Fake Dating My Ex's Hockey Star Brother (Maya Scott) novel Chapter 168

ALLISON’S POV

I should absolutely sneak into Chioma’s room and dump ants all over her bed. Honestly, that’s the nice option compared to what I want to do to Celeste.

And Aaron? If ticket sales are what he wants, then fine. I’ll give him ticket sales.

I slump onto my bed, groaning as I kick my feet against the mattress. This is the first time I’ve ever been cast as lead. Two whole years in that club, showing up, rehearsing, putting in the work and now they want to shove me out.

Yeah, no. Not letting that happen.

But how am I supposed to sell more tickets than Celeste? How?

Being popular in Cadston actually matters, and unfortunately for me, that’s her whole personality. There’s a reason she looked so confident, and so smug, like she’d already won. She probably thinks this is a joke.

She’s a popular rat, one of those boys’ girls who can’t help but shove it down your throat that she’s one of the guys. I wouldn’t even call her a pick-me because no one’s picked her yet.

“What am I going to do?” I mutter, staring at the tickets spread across my bed, and biting my lip.

She’s probably sold at least a hundred by now, and haven’t even started. Ugh. This is ridiculous.

I’m just about to lie down for a nap when there’s a knock on the door. I frown, narrowing my eyes. If it’s Katy, she’d just walk in…so who the hell is that?

I ignore it.

The knock comes again.

With an annoyed hiss, I drag myself up from the bed and march to the door, already irritated before

I even open it.

The second I do, every nerve in my body snaps tight.

I freeze.

For half a second, I can’t even speak. Then the shock burns off and pure anger rushes in. My fingers curl into the wall beside the door as I stare at the person standing there.

“Hi, Allie.” Sean lifts a bruised arm in a weak wave.

“You have five seconds to get out of here,” I snap, only it comes out almost like a growl.

“Please, just hear me out,” he says quickly. “I’m here to apologize.”

“I’m serious,” I say flatly. “If I get to five in my head, will strangle you right here.”

“Allie, wait-” He swallows hard. “Justin made me do this. He said if I don’t talk to you, he’ll do worse than what you can already see.”

My lips part, eyes narrowing. “Justin is making you do what?”

He gestures at his face, bruises and all. “He did this to me, and yeah… I probably deserve it. But I’m just here to say I deleted every trace of the photos and videos. Every single one. None of my friends will ever mention them either. Ever.”

“And I’m sorry,” he adds quickly. “For not fixing your car, for hurting you.” He digs into his pocket and pulls out a wad of cash, holding it out. “To show how serious I am… this is two thousand dollars. For your medical bills. I also promise to stay out of your way and never say anything negative about you.”

I just stare at him, my brain refusing to settle on a single emotion. Anger is there, but so is disgust,irritation, and shock-everything stacked on top of each other until my chest feels tight.

Because the first thing that really hits me is this: Justin knows. Which means he found out about the photos and that opens a whole new can of shame I can’t digest.

“How did Justin know about the photos?” I demand.

“He-he made me tell him everything.” He shoves the money into my hand like he can’t get rid of it fast enough, then takes a step back, like touching me might get him electrocuted. “I’m sorry for everything.”

I fling the cash back at him, the bills slapping against his chest, and for half a second I seriously consider adding my fist to it.

“Did he ask you to give me this?”

“No,” he says quickly, shaking his head. “He told me to apologize and to do it the best way I could and-”

“And this is what you came up with,” I cut in, my hand curling tight at my side. “Money.”

His mouth opens, then closes.

“Sean, if I ever see you again, just know you’ll look a lot worse than you do right now.”

I slam the door in his face and lean against it, my chest rising fast as my hands shake with everything I didn’t get to say.

Two thousand dollars. That’s what he thinks fixes it Shoving cash into my hands like it’s some magic eraser, like it can buy forgiveness or make what he did feel smaller. It’s pathetic. If he actually meant any of those apologies, he wouldn’t have thought money was the answer.

My chest tightens and I press a hand there, breathing through the ache. I really thought I was past this. I thought I’d made peace with it, that knowing a bunch of people saw parts of me I never gave them permission to see wouldn’t still hurt like this. But it does.

Seeing Sean will never stop reminding me how little I mattered to someone I trusted. It’s like a knife I see coming but can’t stop it from digging deeper and I don’t know how to pull it out. I don’t know how to shut my feelings off, how to stop hurting, how to stand under the shower without feeling filthy, and without wanting to scrub my skin raw just to feel clean again.

How am I supposed to do that?

A knock hits the door and I flinch hard. My spine straightens on instinct as I swipe at my cheeks, wiping away whatever tears I didn’t catch in time.

I go to my room and grab the flower vase from my desk, fingers tight around the glass, already imagining it shattering on Sean’s head if he’s stupid enough to still be here.

I yank the door open with my arm half-raised.

My eyes widen.

“Justin,” I breathe.

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