Iced Out By Ce Ricci ✯ < SIMPLE >

But the tension between them wasn't just about the scoreboard. It was a physical pull, a magnetic charge that sparked every time they breathed the same frozen air.

They were teammates by name and enemies by nature. Every practice was a battle of wills, a collision of shoulders against the boards that felt a little too personal. Quinton hated the way Oakley smirked after a goal, and Oakley hated the way Quinton played like he had everything to lose.

They were supposed to be rivals. They were supposed to keep their heads in the game. But as the winter deepened, the "iced out" walls they’d built around their hearts began to crack, leaving them both wondering if they were playing for the win or for each other.