Fake Skating(93)

“You’re going to the tournament,” I said, lifting my hand to touch the chain around his neck as I squealed out the words.

“Hell, yes, we fucking are,” he said, squeezing my waist and grinning, looking like he wanted to shout again. “You know you’re gonna have to reenact the locker room tie-up for the rest of the games, right?”

“Of course I am,” I said, feeling almost breathless with joy.

But as I looked at his wide smile and the way it made his eyes squint as he looked down at me, all I could see was the Alec I’d always loved, the nerdy boy I’d kissed in the shed.

There was no Zeus, no fake boyfriend—just myAlec.

Holy shit, I love him.

The realization settled over me, shocking and absolutely unsurprising all at once.

“Your face,” he said, amusement shining in those brown eyes. “What is that look?”

I met his gaze as my heart raced, and I couldn’t stop myself from blurting, “I really, really want this to be real.”





CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT Alec




“Wait, what?”

I leaned down closer, but now her eyes were huge and her mouth was closed, like she’d startled herself.

“I’m going to need you to say that again,” I said calmly, which was hilarious because I felt like I was having a heart attack. My chest was tight like a fist as I looked down at brown eyes and blond curls. The way she was trying to avoid looking at me while nibbling on that full bottom lip gave me so many thoughts that my head was about to fucking explode.

I needed her to say it. My hopes were way the fuck up and if I was misunderstanding, I needed to know immediately.

“Dani, hon, you should be on this end since Cassie’s on the other side,” Oz’s wife yelled as she stood in front of the team, trying to organize a photo. “And Zeus—you need to be in the back row toward the middle.”

“Okay, one sec,” I said, my eyes still on Dani’s face, waiting.

“We should go line up,” she said, glancing nervously at the rest of the team. When she took a step and turned away from me, I couldn’t stop myself from grabbing a fistful of the cool-as-fuck custom Southview jersey she was wearing and hauling her back.

She looked up at me, startled, and I repeated, “I need to know what you’re saying, Dani.”

“We need you over here, Zeus,” Coach yelled.

Dani said, “Yeah, let’s talk later because—”

“Hang on, okay?” I yelled toward everyone who wasn’t Dani. “I just need a minute.”

I sighed and looked down at her, trying my damnedest to sound calm when I said, “Spell it out for me, Collins.”

“I want this to be real,” she said. “Us, that is.”

She gave her head a shake and quickly explained, like she was trying to hurry things along, “Everything that I’ve said is fake feels really real and I want it to be real but I’m also great with it not being real if you want it to stay fake.”

I want it to be real.

That heart-attack feeling was back as she kept babbling.

“In fact, it’s probably better to stay fake,” she continued, her cheeks flushed, “so maybe I should just—”

I cut her off with a kiss.

I couldn’t help myself; it felt like I’d collapse if I didn’t kiss her that very second.

She kissed me back like the woman she was, grabbing onto the front of my jersey right there on the ice with the team waiting for us and the entire student section still present.

I couldn’t seem to stop myself. I couldn’t bring myself to pull back.

Because we were real.

I got a little lost in it—yet again—but then I heard the applause and whistles.

I’m not sure who started laughing first, me or Dani, but that made us finally stop.

“Okay,” I said, clearing my throat and wondering how she could look so fucking beautiful, beaming up at me in a hockey jersey and glasses. “NowI can pose for the damn picture.”

If they’d told me not to smile, it would’ve been impossible. The night was going to go down as one of the best ever. Beating Edina, making it to the tournament, having Dani tell me it was real for her, too—what the fuck else could I want?

Okay, for my shoulder to stop throbbing, but that’s starting to feel like an impossible ask.

As soon as the pictures were done, I found my way back over to where she was.

“What are you doing after this?” I asked, really wanting to celebrate with her. “Because you can’t just go home.”

“I’m not sure,” she said, a little crinkle between her eyebrows. “My dad is here, so I’m—”

“No way—the colonel’s here?” Another thing I could want: for her dad to not be there. Why the hell would he be there? “Why? Did you know he was coming?”

“Um, no,” she said, waving a hand like it was no big deal.

“Is he here just to visit you, or…” I asked, needing her to be honest.

“Yeah, I don’t really know,” she said, looking uncomfortable, like she didn’t want to talk about it. “I think—”

“Everyone’s going to the Cro,” we heard from behind us, and when we turned around, it was my parents and Hannah.