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
Noah's P.O.VThe rink was empty when I got there, just as I'd expected. Most of the floodlights were off and the single ones on were off in the corner, casting long shadows across the ice. The air was cold, even through my jacket, and my breath was making white puffs in front of me. November had barely begun, but the first snowfall of the season had begun to dust the ground outside.Anyway, I moved silently over the ice, squinting until I finally saw Dorian standing near the box where players' relatives usually sat during the games, gripping his hockey stick like he'd just finished a game. He was drenched in sweat, even in this cold, as he slowly moved his skates from side to side anytime he rocked forward. I could tell he'd been here for a while, probably hitting pucks into an empty net, over and over again as he tried to burn off whatever storm had been brewing inside him.However, that storm was still there and I could feel it.He turned at the sound of my footsteps when I got clos
Dorian's P.O.VI couldn't fucking breathe.The pain in my jaw was nothing compared to the ache splitting my chest wide open. I was still on the ice, clutching my face, fingers pressing against the heat of what would no doubt be a bruise by morning. but the real pain, making it impossible to breathe, was the look on Noah's face.Anguish. Betrayal."You know what, yeah, you're right." Noah's expression turned cold. "This was never going to work."And then he turned to leave.My stomach dropped. the moment I thought I wanted was there. Noah was walking away, broken, just like i'd fucking planned, but it felt like dying."You said you love me!" The words tore from my throat in a desperate attempt to salvage things.Noah stopped dead in his tracks, his back still turned to me. My heart shuddered as a sob broke through my lungs, and when I finally spoke again, my voice shook so bad it barely came out above a whisper. "How do you love someone and just walk away when the going gets tough?"N
Noah’s P.O.V.A few days later.Topping Dorian had been one of the best fucking experiences of my life. It was hot, overwhelming, and so intense I was still thinking about it days later but Jesus Christ, it was way too much work. The prep alone took patience I did not have, and the actual fucking? Making sure he was comfortable, making it feel good enough that he’d stop gritting his teeth and start falling apart under me? That shit took effort and self control.So sue me if I decided I was going to be a pillow princess from now on.Yes, I got the term from Imogen, who absolutely would not stop texting me about my sex life the second she found out. I hadn't meant to tell her but I was so fucking giddy that when we hung out two days ago, she noticed and grilled me endlessly until I told her everything. I could hear her voice in my head right now, teasing me and calling me a lazy lover and a pillow princess who just wanted to lay there and have their partner do all the work.And I couldn
Noah's p.o.v I froze in place, the key to Dorian’s dorm still in my hand as Matt’s grin widened. My stomach twisted unpleasantly when he began closing the distance between us. For a moment, he just looked at me with his head cocked to the side and then he glanced down at the key in my hand and his beady black eyes narrowed as a cocky grin spread across his lips. “Why do you have Dorian’s room key, Captain?” he asked, his tone deceptively casual. My throat tightened but I forced my expression into neutrality, willing away the heat creeping up my neck. Matt was a fucking trash bag and whatever I came up with had to throw him off our scent. “Not that it's any of your business,” I replied smoothly, shoving the key into my pocket. “But Hayes is my rookie, and it’s my responsibility to help him out. He’s having trouble with philosophy so I'm helping him study.” Matt’s eyes narrowed slightly, like he wasn’t quite buying it, but he didn’t immediately call me out. Instead, he took another
NOAH'S P.O.VPractice was gold. We were prepping for our fourth game in the regionals—home against Denver—and everything was clicking. My assists were piling up, threading perfect passes through tight gaps, while Dorian was a fucking sniper, his wrist shots cutting through the air like a damn blade. The entire team was playing out of their minds—Matt, Jaxon, and Greg locking it down on defense, yes Matt finally was unbenched by the Coach so he's back on games. while Cody, Eli, and Shawn kept up the pressure up front. By the time Coach blew the final whistle, we were drenched in sweat, but the energy was electric and it felt like we were already on the ice for tomorrow's game, beating Denver out of the ice. I'd never felt as confident in our team until this season who was ironically my last in Bridgewater.“Four more games to the Frozen Four,” Coach told us, voice gruff but charged with something close to pride. “Keep this up, and that national title is fucking ours.”I felt so good th
