Fake Dating My Ex's Hockey Star Brother (Maya Scott) novel Chapter 105

KATY’S POV

“I’m fine,” I say, forcing a smile that doesn’t quite stick.

Braydon studies me for a second longer than necessary, “You sure? You looked like you saw something messed up on your phone.”

I shake my head. “It was nothing.”

He nods and drops his gaze back to his screen. The moment he does, I swallow hard, barely stopping myself from sinking against the wall. My knees suddenly feel weak, and I can’t tell if it’s the text that did it or the fact that I just lied to his face.

My chest tightens as I skim the messages on my phone again. Mr. Cooper is a piece of shit and always has been but I never thought he’d sink this low. I mean, what does he want to say to me, what could possibly be so important that Braydon can’t know. And more than that, what exactly does he want from me?

“Why are you just standing there?” Braydon asks, lifting his gaze again.

I move quickly, forcing myself on the bed. I don’t look at him, but I can feel that he knows something’s off even if he doesn’t know what it is, or how to ask.

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“So you’re saying you actually want to go see this asshole alone?” Allie asks, her eyes widening, I don’t answer right away. “That’s not a smart move,” she adds, shaking her head.

“I’m not going alone,” I say finally and exhale. “I was hoping you’d come with me.”

She just stares at me, long enough that I start to feel stupid or crazy. Maybe I am. I’ve barely been back three hours, and I have already unloaded all this mess on her. And now I’m asking her to walk me into a situation that feels wrong in every possible way.

“You should tell Braydon,” she says, her tone flat.

“What?”

“It’s his dad we’re talking about,” she replies. “If he’s threatening you, Braydon should know. That’s the truth.”

I look down at my phone again, my thumb hovering over the screen. “I showed you the text,” I say, “He said the moment I tell anyone, he’s…”

“If he really wanted to escalate this,” she cuts in before I can force the words out, “he would’ve done it already.”

I lift my head, watching her.

“He wouldn’t be circling you like this,” she continues. “He wouldn’t be testing what you’ll do and he definitely wouldn’t be trying to keep this away from the police unless he had a reason. Whatever that reason is, you can’t be the one who gives him leverage.”

I slide down until my shoulders hit the wall. I want to tell her she’s just being her usual nonchalant self but the thought doesn’t stick. Like she said, a man like that wouldn’t be sending messages if he held the upper hand. He wouldn’t need to. He’s reaching out because he doesn’t have it. Instead, he’s coming to me. Someone who cares enough about Braydon to listen to him, someone who might stop thinking clearly because love has a way of stripping common sense down to nothing.

No. I shake my head.

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