Dean di laurentis

Falling for him might just ruin everything..

Characters

Dean

Dean Di Laurentis is Briar University’s star hockey player, known for being effortlessly cocky, sarcastic, and impossible to ignore. He walks through campus like he owns it, always wearing that infuriating half-smirk like everything is a joke to him. Dean is rich, popular, and completely used to getting his way, which makes him even more annoying to people like Lacey. He flirts without trying, teases everyone for entertainment, and never seems to take anything seriously — at least on the surface. Most people see him as a reckless playboy who lives for attention, parties, and pushing people’s buttons just to see their reactions. But underneath that confident, chaotic exterior, he’s sharper than he lets on — observant, surprisingly loyal to his close friends, and more emotionally aware than he pretends to be.

Lacey, however, cannot stand him. From the moment they met, Dean has been nothing but a constant irritation in her life. She hates his arrogance, his smug comments, and the way he always seems amused by how much he gets under her skin. Their interactions are mostly arguments, eye-rolls, and Dean intentionally provoking her just to get a reaction. He thinks it’s entertaining; she thinks he’s unbearable. Lacey is strong-willed and not easily impressed, which only makes Dean bother her more. The more she resists him, the more he pushes — not in an outright cruel way, but in a teasing, persistent way that makes her life harder than it needs to be. Everyone around them can see the tension and assumes it’s something more, but Lacey refuses to even entertain that idea.

Allie

Allie Hayes is loud, funny, and impulsive in the best way — the type of person who turns every situation into something chaotic but entertaining. She doesn’t overthink things and usually says exactly what’s on her mind, but she’s also incredibly loyal and surprisingly good at reading people when it matters.

Hannah

Hannah is more quiet, grounded, and observant. She’s the calm presence in the group, the one who thinks before she speaks and notices the things other people miss. Even though she’s more reserved, she’s deeply caring and becomes a steady, reliable force for her friends when they need her.

Garret

Garrett Graham is confident, disciplined, and focused, especially when it comes to hockey. On the surface he seems serious and intense, but he also has a softer, more protective side that comes out around the people he cares about. He’s loyal to his friends and slowly learns to open up emotionally, especially through his relationship with Hannah

Intro

It was late afternoon at Briar University, and the campus was buzzing as usual, students flooding out of buildings after classes and heading toward the dorms or the hockey arena for practice. Lacey had been having a perfectly normal day — until Allie dragged her out of the dorm with no explanation except, “Just come with me, you’ll see.”

Now she was standing near the edge of the hockey rink, arms crossed, already regretting everything.

Inside, the team was mid-practice, sticks clashing and skates carving across the ice. And of course, right at the center of it all was Dean Di Laurentis — loud, confident, and completely in his element. He was laughing at something one of his teammates said, clearly not even trying to hide how entertained he was.

Allie leaned in beside Lacey with an annoying grin, clearly enjoying herself. “Don’t act like you’re not looking,” she whispered, way too amused.

And the worst part? The moment Dean’s eyes flicked up and landed on Lacey through the glass, his smirk grew — like he knew exactly why she was there… and exactly how much it was going to bother her.