one even looked at me. Just at Matt, like they always did when he was acting like a jackass, which was basically every day ending in y. Dorian was fairing worse than me and I could see just how close he was to losing his temper. To my left was Greg, the second defenseman and he leaned in, quietly telling me to drag Matt out before Dorian actually caved his face in. but I was rooted to the spot because in my fucking head, I felt like the moment I inserted myself between them to stop shit from esca
NOAH'S P.O.V I knew when Dorian said “come up and study with me”, there was a good chance I wasn’t gonna get much actual studying done. It was him, after all. There was always this edge with him, like even the most innocent suggestion might end up with his tongue in my mouth—or somewhere lower. But I agreed. Like I always did these days. Because I’m a glutton for punishment, apparently. We climbed the stairs to his dorm, and I ran a hand through my damp hair, still thinking about the confrontation with Matt that had almost led me into breaking things off with Dorian. Well, thank fuck Dorian had handled the situation because the thought of going back to the lie I lived, without Dorian, made my throat so tight it got a little difficult to breath. It should be scary how fast Dorian had come to mean something to me but honestly it was a high I couldn't get rid of. Being around Dorian made me feel like I was free falling through the sky, without the assurance there'd be a safe net for m
DORIANI was supposed to be packing.I was supposed to be throwing a couple shirts, maybe a stick of deodorant, and my spare skates into the duffel bag like I always did before away games. That’s it. Simple. In and out. But no. There I was, sitting on the edge of my shitty bed, holding a hoodie in my hand like it was some kind of fucking life decision.I should bring it. Noah likes when I wear this one.No. Fuck him.He’s not your boyfriend....He’s not your boyfriend.Except… I’d said he was. Last night. The words had just come out, so fast, like they’d already been sitting on the tip of my tongue waiting for permission. "Come on, baby daddy." Noah had said those words jokingly but they made me so fuckind hard, I jacked off twice after he left, imagining in some reverse world where I could fill him up with my cum until he got all swollen and round with my kid. Everywhere he went everyone would know he was Dorian's and that he took my cum and cock like a good boy.Fuck.I was such a d
NOAHThe train ride felt like it stretched forever.By the time we rolled into Wisconsin, my ass was numb and my legs were stuff from sitting in the same position for hours. But I was happy because I wouldn't have to spend the entire time pretending not to took at Dorian from across the seats while he kept giving me this dry smirks every time he caught me failing and staring at him.Anyway as we alighted from the train, the team was loud around me, energy buzzing because this was it—the start of the NCAA Regionals. Eight games between us and the Frozen Four. Eight games between me and the shot I’d been pretending to give a shit about for most of my life.I tugged my duffel higher on my shoulder as we dragged into the hotel lobby, a bunch of half-hyped, half-exhausted guys crowding the polished floors. Coach O'Rourke clapped his hands once we all got to the lobby, cutting through the noise and chatter. He was wearing a matching sweater and jumpsuit that somehow tickled my humor.Anyway
Dorian's P.O.VI didn't sleep last night.Because every time I closed my eyes, I saw Noah on the ice, head tilted back as he laughed hard. I spent the whole goddamn night thinking about Noah and that guy. Ethan. Captain of the Magenta Mavericks. That pretty boy captain from Wisconsin with his stupid Magenta Mavericks Jersey and his perfect game. Ethan skated like he owned the rink, and Noah...skated like he was playing just for him. He was such a fucking asshole.And apparently, he wanted Noah too.I couldn’t unsee it. The scrimmage yesterday was supposed to be a light pre-game warmup, just two teams feeling each other out before the big match tomorrow. But the second Noah skated up for the faceoff at the center ice, it was like he and Ethan were in their own little bubble. They circled each other, two predators smelling blood, but instead of going for the throat, Noah was grinning, bottom lip caught between his teeth type of smile. Hell, if I didn’t know better, I’d have thought the
Dorian's P.O.VThe door to the locker room slammed behind me, but it did nothing to cut off the noise buzzing through my skull. My pads hit the bench with a hollow thud, one after the other, as I stripped down fast and hard, jaw clenched so tight it ached.The others shuffled in not long after and they were quiet, dragging their feet. No locker-room jokes or post game smack talk. Well no surprise there because we’d lost in the most fucking embarrassing way.I sat on the bench, elbows on my knees, watching them all out of the corner of my eye. Noah was the last to walk in, his helmet still under his arm, his face unreadable, like he’d decided that if he didn’t show the sadness of defeat, none of us would feel it. , Coach finally came in. His clipboard hung limp at his side, and his face was red from yelling during the third period. But his voice was calm now.“You all played well,” Coach said, and it was the worst lie anyone had ever told. “One loss doesn’t end our season. It’s not ho
