I’ve spent my life chasing goals on the ice, but now I’m chasing something else… her.

Sofia Rossi has been in my life forever, the girl next door, my dad’s goddaughter, the one who’s always been just out of reach.

But this time, things are different. I’ve been back in Vegas for five minutes, and already, she’s slipped under my skin in a way no one ever has.

I’ve always been the relationship type. But she’s perpetually single while trying to figure out if she’s too picky or if men just give her ‘the ick.’ And guess who she calls in to help...

I’ve spent my life chasing goals on the ice, but now I’m chasing something else… her.

Sofia Rossi has been in my life forever, the girl next door, my dad’s goddaughter, the one who’s always been just out of reach.

But this time, things are different. I’ve been back in Vegas for five minutes, and already, she’s slipped under my skin in a way no one ever has.

I’ve always been the relationship type. But she’s perpetually single while trying to figure out if she’s too picky or if men just give her ‘the ick.’ And guess who she calls in to help with her master’s thesis on the subject? Me. Yeah, you heard that right. I’m supposed to help her figure out why she can’t find a guy who doesn’t make her skin crawl.

I’ve loved her for as long as I can remember—long before I even knew what it meant to love someone. For me, it’s always been Sofia, close enough to want but never close enough to have. And every time she smiles, every time she brushes me off like I’m nothing more than a friend, it tears me apart.

She just needs to give me a chance—one shot to show her that I’m not like the others, that my heart’s always been hers. If she’d just let me in, I’d prove it to her.

Forever is my endgame, and I’m going to prove to her that going all in with me is worth the risk.