Fake Dating My Ex's Hockey Star Brother (Maya Scott) novel Chapter 245

Chapter 0105

ALLISON’S POV

FEW WEEKS LATER

“Keep your eyes closed.” I guide Justin forward gently before stopping in front of the blanket and picnic setup. “Now… open.”

He lowers his hand slowly, and the second his eyes land on everything, a smile spreads across’ his face.

He turns to me, a little stunned. “Allison… what is this?”

I step closer, pressing my lips together to hide my nerves. “A date.” I reach for his collar, straightening it. “I

know you’ve been busy with therapy and everything and I wanted to celebrate you hitting a new milestone.

Plus I wanted time with you without Braydon and Katy moaning in their room.”

He chuckles, shaking his head slowly then reaches out to take my hand. “I want to do things like this for you, you know. Take you somewhere nice. Make you feel-”

“Justin.” I cut him off, and his mouth closes. “It’s not just men that plan dates.”

“I know, but-”

“Your schedule has been insane,” I say, dropping into a terrible impression of him and he snorts. I poke his

chest. “So will you just let me make you enjoy today? Please?”

He looks at me for a long moment, a warm smile spreading on his face. Then he nods, dips his head, and

kisses me, his hand coming up to cup my jaw.

“Okay,” he murmurs against my mouth. “I’ll be a cute boyfriend today for you.”

I giggle, clapping excitedly before dragging him to the blanket.

We’re at Larz Anderson Park, and the sun is casting this golden glow that makes everything feel almost unreal. Justin stretches out beside me, his gaze drifting to a family a little ways off, a quiet smile settling on his face.

He’s been happier lately, and it shows in the little things: flowers, special recipes, and even a purse I’d been eyeing that he surprised me with last week. I felt a pinch of guilt every time and told him to slow down since money’s tight, but he just shrugs it off, says they don’t cost much and he’ll always figure something out.

That’s exactly why I’m taking my time with this date.

I start pulling things from the basket.

“I admit,” I begin, setting down a slightly dented container, “that cooking is not as straightforward as you and the internet makes it look.”

His eyes go wide and definitely not in delight but in a slow, dawning way of a man watching a car roll

It’s simultaneously bland and somehow off like she seasoned it in one very specific spot and nowhere else, and I happened to find that spot with my first spoonful. There’s also a texture situation I’m not going to think about too hard.

But she’s sitting across from me, knees pulled up, eyes bright, and looking like she just won something.

I think, if I have any conscience at all, I need to enjoy this because she planned it. I’m sure she looked up a recipe on YouTube, did her due diligence, and still somehow ended up here, and there’s something so completely, painfully Allison about that.

The blanket, the park, the golden light she definitely didn’t plan but that fits anyway, the food… all of it, just because she wanted to celebrate with me.

So yeah, I’m finishing the entire bowl.

“We should see a movie next week.” She says, serving herself pasta. Just the pasta.

“You’re not having the soup.”

She looks up. “I prefer pasta.”

I stare at her and she stares back with a smile that’s quite unfair for someone who sentenced me to drink this soup alone.

“Allison.”

“The pasta is from Kenmore, Justin, it’s really good. You should try some.” She twirls her fork. “Do you want some?”

I look down at my bowl, then back at her. “I’m fine.”

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