Off The Rink #2 ​"You can't keep doing this to me..." ​Chloe shouted over the pouring rain, her knees trembling under the weight of a question she was terrified to ask. ​She was just supposed to interview him for a class project. Get in, get the quote, get it over with. Chloe was a world built on board games, late-night laughs with Jia and Andrea, and a heart full of soft colors. She didn't do chaos. Yet somehow, she had let herself fall into a relentless game of cat and mouse-choosing to run toward the pain just to be near him. ​Will was the San Jose Sharks' rising star. On the ice, he had everything under control. Off the ice, he was suffocating, trapped in a toxic relationship he couldn't see past until it had quietly broken him into pieces. Agreeing to a student interview was supposed to be a favor, but in Chloe, he found a sanctuary he didn't know he was desperate for. ​Now, he's willing to risk everything on a future he can barely see through the storm. ​"I'm chasing my chances with you," Will whispers, the rain drowning out the break in his voice. ​Stolen glances in crowded rooms. Oversized hoodies carrying his scent. Heartaches that linger long after the storm clears. Will is completely wrapped around her finger, but to hold onto her, he has to rebuild himself first. ​Chances come and go, and this time, he can't afford to miss.

Off The Rink #1 "Who even-?" Jia pressed a hand to her forehead, feeling the sharp, rhythmic throb of a bruise already blooming on her temple. She shouldn't even be in Chicago, let alone sitting rink-side at a hockey game. As a UCLA communications major, Jia survived on logic and order. This sport was the exact opposite: pure, chaotic sensory overload. "I was the one who shot the puck. I'm sorry." The apology belonged to Connor. On the ice, he was the league's rising star, hidden behind a caged helmet and a reputation. Off the ice, his world was narrowed down to empty apartments and the dull hum of post-game aches. He had his routine perfected-until one bad shot changed everything. Strings were unraveling. Attachments grew. Reality is following. Connor doesn't do safe, he was willing to tear his world apart just to keep a piece of hers.