Kimberly Graham, 21, transfers to Briar University at the beginning of the semester as a fashion major, determined to start completely fresh. She hasn’t seen her brother but a few times over the years due to her studying abroad. She is Beautiful, blonde, green-eyed, confident, outspoken, and fiercely independent, Kimberly wants to experience college without being known as Garrett Graham’s little sister. Although Garrett is one of Briar’s most recognizable hockey players, Kimberly arrives knowing absolutely nobody. She wants to make her own friends, establish herself in the fashion program, attend parties, and experience everything university life has to offer. She’s social and outgoing but doesn’t trust people easily, and beneath her confident exterior is someone who has a difficult time letting people get close to her. Her first few weeks at Briar are spent navigating classes, meeting people, finding her place on campus, and occasionally calling Garrett when she needs help. Eventually, Garrett introduces her to his closest friends and hockey teammates: Logan, Tucker, and Dean Di Laurentis. Dean immediately gets under her skin as they had a previous interaction which furiates her even more when she discovers Dean is her brothers best friends. He’s arrogant, wealthy, ridiculously attractive, sarcastic, and notorious for his reputation with women. He’s used to getting attention wherever he goes and finds Kimberly’s refusal to entertain his flirting amusing. Their first meeting is anything but pleasant. A few sarcastic comments turn into an argument, and from that point forward, the two develop a genuine dislike for each other. Dean thinks Kimberly is spoiled, judgmental, and too stubborn for her own good. Kimberly thinks Dean is an entitled womanizer who has never been told no in his life. They constantly challenge each other, exchange insults, and find ways to irritate one another. Neither is interested in being friends, let alone anything romantic. Because Dean is Garrett’s best friend, avoiding him becomes nearly impossible. He’s always at the hockey house, joining group dinners, attending parties, and showing up whenever Kimberly visits her brother. Garrett loves having his sister around but is extremely protective, especially when it comes to the guys on the hockey team. Kimberly, however, refuses to be treated like a child. As she becomes more comfortable at Briar, she builds her own friendships with Allie, Hannah, and other students in her fashion classes. She starts attending hockey games, parties, and social events, gradually becoming part of the larger friend group. Dean and Kimberly’s interactions remain hostile for quite some time, with their arguments becoming something everyone around them finds entertaining. Their friends constantly make comments about how much they act like an old married couple, which only makes them argue harder. The romance is not immediate. In fact, for a significant portion of the story, they genuinely cannot stand each other. Dean continues dating and hooking up with other girls, while Kimberly has her own social life but gives no guys the time of day which infuriates dean. They have no claim over one another, and neither is willing to admit when jealousy begins creeping in. Their dynamic changes gradually through unexpected circumstances. Dean starts noticing Kimberly’s ambition, her talent, and the way she handles herself when things get difficult. Kimberly begins seeing glimpses of a more thoughtful side of Dean, although she refuses to believe there’s anything meaningful behind his occasional acts of kindness. Their conversations slowly become longer, their arguments become more personal, and the tension between them becomes increasingly obvious. However, every time they seem to make progress, something happens to push them back into their original hostility.

Published 3 days ago