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
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
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
Dorian’s P.O.VAn hour later, I was seating on the edge of a couch that probably cost more than my entire childhood home. Noah had briefly explained that it was his apartment condo where he stayed anytime he needed to hide away from the team mates or just have some time to himself. And seeing its interior, there was nothing else to say to describe it, other than, it suited Noah. Hockey Royalty. The kind of guy who had everything, but the ability to sit the fuck down and stop pacing before I lost my goddamn mind.Noah hadn’t stop pacing since we got in. He dragged his hand through his hair for what seemed like the hundredth time, yanking at the strands like he wanted to rip them out. Every few minutes, he’d snap out of his frantic pacing just to kick at the coffee table or slam his fist into the wall, yelling, ”FUCK” or “SHIT!”I exhaled through my mouth, feeling the throb of a headache brewing. “You’re gonna give yourself a fucking aneurysm.”Noah ignored me.Fuck. I’d tried, ten mi
NOAH’S P.O.VFor a solid minute, I just sat there in my car, the engine humming under me while I stared at the empty spot where Dorian had vanished. The cold metal of the steering wheel bit into my palms as I gripped it, my eyes locked on the fading outline of his broad shoulders against the afternoon sun as it snowed around us. He didn’t even glance my way—just walked off like I was nothing. No nod, no smirk, not even one of his sarcastic little waves that always pissed me off and turned me on at the same time. Just a straight-up ghosting, his sneakers scuffing the pavement like he couldn’t get away fast enough.What the fuck was that about?For the past month, after practice, it’d been us—every damn day. Fucking until the sheets were soaked with sweat, studying with our books sprawled across his bed with our legs tangled, or pulling shifts at the store, stealing glances over the counter while Susie smirked like she knew too much. Neither of us had time for anything else, and Dorian
NOAH’S P.O.VThe locker room was too damn loud for a morning practice, but I barely noticed the chaos as Coach came in to address us. He announced that we won't be practicing at the rink today, instead it was strictly conditioning in the gym.Great. Nothing like nearly puking on an empty stomach to kick things off.After changing into workout clothes, we all shuffled into the gym. Like always, veterans got paired with rookies for spotting. I barely had time to glance at Dorian before Jaxon stepped right in front of me, slinging an arm around my shoulders.“I got him today.”I caught Dorian’s expression flicker—just for a second—before he hit me with this pointed, unreadable look. My stomach did a weird twist of worry. After last night, I knew damn well how irrational his jealousy of my friendship with Jaxon could get. Not that I was about to play babysitter in front of the whole team, but I wasn’t in the mood to deal with him sulking all day either. Swallowing a sigh, I shot him a qu
NOAH’S P.O.VI couldn’t fucking deny it.Angry sex with Dorian was the hottest fucking thing in the world. Even now, sprawled out on his bed, my body still twitched every time my brain replayed how he’d fucked me into the floor like a goddamn animal. My ass was sore, my throat raw, and I could still feel the ghost of his cock splitting me open. It was so fucking good that I'd somehow forgotten the real reason we'd been fighting or arguing. Thankfully, Dorian had forced us to go shower off the evidence of our shenanigans, cum, sweat, and whatever else we’d smeared across each other so I didn't feel icky and now we were naked, tangled in his sheets, each scrolling through our phones like we hadn’t just tried to break each other.The room smelled like soap and sex, and I felt good, loose, relaxed, the kind of buzz you get after a hard practice and a harder fuck. My foot brushed against his under the covers, lazy little nudges turning into a dumb game of footsies. His toes curled agains
Dorian's P.O.VAfter we left the mall, Noah tossed his keys to me and without being told, I knew he wanted me to drive us back. Clearly he was too blind with anger to do that.The drive back to my dorm was fucking suffocating. Noah sat there, arms crossed, staring out the window like some pissed-off spouse who’d caught me cheating with the neighbor. Neither of us said a word, just let the silence stew between us, thick and heavy as the tension from that shitshow of a dinner. I gripped the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turned white, trying to keep my temper in check because I couldn't for the life of me see why Noah was angry when he'd been all over his "best friend" but the second we stepped into my room and I slammed the door shut, it all went to hell.“You’re such a fucking man-whore,” Noah snapped, spinning on me with his eyes blazing. “Flirting with Tessa right in front of me like I’m invisible. What the fuck is wrong with you? What do they say about bisexuals again? Yeah, y'
Dorian's p.o.vFucking Jaxon.Of all the people to turn the corner at that exact moment, it had to be him.One second, I had Noah where I wanted him—pressed up against the goddamn shelves, body warm, pliant, his breath short and shaky, betraying just how much he liked what I was doing to him. The next, he was stiff as a goddamn board, eyes blown wide like some poor bastard caught in a police spotlight. He looked like he had just been caught committing a crime. And all because Jaxon had strolled into the aisle like the world’s biggest buzzkill.For a moment, I actually felt bad for Noah.But that feeling was quickly overshadowed by irritation. I hated that Jaxon’s sudden appearance had made Noah shrink into himself like a fucking scared rabbit. We weren’t even doing anything—well, nothing that bad—just a little teasing and a little fun, but still, Noah was acting like we'd been caught naked in the middle of the goddamn aisle.Gritting my teeth, I turned my head, my jaw tightening even