Penn. Pittsburgh Titans, #17

Penn Navarro is the best player in the league-unstoppable on the ice, untouchable off it. But the moment the game ends, so do the celebrations. Because no amount of goals, no number of wins, can silence the demons that haunt him. Hockey is my life. It's what I was born to do. That's not ego talking, just fact-I've spent years honing my skills, earning my place among the elite. But talent doesn't erase my mistakes, and no amount of success will make me forget the damage I've done.
It's why I keep my distance from my teammates, because if you never let anyone in, you'll never get hurt. Or those are the lies that I tell myself. Mila Brennan represents the darkest parts of my history. She's a ghost I've tried to bury, the reminder of everything I've lost. When she shows up in Pittsburgh looking for me, I know nothing good will come of it, because our sins don't stay forgotten.
They fester, waiting for the perfect moment to strike, and Mila's arrival means my time is up. The past isn't just knocking at my door-it's kicking it down, crumbling all the walls I've built around myself in the process. And when the danger comes for us both, I'm forced to do the one thing I swore I never would. Let her in.