Faking It With The Hockey Star

Chapter 12: Pass Granted

Haper’s POV

"How do you know that?"

Justin simply smiled. Not the cocky grin that usually drove me crazy. This one was smaller. Almost secretive. He swung his backpack over one shoulder and took a few steps backward.

"I’ll see you later."

I blinked. "Justin."

He kept walking.

"Justin!"

He looked over his shoulder. "What?"

"You haven’t answered my question."

"What question?"

I stared at him in disbelief. "You know exactly which question."

"Oh." He scratched the back of his neck as though he’d genuinely forgotten. "That one."

"Yes, that one!"

He smiled again. "I have class."

I folded my arms. "You’re running away."

"I’m strategically retreating."

"You’re impossible."

"I’ve heard that before."

I took a step toward him. "Justin Hayes!"

Several students walking past turned to look at us. He didn’t seem bothered in the slightest. Instead, he flashed me a grin that should have been illegal.

"Bye, sweetheart."

Sweetheart? I narrowed my eyes. "I am not your sweetheart."

He pointed at the signed contract tucked beneath my arm. "The paperwork says otherwise."

I opened my mouth, closed it, opened it again. "You manipulated that paperwork."

"I prefer ’professionally revised.’"

I couldn’t believe this man. "You still haven’t told me how you knew I lost my job."

"I’ll tell you."

"When?"

"When you’re nicer to your boyfriend."

I let out an exaggerated groan. "My fake boyfriend."

He shrugged. "Details."

He turned and started walking toward the academic building. I stood there staring after him. Was he seriously leaving? Just like that?

"Justin!"

He lifted one hand without turning around. "What now?"

"You are incredibly annoying!"

"Comes with the face!"

"And arrogant!"

"Also comes with the face!"

"And dramatic!"

"I’ve been told!"

I shook my head. "I can’t stand you!"

He stopped walking. For one hopeful second, I thought he was finally coming back to answer my question. Instead, he turned around, cupped both hands around his mouth and shouted across the parking lot.

"But you’re still coming to practice at five!"

Several students burst into laughter. Heat flooded my cheeks.

"This is embarrassing!"

"I’ll embarrass you more if you’re late!"

"You wouldn’t dare."

A wicked grin spread across his face. "Try me."

Then he blew me a kiss. An actual kiss. I gasped. "Oh, you did not just..."

He laughed, the sound carrying across the parking lot as he resumed walking. I watched him disappear into the crowd. What on earth had I gotten myself into?

I turned to leave. Then heard hurried footsteps racing toward me. Before I could even look up, Justin suddenly appeared in front of me again, slightly out of breath.

"I knew I forgot something."

I blinked. "You ran all the way back for that?"

He reached into his backpack and pulled out a laminated card attached to a blue lanyard. He held it out to me.

My eyes widened. The official media pass. Not the temporary visitor’s pass. The real one. The one I’d been fighting for since the semester began. The one Ethan had promised. The one he’d taken away.

I stared at it in complete disbelief. "Justin..."

"Don’t lose it."

I carefully accepted it as though it were made of glass. "You actually got me one?"

"I told you I’d take care of your documentary."

I looked from the pass to him and back again. For several seconds, I couldn’t find a single word. A lump formed in my throat. This wasn’t just a piece of plastic. This was my project. My graduation. My future.

He watched my expression quietly before smiling to himself. "I like that face."

"What face?"

"The one where you’re too shocked to argue with me."

I laughed softly. "It won’t last."

"I know."

Before I could say anything else, he stepped closer. Much closer. My heart immediately forgot how to behave.

"What are you doing?"

He didn’t answer. Instead, he gently tilted my chin upward.

"Justin..."

His lips brushed mine. Soft. Warm. Quick. A kiss that lasted only a few seconds. Yet somehow managed to leave my thoughts in complete chaos.

When he pulled away, I simply stared at him. Speechless. Again.

He smiled. "We’re in public."

I looked around. Several students were pretending not to watch us. "Oh."

"We need people to believe us."

"Right."

"And..." He gently tapped the media pass hanging around my neck. "Welcome to the team."

I looked down at it, then back at him. "I don’t know how to thank you."

He grinned. "Show up."

"What?"

"Practice." He began walking backward toward his building. "Five o’clock."

I nodded absentmindedly.

"Don’t be late."

"I won’t."

"I’ve arranged for you to do pre-practice interviews before we hit the ice."

I blinked. "You did?"

"You wanted behind-the-scenes access."

"I did."

"Now you’ve got it." He pointed at me dramatically. "So impress me."

I laughed. "Bossy."

"Efficient."

"Bossy."

"I’ll accept that."

He started walking again. This time, I didn’t stop him. I simply watched him disappear into the crowd until I couldn’t see him anymore.

Only then did I glance down at everything in my hands. The media pass. The signed contract. My camera bag. A strange smile slowly spread across my face.

Less than twenty-four hours ago, I thought my life was falling apart. Now my mother’s surgery had been scheduled. Someone had mysteriously paid the hospital bill. I had five thousand dollars sitting in my account because of a fake dating contract I still couldn’t quite believe I’d signed. And hanging around my neck was the one thing I’d spent weeks fighting for.

The media pass.

For the first time in what felt like forever, I allowed myself to believe things might actually get better.

Shaking my head, I headed toward my morning lecture.

Classes dragged by painfully slowly. My mind wasn’t in the classroom. It kept drifting toward the hospital. Toward the documentary. Toward Justin.

By the time my final lecture ended, I hurried back to my apartment, grabbed my camera equipment and checked the time. Just enough to stop by the rental office and pay the equipment deposit before heading to the arena. One less thing to worry about. Hopefully.

Camera slung over my shoulder, I made my way toward the hockey arena. The familiar smell of fresh ice greeted me the moment I stepped inside. Players and staff moved busily through the corridors, preparing for practice. Everything felt alive. Everything felt exciting.

This was exactly where I was supposed to be.

I had barely taken three steps down the hallway when someone deliberately stepped into my path.

I looked up.

Ethan.

His jaw was clenched so tightly I thought he might break a tooth. His eyes burned with anger. Pure anger.

The smile I’d been carrying all afternoon slowly disappeared.

Something told me this wasn’t going to end well.