Fake Dating My Ex's Hockey Star Brother (Maya Scott) novel Chapter 244

Chapter 0104

JUSTIN’S POV

Starting over sounds simple when people talk about it. They make it seem like being young automatically means you have endless chances to begin again. What they don’t mention is how terrifying it actually feels to stand at the edge of something new with no idea what comes next.

It’s not like anyone ever truly knows the future, but at least before, there’s some sense of direction… some illusion of control. Starting over strips that away, leaving you with nothing but uncertainty and the fear of getting it wrong all over again.

I keep telling myself I’m not starting over. That the knee brace, the shoulder brace…none of it means I’m back at square one. That standing here, debating whether I should have brought my crutches on the first day of my final semester, isn’t the same as losing everything I worked for.

But it kind of does.

My head’s a mess with thoughts coming in too fast. Some of them are loud, telling me I’m late, that I’ve

already fallen behind. Others are quieter, worse… telling me to just stop. That quitting would be easier than trying again just to fail like I did when I was stuck on that hospital bed.

But Allison says I’ve already come too far to stop now and that I can still go further. Katy says if I give up, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life. And that’s the part that stays with me because I don’t want to live with that kind of regret. So I’ll do whatever it takes.

I stop in front of the locker room, drawing in a slow breath. Voices spill through the door and I can hear

Coach already talking to them.

I exhale and push the door open, steadying myself with a hand against the wall when the movement pulls a little too hard.

The room goes quiet the moment I walk in and every head turns, conversation dying mid-sentence.

Coach turns last.

Our eyes meet, and nobody says a word for a few seconds. Then his expression softens.

“Justin,” he says, stepping away from the team. “You made it.”

Unlike most of the guys, who only know about my knee and shoulder from the group chat, I’ve already seen Coach. I met him two days ago.

Cooper kept him updated the whole time I was in Colorado so none of this is new to him. Still, seeing it in person… I know it wasn’t easy for him. But he’s shown up for me in the only way that matters.

“Hey, Coach.”

I take a step forward and suddenly, Luke starts clapping.

“I don’t need the terms, Martin.”

Martin closes his mouth.

Coach looks at them both for one long second, then shifts his gaze to the rest of the room.

“Here’s what I actually need from you,” he says, and then glances at me. “All of you, sit down.”

Coach nods.

Then Martin, who two minutes ago was arguing about twenty dollars. “I can do his laundry. My mama said I’m good at it.”

A small laugh moves through the room and I shake my head.

“I’ve got meals covered,” Zach says from the back.

“I’ll take notes in any class we share,” someone offers from the left side of the bench. Reeves, a senior who barely speaks in team settings. “Just in case the PT schedule clashes.”

One by one, hands go up, offers stacking on top of each other, some practical, some small, and some almost funny like Danny offering to carry my bags, and Holloway saying he’d handle any gear maintenance so I don’t have to stand too long.

I don’t say anything for a moment. I’m looking at the floor because it’s either that or let them all watch my face do something I haven’t decided to let it do.

I didn’t expect this. I knew they’d be glad I was back. I knew there’d be noise and probably a stupid bet and guys giving me a hard time because that’s how we work. I expected all of that.

I didn’t expect this.

Coach is quiet too, watching. When I finally look up he gives me the smallest nod, like he knew this was coming even if I didn’t.

I clear my throat. “Thanks guys. I don’t know what else to say but I mean it.”