Fake Dating My Ex's Hockey Star Brother (Maya Scott) novel Chapter 163

ALLISON’S POV

Justin is feeding me because he’s decided I’m apparently too weak to do it, and right in the middle of that, the door slides open.

My mom walks in with a nurse behind her and they both freeze for a second. The nurse is holding a small tray with a single, perfectly round plate on it for lunch, I assume.

But I already feel like I’ve eaten an entire human being.

Justin glances at them, then lifts the bowl in his hand. “She’s covered.”

Mom quickly apologizes to the nurse, who nods and leaves with the meal. I expect Mom to follow her out, maybe give us privacy, maybe pretend she didn’t just walk in on me being spoon-fed like a toddler but instead, she steps closer and stops at my bed.

She turns to Justin and breaks into a smile so bright it almost hurts my eyes.

“Justin, how are you?” she asks. “When did you get here?”

“I’m good, Mrs. Katherine,” he replies. “I got here about an hour ago.”

She nods, then flicks her gaze to me. “Allie, most of your friends have come to see you except that boy…” She squints. “What’s his name again? Stanley?”

I roll my eyes and tip my chin toward Justin, silently telling him I’m done eating. “I don’t know any Stanley.”

“Isn’t that a shame?” she says, her tone dripping with faux concern. “So where is your boyfriend?”

I resist the urge to bang my head against the wall. She already knows the answer and it’s obvious. curiosity, it’s bait. She wants me to say it out loud, wants the official confirmation that d I are over, so she can dissect the relationship and somehow make it my fault too.

“They broke up.” Justin cuts in, setting the bowl on the table. My eyes widen and he looks away, facing her. “She left him.”

I exhale sharply and drop my face into my palms. Since when does he get to narrate what’s happening in my life? And worse, since when does he get to do it with that faintly smug curve to his mouth, like he’s enjoying being the one to deliver the news?

Mom, spotting the opening she’s been waiting for, dives right in and her grin spreads wide. “Oh, I knew that was bound to happen.” She tuts, shaking her head. “Well, I’m glad. I never liked that boy. He didn’t seem like he had anything going on in his life, but Allison wouldn’t see that.”

“You’re right,” Justin agrees. I lift my head, our eyes locking, and if looks could kill, he’d already be six feet under. “I’m also glad it’s over,” he adds, completely unfazed.

Mom hits his hand gently. “Thank you for always looking after Allie. It must be stressful, taking

care of Katy and… her.” She shifts her gaze to me, that familiar disappointed look in her eyes. “She’s particularly clumsy and sometimes acts… stupid, but I’m glad she has you.”

I run my tongue over my teeth and lean back against the bed, trying not to squirm. Even here, she can’t help but remind me how she sees me. I wouldn’t run from it… would I?

“Allison’s not clumsy.” Justin’s voice cuts through, and I look up at him. Mom’s mouth opens slightly, shocked. “And she doesn’t act stupid either I’d rather think she’s one of the smartest people I’ve ever met.”

Mom exchanges a glance at me and silence falls in the room. I know why she’s looking at me and also why she’s stunned. No one really ever corrects when she says all these things about me because she’s my mother. When she tore into me in front of Dad, he stayed silent. I like to think he was fed up too, but who knows. Whenever she made jokes out of my insecurities to her friends to seem humble, they all chuckled. Even me, I never could tell her to stop.

She suddenly chuckles. “You don’t have to be humble.” She says to Justin. “I’m her mother and I know her well. Katy’s your sister and she has a 4.0 GPA so how can you say Allie’s one of the smartest people you’ve met? She’s barely able to keep a 3.5.”

My jaw clenches, and I drop my gaze to the bedsheet. Isn’t 3.5 good enough?

Justin chuckles. “Mrs. Katherine, Katy can’t stay a week apart from Allison. You know why?”

Mom arches an eyebrow. “Why?”

“She’s really clumsy and clueless without her,” he says, keeping his eyes on Mom. I can’t help but gape at him, but he doesn’t glance at me. “I think you underestimate Allison a lot. Do you know she’s won a ton of awards?”

Mom rolls her eyes. “Some art or drama awards,” she waves dismissively, like they don’t matter at all. But I worked my ass off for those. I didn’t just sit around and have them handed to me. “She should be joining clubs that matter more in college like the Business Leaders Association, Investment Society, or the Entrepreneurship Club. How is she supposed to build connections that matter while acting out her little plays?”

My throat tightens, and I think Justin might finally run out of things to defend me with… but apparently, he hasn’t.

“The Drama and Theatre Club is the second-best club at Cadston,” he says, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Don’t you read the school magazines?”

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