Fake Dating My Ex's Hockey Star Brother (Maya Scott) novel Chapter 160

JUSTIN’S POV

I’ve been stealing glances at my phone for what feels like hours, wrestling with the urge to call Allison again. I know I shouldn’t. She’s mad-no, furlbus-and every time I close my eyes, I see her glare, and hear her cussing me out.

And yet… I can’t stop thinking about her. About what she’s doing right now, how she’s moving, and what she’s saying.

Staring at my phone, I exhale and tell myself not to call. Zach’s already spreading the word, and by tomorrow, every dude on campus will be avoiding her like she’s contagious. Yeah, sociology would probably label me as toxic, or controlling but at least I’m self-aware and that has to count forsomething.

I’m about to chop some carrots when my phone starts blaring in my pocket. With a groan, I fish it out and it’s Cooper. My eyes narrow. He better not be calling to give me a spiel about tonight’sgame.

“What’s up?” I mutter, propping the phone between my shoulder and ear while slicing the carrots.

“Where are you right now?”

“My place,” I answer, reaching for an apple from the fruit bowl. “Coming over?”

There’s a pause before he finally says, “Something happened, J.”

My hands freeze mid-cut. The knife clatters to the counter as I snatch the phone, pulse spiking.

What happened? Is Katy okay?”

The room narrows around me before he even speaks.

“Allie had a car crash.”

Five words.

Just five words, and I feel my entire soul shrivel into nothing. My lungs seize, an ache twisting

through my ribs.

“What did you say?” I whisper.

“Allie crashed.” He repeats.

No.

It can’t be.

I talked to her a few hours ago. I did.

My mind races, images of her behind the wheel, her crashing, and the screams flashing in my vision. I feel my throat closing up.

I grip the phone tighter, my jaw slack, forcing my lips to move. “Is…is she…”

“She’s in surgery,” he cuts in.

My knees buckle, and I lean against the counter to stop myself from collapsing. My hands tremble so violently I can barely hold the phone.

“Katy just called me… I’m on my way there,” he adds

I’m shaking…every inch of me. I swallow hard, running a hand through my hair as if I could somehow pull myself together, but every shred of me feels shattered into a million pieces.

Allison is in surgery.

I should ask Cooper more, demand details, and figure out how badly she’s hurt but I can’t. The questions choke me before they even form.

A car crash.

My chest tightens, heat blooming behind my eyes. She must have been terrified. She must have freaked out before it happened.

“J, are you there?” Cooper’s voice cuts through my spiraling thoughts.

I freeze, suddenly aware that I’m still in the kitchen, still standing here, instead of racing to her side.

“Which hospital, Coop?” I ask, already moving, already yanking open my bedroom door. “I’ll be there in-”

“Halcyon Private Hospital,” he says. “But you don’t have to come right now.”

“Okay.” My voice comes out shaky. I clutch a shirt in my hand, knuckles whitening as I drag in a breath. “Coop… did…was it an accident? Or did she try to hurt herself?”

There’s a pause on the line.

“I don’t have all the details yet,” he responds. “But Katy said she hit a utility pole and something about her brakes failing. I don’t think she did this on purpose.”

The words brakes failing land like a punch I don’t see coming.

“Her brakes?” I repeat. “How did that happen?”

“I really don’t know but I’ll get more info if I can. I’m driving, gotta get off the phone now.”

I nod my head even though I’m staring into space and he hangs up. I stand there, his word echoing in my mind. Her brakes failed. How on earth did that happen? What messed up Allison’s brakes all of a sudden? Has she not been observing her car or….

I shake my head and force myself into motion. Clothes, shoes, jacket…my hands move on autopilot, fumbling with zippers and buttons. I’m just about to grab a bag when Allison’s voice flits into my thoughts.

“Sean just returned my keys, so I’m getting ready to head out.”

My hands freeze mid-motion, and I pull back.

“He wrecked my car or something, so I asked him to fix it. I found a letter and the key waiting outside my door this morning.”

A shaky gasp escapes me and my heart lurches. Sean. She said he wrecked her car and she asked him to fix it. She told me that hours ago… and now she’s in the hospital. There’s no way this is a simple coincidence. Did he sabotage her brakes? Is this payback for dumping him?

“I don’t-” He coughs. “I don’t know where he is.”

I study his face, then drive my fist into his stomach again, harder this time.

He wheezes, his knees buckling.

I grab his jaw, forcing his eyes up to mine. “You know me, dude. You’ve watched me fight, haven’t you? So you know what I’m capable of.” I glance around the empty lot as the light fades. “Sean’s hiding and you know why. It’s getting dark, and there are a lot of things I could do right now that no one would see. So choose, will it be you, or him?”

He splutters, just like I knew he would. Josh and his little circle of friends are all the same- posturing, pretending they’re anything but pathetic

“He didn’t mean to do it,” he blurts. “He didn’t know the brakes were gonna fail. He’s…he’s freaking out right now.”

I slam my forehead into his and he cries out, then grip his collar, forcing his face up. “That’s not what I asked you.”

“He’s at my place,” he mutters. “I can take you.”

“Then let’s go.” I haul him to the passenger side and shove him into the seat, slamming the door shut.

I knock on Josh’s door, my free hand clenched at my side.

There’s a quick shuffle, the scrape of a lock and then the door cracks open.

Sean freezes when he sees me. His eyes blow wide panic flashing across his face and then he lunges to slam the door shut. I drive my shoulder into it, forcing it open and sending him crashing back onto the floor.

I step inside slowly as he scrambles backward, his palms slipping against the tiles. He’s already crying.

“I haven’t even touched you, boy.” I squat in front of him and fist my hand in his hair, forcing his face

“So why are you crying?” “Please don’t,” he sobs. “I swear I didn’t mean to hurt her. I didn’t know the brakes-”

“Did you fix her car?” I cut in, tilting my head.

His mouth trembles, terror written all over his face. “No,” he whispers.

Good. He knows there’s no point lying. I’d tear him apart either way and the truth just decides how long it takes.

“She asked you to fix her car and you didn’t.” I grip his jaw as his whole body starts to shake. “Do you have any idea what you could’ve done?” My hold tightens with every word. “You could’ve killed her. You could’ve taken a life worth a hundred times more than yours.” My fingers dig into his skin until he whimpers. “And here you are, hiding like a rat.”

“I’m sorry,” he sobs. “Please.”

“Unfortunately, Allison isn’t here to hear that,” I say, my foot sliding behind him so he’s trapped between my legs. “It’s just you and me now and I’m a big believer in an eye for an eye. Bone for bone.”

His eyes widen as my fist lifts. Then I bring it down, connecting with his jaw.