Dorian's P.O.V I shoved through bodies like a man possessed, shoulder-checking some drunk idiot into the bar-top and ignoring the sound of his glass shattering when it hit the floor. My skin was crawling and I was close to having a panic attack because I couldn't see Noah anymore. He'd gone into that back door with Ethan. and Ethan, was the fucking problen because I didn't trust him. Finally, I got close enough to that door and slammed it open, swallowing hard when I saw the hallway it opened into. It was a dark hallway with red lights that barely cut through the shadows, washing the place in an eerie feeling, like I'd steped into hell's waiting room. as I walked on, I saw it stretched on forever, lined with doors on either side. None of them were marked. None of them were telling me where the fuck Noah was. My pulse was jackhammering in my chest as I stalked forward and yanked open the first door.. Jesus Christ. There were two guys in the room. one was on his knees, sucking th
Noah's P.O.VI woke up feeling like death.My head throbbed like someone had cracked my skull open and left my brain to marinate in acid. My throat was dry, my limbs heavy, and for a second, I genuinely wondered if I'd died and woken up in some kind of purgatory. But then the memories started bleeding in very slowly and disjointed—Ethan, his sweet fucking grin, the haze clouding my head, the way my body wouldn’t move the way I wanted it to. My jeans sliding off and a warm mouth closing over my dick. And then—nothing.My stomach twisted in horror. Ethan had...sucked my cock but...but...I didn't want him to. One second we were talking and the next I started to feel very fucking hot and I hazily remember kissing his neck in the club. Oh fuck. Had my teammates seen me. Hell where the fuck was I I sat up too fast, and regretted it instantly when nausea slammed into me like a freight train. My eyes adjusted to the dim light of the hotel room, and that’s when I realized—this wasn’t the room
The next five days with Noah felt like something out of a dream I was terrified to wake up from, blurring into each other like brushstrokes on a paint I didn't dare define. It was five days of pretending the cracks between us didn't exist. Noah and I never crossed the line. No kisses or sex, but I could feel the tension between us burning like coals buried under ash.We wandered through Miami like two idiots discovering the city for the first time. And maybe we were. I mean, neither of us had spent real time here, Noah had just moved less than a month ago and from what Jaxon had told me, Noah wasn't living the house much. As for me, this was my first week here so we treated it like new lovers would; getting to know each other and letting wonder replace awkward silences. Christmas in Miami was warm, sweaty and I wouldn't deny that I really missed the cold and snow of Minnesota. But with Noah beside me, everything felt a little magical.We hit the tourist traps first. Because we were ch
Noah's P.O.VIt took me two hours. Two entire cold, hellish hours in Miami’s glitziest district, where ninety percent of the designer boutiques were either closed for the holidays or by appointment only, and the few open ones were selling garish silk scarves and overpriced tins of cookies that screamed pretentious. But finally, by some miracle, I found the perfect gift. It was silver, understated but elegant. The kind of watch Dorian could wear and not feel like he was trying too hard, but still look like he ran shit. I just hoped he wouldn't be able to tell how expensive it was, because knowing that stubborn Hayes Pride, he'd probably shove it back at me if he did. God, that pride. It drove me up the wall and made my chest ache in equal measure. I'd almost blown a gasket when I saw he'd returned the phone I bought him.Well here's hoping he doesn't notice.I didn’t bother with fancy wrapping and just grabbed the stupid red box with a silver ribbon offered to me from the lady at the
Noah's POV I woke up feeling... okay. Maybe better than okay. I felt really good than I did through out yesterday anyway. That soup must have worked wonders. My nose wasn’t a faucet anymore, and my head didn’t feel like someone had stuffed it with cotton and then shaken it around for fun. But I also woke up to an empty bed, a dry throat, and the hollow aftertaste of regret. Dorian and I had argued last night about Mark. Stupid, pointless, totally preventable fight. It wasn't that we would have shared the same bed if we hadn't gotten into that fight, but at least, we won't be keeping malice with each other. Honestly it was my fault. He’d asked who Mark was after I let the name slip, and instead of just saying he was a friend, which, let’s be honest, wouldn’t have been a lie, I played the game of poking the bear. Because some pathetic part of me still wanted Dorian to care enough to get jealous. I wanted...no, needed to see that fire in his eyes, the reminder that maybe I still
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.V DORIAN Three weeks later I 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
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