Dorian's POVNoah was willing to give it all up. The team. His reputation. His golden boy future. For me.I sat there like a goddamn idiot in the coach’s office while Noah bared his neck like a lamb to slaughter, ready to burn down his entire life with one spark if it meant shielding me. I think it broke something inside me. Or maybe it fixed something. I don’t know. All I knew was that I couldn’t breathe right since.Who the hell does that for someone like me?It was the most beautiful, reckless, stupid thing anyone had ever done for me, and I felt like the world’s biggest fucking asshole. Because now...now that I was in deep, now that I loved him, I couldn't stop thinking about the way I’d fantasized about tearing him down before I even got to know the real him. I used to hate the sight of him. Now I was obsessed with it.With everything inside of me, I wanted to come clean, tell him everything and fall on my knees if I had to. But in the same breath, I also wanted to keep him forev
Noah's P.O.VWe holed out in Dorian’s childhood bedroom for hours, having sex on every surface we could find, followed by long and aching conversations in the dark. I didn’t think I’d ever see Dorian soft like that, sprawled out beside me naked under an old quilt, moonlight striping his face. His mouth always tasted like coffee or sarcasm. I couldn’t get enough of either.But outside that room, the world was on fire.Dorian's confession broke the fucking internet.Some people applauded him for owning it. Others painted him like some manipulative predator who backed a straight guy into a corner. “Taking advantage,” they called it. “Desperate for attention.”And then there were the "couple fan" edits.Innocent pictures of us laughing at the rink during practice. Or when we hugged each other, the way teammates did after a win from a tough game. The edits made it seem as if I was looking at Dorian like he hung the moon. Screenshots from old games where I’d supposedly stared too long. “#Do
Dorian's P.O.VThe morning light was already pouring in when I cracked open my eyes, one arm reaching for the warm weight I’d fallen asleep beside.But the bed was cold and empty.I blinked blearily, the haze of sleep fading just in time to hear footsteps and pacing. Noah’s sharp and furious voice cut through the air like a knife.“Dorian, why the fuck did you do this?”I sat up fast, heart slamming against my ribs. He was standing across the room, his phone in hand, glaring at me as if I’d just killed someone.“What are you—” I started, but then he turned the screen to face me.Fuck.I just sighed and flopped back onto the mattress, covering my face with my forearm. “I thought you deactivated your Innagram account.”“No, I didn’t, asshole,” Noah snapped. “I just switched off my phone. For you. For us.”His voice cracked, and I winced.Of course. Of course he’d see it. I’d hoped—stupidly, desperately—that maybe we could just have this one weekend. That we could pretend. Stay in this l
Fuck. Noah was so hot.There was something about Noah when he was like that. Lying there naked on my bed, cock dripping, golden hair all fucked up as he ransacked my drawers looking for condoms, as though he was going to combusted if he waited another second.Climbing off the bed, I peeled off the rest of my clothes, kicked off my jeans like a man possessed, and sat back, fisting my cock with one hand while I waited for Noah to get them. Fuck, why did he have to look so fucking hot? My dick was hard to the point of pain, needing to be buried deep inside him right now.As he reached into my drawer, finally, he suddenly stopped..My brows furrowed and I slowed down from stroking my cock as I watched Noah slowly turn around, holding something in his hand.A picture frame.At first, I was confused. It was probably just a dumb picture of me as a kid. I didn't remember what exactly photo my face was in these days seeing as my mom hid most of my childhood photos anyway. Who gave a shit?But
