Fake Dating My Ex's Hockey Star Brother (Maya Scott) novel Chapter 257

Chapter 0115

ALLISON’S POV

“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you!”

We gather around, singing for Katy.

Katy, who has been grinning like an absolute maniac since six this morning.

Katy, who and I cannot stress this enough, had her cake planned two weeks ago, her decorations up by yesterday afternoon, and her outfit picked out since last Tuesday. She even texted me at eleven last night to confirm that her candles were the right shade of gold and not yellow.

But that’s the thing about Katy and her birthday. It’s less of a personal milestone and more of a production she’s been executive-producing for months. She once confided in me that she takes it very seriously because she never used to celebrate them as a kid.

Which, honestly, tracks.

Her birthday is today and mine is in three days. We used to joke that the universe couldn’t decide whether to put us in the same body, so it split the difference. Bestie link or whatever people call it.

“Happy birthday, dear Katy, happy birthday to youuu!”

The last note dissolves into cheers and Katy presses both hands to her cheeks, looking emotional but she absolutely rehearsed everything, and I love her for it.

“Okay, okay…make a wish!” Justin calls out.

Katy straightens, squares her shoulders, and closes her eyes. Her lips press together and whatever she’s wishing for, she’s being thorough about it.

Then she leans forward and blows every candle out in one breath. She gasps, then immediately throws her hands up.

“Okay, what’d you wish for?” Braydon asks, already leaning in with a grin.

She turns to him slowly.

“Braydon.” She puts a hand on his cheek. “If I tell you, it won’t come true.”

“It’s a superstition.” He responds.

“It’s a rule.”

“Who made the rule?”

“Whoever made birthdays.” She pats his cheek once and turns back to the cake. “Now hand me the knife.

She accepts the knife from Braydon and gets to work, before setting pieces onto plates.

“Okay, who wants the corner piece –

A knock at the door cuts her off.

Katy looks up. “Allie, please can you get that?”

I set down my plate. “On it.”

I cross to the door and pull it open, my gaze landing on Bryan who is very clearly still slightly out of breath, and still in his work clothes with his sleeves rolled to the elbow and a gift bag hanging from one hand.

“I thought you weren’t going to make it,” I say, stepping aside to let him in.

“I almost didn’t.” He exhales, running a hand through his hair.

He steps in and the room does that thing rooms do where nothing visibly changes, but everything shifts anyway. Justin doesn’t react at all, which with Justin means he has already decided exactly how much attention he’s giving the situation: none.

Then there’s Braydon.

I don’t even have to look directly at him to feel how his mood has changed. I glance at him and sure enough, he’s moved closer to Katy than he was thirty seconds ago, his arms loosely crossed, and jaw ticking.

I press my lips together to stop myself from smiling. They are actively, definitively, happily dating. And yet the arrival of her ex-boyfriend who stands approximately zero chance has activated some deep, irrational territorial instinct that I find both ridiculous and a little cute.

Bryan greets the room with a wave. “Hey, everyone.”

The responses are flat and the only person whose face actually opens up is Katy as she smiles at him.

“Bryan! You made it.”

“Barely.” He crosses over to her and holds out the gift bag. “Happy birthday, Katy. Sorry I’m late, my internship ran over and I still have to head back actually.”

“Oh, don’t even worry about it.” She takes the bag and peeks inside briefly before setting it with the others. “I’m glad you came at all.”

“I wasn’t going to miss it.” He glances at the cake. “That looks incredible, by the way.”

“It is incredible.” She cuts him a slice. “You’re not leaving without taking some.”

He laughs. “I won’t argue with that.”

She wraps a piece for him and he takes it with both hands. He says his goodbyes around the room which is another general wave, and then he’s gone, the door clicking shut behind him.

The atmosphere exhales. I look back at Braydon and he’s suddenly relaxed, jaw unclenched, and he even reaches over and steals a corner piece off the serving plate.

Katy slaps his hand away as he reaches for a second.

She sets it aside carefully and reaches back in, pulling out the second item. It’s a small framed print, a quote she has saved on her phone, on her Pinterest board, and on

approximately every surface she controls. I had it printed and framed in the exact aesthetic she would have chosen herself.

Katy looks up at me with an expression that is dangerously close to actual tears.

“Don’t,” I warn. “No crying yet.”

She laughs instead, which is the correct response, and crosses over to hug me with both arms. I hug her back and we stay like that for a few seconds before I pat her shoulder and say, “Okay, Justin next.”

Justin, to his credit, hands her a neat, and properly wrapped box because Justin wraps things. I find that both impressive and cute.

Inside is a gift card to her favorite bookstore, stacked on top of a small bottle of the perfume she’d finished two weeks ago and complained about to anyone who would listen.

Katy stares at it. “How did you even know I ran out?”

“You told everyone you ran out,” Justin says. “Multiple times.”

“I didn’t know you were listening.”

“I always listen.” He shrugs. “I just don’t always respond.”

She hugs him too, slightly shorter than she hugged me, and he playfully lifts her off the ground.

Then she turns to Braydon. He has been watching the whole thing with his arms crossed and a small smile.

He steps forward. “Mine are in the room.”

Katy blinks. “Plural?”

“Let’s go find out.” She narrows her eyes at him with a smile as he tilts his head toward the hallway and says, “Come on.”

They start walking and I look at Justin. Justin looks at me.

“Don’t let the door close all the way!” I call after them.

“We’re opening gifts, Alls,” Katy calls back.

“That’s what you’ll say!”

Justin adds. “We’ll be timing you.”

Braydon doesn’t turn around but I catch the side of his face and he is absolutely grinning as he pushes the bedroom door open and lets Katy in ahead of him.