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Her body responds to me immediately, her thighs parting.

This is the part where I lose myself, where I give in to everything I’ve been holding back since she left. Since I’ve been pretending like I’m not going insane without her.

I hear her breath catch as my lips brush over her skin, and the sound of her arousal only makes me more desperate. The sweet taste of her drives me mad, and I lose myself in her, in the way she reacts to me. I roll her clit between her teeth, letting her coat my tongue with her arousal. She is so wet for me.

She gasps again, her hands tugging at my shirt, trying to pull it off. “Caleb, stop,” she pants. “Let’s talk—”

I pull away, my voice dark, frustrated. “Give me a condom, now, Maya.”

Her eyes widen, and I see the flicker of hesitation in them, but she nods, quickly reaching for the drawer beside the bed. My hands grip her waist, pulling her closer, needing her even more than I thought possible.

The sound of the condom tearing fills the room, and I waste no time, pressing against her again, pushing inside, both of us gasping from the force of it. She clutches at me, her nails digging into my back as I set a pace, hard and fast, matching the desperation between us.

The room is filled with the sound of our bodies moving together, her breathless moans and the slap of skin on skin. Everything in me is on fire, and I know I can’t stop. Not now.

“Maya, fuck, I—” I cut myself off as she moves against me, riding me like she’s been starving for this too.

She looks at me, her chest heaving. “Don’t stop,” she says, her voice wrecked.

I don’t. I can’t. Not when it feels like this. Like we’re falling into something we can’t escape from, even though we both know we have to.

When we reach the peak, when everything falls apart, it’s like the world goes silent for a moment. All I can hear is the sound of her breathing, mine, the rapid thumping of our hearts as we collapse into each other, too exhausted to move.

The soft glow of the city lights flickers in through the window as I watch Maya trace the tattoo of her name on my arm. Her fingers are delicate against my skin, sending a shiver through me. When she kisses the ink, it feels like a promise, a gesture that hits me harder than I expected.

“You have no idea,” she whispers, her voice thick with emotion, “how happy I am you came to surprise me.” She pulls her hand away, but the warmth from her touch lingers, burning into my skin.

I lean in, brushing my lips against her forehead. “Maya, I—”

She cuts me off, her voice shaking. “Caleb,” she says softly, “You’re my best friend, and that’s why we need to call this off. The distance… it’s too much. I can’t ask you to wait around for me, not when I have everything back home. My family... they’re grooming me to take over the business after college, and you... you’ve got your NHL career to chase.” Her words hang in the air like a heavy cloud, and my chest tightens.

I knew this was coming. Maybe that’s why I hopped on a plane and came here. I want to argue, to tell her that we can make it work. “I can fly down here, whenever you need me,” I say, trying to grasp at any thread of hope.

“Caleb,” she whispers, pulling me closer. “I wish things were different.”

I swallow hard, my fingers tracing her cheek, wiping away the tears she doesn’t even know she’s crying. “I know. But we both knew this was coming, didn’t we?”

She nods, another tear slipping down her cheek. “You deserve more than me, Caleb. You deserve someone who can be there, who’s not constantly tied down by other responsibilities. And I know you have needs and desires, things I can’t give you.” She sniffles, wiping her eyes, but the hurt in her gaze is too real. “I’m sorry it didn’t work. I’m so sorry.”

I take a deep breath, trying to swallow the lump in my throat. I know she’s right. “I know,” I say quietly.

She moves closer, pressing her lips against the tattoo again, and I close my eyes, savoring the sensation. “Promise me,” she murmurs against my skin, her voice barely above a whisper, “you’ll never forget me.”

“Never,” I say, my voice rough, pulling her in for a kiss. I tug her lip between my teeth, the taste of her still as intoxicating as ever. Her whimper vibrates through me, her body trembling as she melts against me.

The kiss deepens, and it’s like no time has passed. But then I pull back, my chest tight as I look at her. I lift her up into my arms, her body instinctively wrapping around me, and I feel her softness against me. She doesn’t hesitate, her lips crashing against mine again as she pulls me toward her. There’s no more space, just heat, just need.

“Maya, I—” My words falter as she kisses me again, this time with a desperation that matches my own. And before I know it, we’re falling into the bed, and I’m fucking her like it’s our last time.

Chapter 6

It’s six in the morning. The cold is biting through every layer I’ve got on. I pull the collar of my jacket tighter and push open the door to the arena, the sound of skate blades on ice hitting my ears as soon as I step inside. The Blackridge Raven’s rink isn’t the flashiest thing in the world, but it’s a damn good place to be if you want to play hockey.

Coach Jacobs stands at the edge of the ice, clipboard in hand, wearing that stern expression like he’s about to rip into someone. I’m stretching out, trying to ignore the cold creeping into my bones, when I hear Jacobs call out.

“Alright, boys, gather round.”

I jog over, hands stuffed in my pockets. The rink’s empty except for the players and me.