Noah’s P.o.VI couldn’t say anything…not at first. My jaw was locked tight, hands jammed deep in my pocket that my fingers were starting to cramp. But the silence wasn’t peaceful. It was loud as fuck in my head.The second he said her name, it was like my brain started working in slow motion while my thoughts scrambled to catch on. And it didn’t take much for everything to click. If Tina Hayes was his mom and a patient at Lakeview rehab, then…Fuck.She had to be a drug addict, or recovering. But Dorian never said anything. Not even fucking once. Not even when we got drunk and he told me bits and pieces from his childhood. Perhaps I should have guessed then, but maybe it was easier to keep Dorian in a neat little box of anger, and pride and trouble. It was easier to fall in love him, when I didn’t have to understand every facets of him. God, but I wished he’d told me sooner. My chest felt weird, not tight exactly but it was as if there was too much air in the room and none of it cou
Noah’s P.O.VI didn’t expect Jaxon to show up beside me like that. Not after I’d looked him straight in the eye and told him nothing was going on between me and Dorian. Denying every single thing.But he still stood next to me. He didn’t care what the guys thought. And even if he didn’t say it out loud, I knew—he fucking knew that it was Dorian. And yet, he kept his mouth shut and let everyone assume he was the mystery guy.I respected the hell out of him for that but it didn’t mean it still didn’t sting. Watching the guys I’d bled with, fought for, and led....watching them turn away like I’d stepped into the locker room with something contagious made my heart ache. No one said anything to me, not a single fucking peep. All they dared was glances, words muttered under their breaths and disgust that hung in the air like mold.Except for Greg. He didn’t act weird nor did he say much either, but at least he looked me in the eye when I passed and gave me a quiet nod.I tried to focus duri
Dorian's P.O.VI felt like shit as I realized Jaxon knew the guy in the picture was me. It wasn't surprisingly really seeing as he caught us at the store just a few days ago, but the hatred in his eyes as he glared at me made me feel sick to my stomach.Because Jaxon was right. I was hiding and letting Noah stomach all of it. I stood frozen when I should have stepped in and protected him. I let everyone stare at him as if he was broken while I played the part of the nonchalant aloof guy. But in reality, I was just a fucking coward.After Jaxon finished, no one dared to say a word. They just looked away and got dressed. With a sneer on his face Jaxon retreated back to his locker which was next to Noah's and they began discussing in hushed tones. Noah said something in a low voice to Jaxon, and Jaxon nodded, keeping his hand on Noah’s shoulder, protective as hell. They stayed like that for a minute, with Noah talking and Jaxon listening. Like they were in their own bubble.Jealousy burn
Dorian's P.O.V.Noah didn’t say a fucking word or look at anyone. He just pulled his gear on with this quiet, rigid dignity that made my chest ache. His hands shook only once, when he started to fix on his skates.. I caught it—of course I fucking did. My eyes hadn’t left him for more than a second since he walked in.The silence in the locker room was worse than shouting. Worse than punches. It was the kind of quiet that clung to your skin, crawled under your clothes and made your spine itch. Like everyone was pretending he wasn’t there, like if they didn’t speak, maybe he’d vanish.Hell, even Matt—the fucking loudmouth who never shut the fuck up—was quiet.It felt like the fucking Twilight Zone.I wanted someone to say something. Anything. Shout. Fight. Even spit. Just fucking acknowledge the elephant in the room. But no—this kind of silence was a different kind of violence. One Noah didn’t deserve.I hated every goddamn second of it. The door suddenly flew open, slamming against th
DORIAN'S p.o.vI woke up to the sound of sniffles and without having to see him, I knew it was Noah crying. A lump formed in my throat and I pushed it down with a gulp.Knowing him well enough by now, I didn't move an inch, pretending to be asleep. Noah hated being caught crying. It was pride or shame or a lifetime of being told that boys don’t do that shit. Whatever it was, he buried his face into the pillow and tried to be quiet about it. But he wasn’t. Not to me. He never could be. I stayed still for maybe a full minute before I heard his voice whisper thickly. “I know you’re awake.”That lump lodged in my throat again. I opened my eyes slowly and reached for the bedside lamp, blinking against the soft yellow glow that filled the room. Noah was curled up on his side with just his boxers on, back turned to me with shoulders shivering heavily as though he’d been holding himself together all night and finally cracked.I sat up a bit and reached out a hand which I ran through his hair