Fake Dating My Ex's Hockey Star Brother (Maya Scott) novel Chapter 239

Chapter 99

ALLISON’S POV

+25 Points

The taxi rolls to a stop but I don’t move. My bag is wedged between my knees, and I stare at the house through the smudged window like it’s a haunted building instead of my home.

“You getting out?” the driver asks, glancing at me in the rearview.

“Yeah.” I grab my bag. “Sorry, one second.”

2

I exhale, push the door open, and step into the snow. The driveway is shoveled, but that only makes my

heart race even more.

Last night, I seriously considered staying with Justin instead of coming home. He convinced me to do it, but now, standing here, I want to run. After skipping Christmas, ghosting my family, and all the mountain of mistakes I’ve piled up…can I really go in there?

“Allison, you can do this,” I mutter to myself, shoving my hands deeper into my coat pockets as I start up

towards the porch.

Worst-case scenario? They yell at me. Maybe sprinkle in some ‘I’m disappointed in you’ for flavor. And

then, next week, I’m back to Boston for another semester. Easy peasy.

I reach the top step and take a shaky breath, waiting for a few seconds before pressing the doorbell.

After a moment, the door opens, and I lock eyes with my mom. Her lips part in shock, and she stares at

me from head to toe like I’m either a ghost… or that I somehow returned looking exactly like Angelina

Jolie.

“Allison.” She snaps. “You stubborn child. So you remember you have a family.”

“Happy New Year,” I mumble, pressing my lips together. “Please… let me in.”

She hesitates, glaring at me like she’s contemplating whether to welcome me or toss me back into the

snow. Then, finally, she steps aside, and I slip inside.

Barely five steps in, I freeze and my gaze lands on my dad. Wait, what? It’s the third of January, and he’s

usually never home unless he has to be. I definitely did not expect to see him here.

“Hi, Dad.” I swallow, my fingers tightening around the strap of my bag. “Happy New Year.”

His dark eyes deepen even more than they were, and a shiver races down my spine. He looks at me like I’m a problem he didn’t budget time for, like my existence is an inconvenience he’s tolerating. My knees go weak, and I just want to bolt upstairs.

“Where are you coming from?” he asks.

Mom steps up behind me. “With her boyfriend, obviously. I can’t believe she refused to come home because of a man. She gets worse every year.”

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Dad rises to his feet, and I barely notice when I take a step back. He closes the distance between us,

looming over me.

“I asked you a question,” he grinds out. “Where are you coming from?”

“Colorado,” I manage. “I was with my friends, and Justin had an accident, and it was-‘

His hand collides with my face before my brain even registers what’s happening. I stumble back, my fingers flying to my jaw. The pain comes first, then the shock. The understanding comes last. My dad just

hit me. I look up at him and I don’t even recognize the expression on his face. I’ve never had to, before.

Mom goes completely still beside me.

“I gave you specific instructions,” he says, stepping closer as I fight the tears building in my eyes. “Yet you lied, disobeyed, ridiculed my authority as your father and head of this home… and you come back today?”

“I’m sorry,” I choke out, my hands trembling over my chin. “I… I apologize…”

His hand hits my face again, harder this time, knocking my bag from my right hand and the force sends me sprawling to the floor.

Between my blurred vision and aching face, I feel Mom rush to me, squatting beside me and pulling me into her arms. I tilt my head up toward her, tears streaming down my face and I cling to her.

“How can you hit her?” Mom fires at him. “No matter what she did, you shouldn’t do that!”

“Is this how you raise her?” he yells, his voice thundering through the living room. “Anything could have happened to her in Colorado, and yet you’re not concerned about that?”

“Of course I’m concerned!” She snaps back. “But hitting her twice, no less, won’t fix anything. She came

home safe, and that’s what matters.”

“What matters is my authority!” His voice makes me flinch. “And I demanded she come home.”

Mom holds me tighter. “I never claimed your authority or whatever you say doesn’t matter. But she’s an

adult, and at her age, people make mistakes. That is not a reason to slap your own daughter! It shouldn’t

be!”

I never imagined Mom would ever stand up to him like this, not for herself, or for anyone. There’s a first for

everything, I guess… but I never thought it would be because of me. Because I skipped Christmas.

Because I came home after New Year.

“She turned out like this because of you,” Dad snaps. “Stupid, rash, arrogant… all over the place, because of you! This is me correcting her. And there’s more where that came from.”

Mom stiffens, still holding me for a moment before slowly releasing me and rising to her feet.

“Mum…” I start, but she shoves her hand gently behind me.

“Stay out of this,” she says, then steps closer to him. “Stupid? She’s stupid? How can you even say that

about her?”

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“Allison, get up and go to your room,” He barks. “Rest assured, this is not over.”

+25 Points

“No,” Mum cuts in. “It’s over and it’s ending now. You don’t get to call my daughter stupid, rash, arrogant, and pretend everything goes back to rainbows and roses.”

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