Fake Dating My Ex's Hockey Star Brother (Maya Scott) novel Chapter 121

TWO WEEKS LATER

“Allie, we’re late!”

There’s no response, just shuffling from her room. I’m already by the door, keys in hand, and foot tapping against the floor.

Less than thirty seconds later, Allie bursts out of her room and her hair is a mess, sweater half-tucked, and she looks like she slept for exactly four hours. She rushes past me and dumps her book and purse into my arms, then drops to the floor to wrestle with her boots.

“A sandal would be more appropriate, don’t you think?” I say, watching her struggle.

She snorts. “I can be stressed and cute. Watch me.”

She yanks the last boot on and straightens to her full height, already reaching for her things. I shove them back into her hands and pull the door open.

“Move,” I say. “If he misses this exam, I’m blaming you forever.”

She grins. “You’d still forgive me.”

“Let’s go! Braydon’s waiting already.”

We rush for the elevator, squeezing in just before the doors slide shut. By the time we reach the parking lot, Braydon’s car is waiting. We jog the last few steps and I pull open the front passenger door while Allie slips into the back.

“Morning, baby,” Braydon says, leaning over to kiss me..

“Morning.” I smile and smooth his hair back. “Sorry we’re late.”

“It was totally her fault,” Allie says from the back seat.

I twist around and glare at her. “You must be mad.”

Braydon laughs as he starts the engine, Allie and I trading half-serious insults until we’re both smiling. Once we’re on the road, I settle back and pull out my phone. I’d stayed up last night putting together revision questions for Braydon, the same routine we’d fallen into since exams started.

I glance at him. “Ready?”

He nods.

I exhale and start tossing the questions at him, one by one. He answers most without missing a beat, and I step in to explain a few when he doesn’t quite hit the point. By the time we pull up on campus, we’ve made it through a decent amount, enough that I can feel some of the knots in my stomach loosen.

“Text me once you’re done,” I say as we step out of the car. Before he can drive off, I lean in and press a quick kiss to his lips. He smiles, a little distracted, and then pulls away, leaving Allie and me on the sidewalk.

Allie exhales loudly. “That was… hectic.”

I grin, tucking my phone in my bag, and grab her hand. “Yeah. But we have ours in an hour, so let’s get to revising.”

She grumbles, dragging her feet slightly, but follows anyway. What else can she do? Exams started exactly a week ago, and it’s been brutal.

Between the chaos of the previous weeks and the sleep we’ve lost over all-nighters, none of us were really prepared. If I’m honest, all I really needed was a quick look at my notes but saying that out loud would sound like bragging.

Still, I’ve been helping Allie wherever I can, and Braydon too. And even though his dad is out of the equation, it doesn’t mean he gets to slack off or fail. Allie’s midterm grades weren’t great, so I’m making sure she pulls at least a C in every course. It’s exhausting, but at least it feels like we’re not completely doomed.

“Why is everyone here?” Allie mutters as we step into the library. It’s packed: every table’s full with people hunched over laptops, and notebooks scattered everywhere.

“Because everyone’s actually reading, unlike us,” I whisper, scanning the room for an empty spot.

Luckily, two girls get up and head for the door. Allie and I practically sprint to claim their seats before anyone else notices. I drop my bag, set my books down, and pull out my phone to time ourselves.

“Okay,” I say, glancing at her. “Let’s start.”

***

****

“Why the hell are you eating my cup noodles when our DoorDash will be here soon?” I glare at Justin, who’s leaning against Allie’s desk.

Our dorm is a mess of typical end-of-semester chaos: Allie’s half-packed backpack on the

floor, sticky notes clinging to the walls, and textbooks stacked neatly on the bed.

“I’m hungry,” Justin mumbles with his mouth full.

Braydon grabs the cup from him and almost finishes it in one go. I shake my head. Seriously, do these two ever act like grown-ups when they’re together?

I glance at Allie, draped over her bed. “What’s up with you?” I ask.

She lazily circles her face with her hand. “Does my face say I’m five seconds from crying?”

He nods, a little smug. “Yes.”

I fold my arms. “I find that hard to believe.”

He straightens, meeting my glare. “Why?”

“I think you’re lying,” I say, watching his face heat up by the second. I smirk. “She dumped you already, didn’t she?”

Braydon chuckles against my hair, and I know I’m right. Justin shakes his head, like he’s silently accepting defeat.

“You’re annoying,” he mumbles, and I can’t help rolling my eyes. Unbelievable—he already got dumped, what, weeks ago? Honestly, I think he and Allie would have made great siblings because they share way too many traits for romance.

“Anyway, I’ll be performing at the ACE Gala,” Allie cuts in, her eyes bright. “I want to see all of you there.”

“Shit,” I mutter, realizing I completely forgot.

“It’s in nine days, baby,” Braydon whispers, pressing a kiss to my neck and I lean into him. “I’m sure there’s enough time to plan.”

“Isn’t that the night they announce the first-round qualifiers for the grant thing?” Justin asks, and I nod, my stomach tightening a little.

The ACE Gala that happens the night before Christmas break is usually cool. But this year, they’ll be announcing who moves on to the development stage for the Blackrock Grant. They do it this way to make sure fewer resources are wasted on projects that won’t even crack the top hundred.

I shift nervously, fidgeting with the edge of my plate. For the past week, Zhao Lan has been a constant presence in my mind. Every chance he gets, he reminds me that he’s going to be the number-one candidate. He’s better than me and, of course, his father is ridiculously rich and already reached out to a previous winner to help him.

I close my eyes for a second and take a deep breath. It’s not that I don’t have confidence. Maybe I do, somewhere deep down. But right now, all I can do is pray that my name makes the list. I don’t care if it’s called first or last, I just want to qualify. That’s it.

“Peach.” Braydon’s voice cuts through my thoughts. “You’re thinking about it?”

I let out a long sigh, my shoulders dropping. I can already imagine the disaster if I don’t make it. I’ll probably change schools, hide from everyone, or move to Pluto because Zhao Lan would never let me catch a break if his name gets called and mine doesn’t. I wish they would send emails first instead of handing out the list to school. Getting all dressed up only to be publicly disappointed feels… cruel.

Justin snaps his fingers to draw my attention. “Don’t look so nervous,” he says. “If anyone’s going to win this thing, it’s you.”

I blink at him. “Yeah… yeah, thanks,” I manage, forcing a small, shaky smile.

“I’ll get us more drinks,” he adds, rising to his feet.