Fake Dating My Ex's Hockey Star Brother (Maya Scott) novel Chapter 260

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ff and glidendiglide into my warm–up lap, my legs finding their rhythm autornatatically

Is up beside beside me, matching my pace. “Listen to this place!”

towards awards the stands and it takes me maybe four seconds before e find them.

and Karad Katy are where they always are–the lower section, close to thithe glass, and on their feet. Katy per’s puper’s jacket swallowing her whole and Allison is in mine, the sleeves slightly too long, and they’re abnig holding up the posters they made.

uttart cutting toward the boards to greet them but Cooper gets therere first, sliding to a stop in front of dety’s side of the glass and grinning like he didn’t just give a serious pregame speech ten minutes ago. I ostup just behind him, and that’s when Allison moves to the glass immediately, lowering the poster.

Her whole face breaks open into a warm smile and she liftist bobthahands, making a heart.

Grinning, I press my glove to the glass, then pull back and blokerer a kiss.

And somehow, the single gesture makes the student secticidalabsolutely loses it for some reason. The noise spikes so fast and so loud with some people bangiging the boards like they’re trying to break through.

Giggling, Allison spins around slowly, her arms slightly louasas she shows off my jacket to every single person in that section like she’s on a runway.y

God, she’s beautiful.

laugh, my heart swelling with pride. That’s my gidi MMy Allison. My happy, best, most beautiful Allison.

push off back toward center ice before I do sorvetething truly embarrassing, the smile still sitting on my

face.

fter I skate back, warm–ups wind down and both teams clear the ice briefly. The arena dims for the

national anthem and then the starting lineupssget announced, the crowd surging louder with each name.

The ref calls Cooper and the Gophers captatainoto center ice, and then the puck drops.

The game swallows everything else wholele.

The first period is exactly what Cooper wwamed us about because Minnesota comes out physical, their d–men pinching hard, and their powerplplay unit moving the puck fast. It’s clear they want to set a tone and

they’re not being quiet about it.!!

Luckily, we match them stride forside.

The ice opens up around the eight minute mark. Luke wins the puck battle low in their zone and slides it pack up the wall to the point

read it, sliding off my check and ousting hard through the slot as the defense shifts a half–step too late.

comes throughth from the blue line and I get my stick on it mid–lane.

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It’s a clean deflection, the puck changing direction and the net snaps as the horn follows a split second later.

The arena just explodes with cheers.

I barely turn before I’m swallowed by teammates: Cooper reaching me first, and grabbing my helmet, Luke crashing in right after.

“That’s it, J!” Cooper shouts. “That’s exactly it!”

Despite their gang up on me, I manage to sneak a look toward the stands. Like I already imagined, Allison is on her feet, both arms in the air, her poster completely forgotten somewhere. Katy is jumping beside her, grabbing her arm. And Allison…my Allison, is just beaming. That full, unguarded, completely luminous smile that she saved my life.

I break away from the guys and tap my chest in her direction before miming a toss through the air.

She catches it instantly, her hand flying to her mouth as she blushes hard.

I turn back toward center ice, barely managing to hold back my smile.

“Let me get Allison,” I tell Luke the second I’m done changing, already moving toward the door.

We’re heading out to celebrate and party all night and I want to bring her along.

We finished 5-3. We beat Gophers and the thought makes me smile as I push through the side doors into the cold night air, the parking lot sprawling out ahead of me.

I made two goals and two assists tonight, my best game since coming back. Luke had a goal and an assist, Austin made one goal too and Cooper sealed it with an empty netter in the final minute when Minnesota pulled their goalie chasing the deficit. They pushed hard in the third, closed it to one at some point and made everyone nervous, but we held the line exactly the way Cooper said we would.

So we got home ice advantage in round one for the playoffs. We earned it.

The parking lot is still full with fans, everyone moving in different directions as I search for Allison.

Then I spot her.

She’s still in my jacket, her hair slightly wild as she cuts through the crowd.

“Allison!” I yell. “Baby, I’m here!”

Immediately, her eyes meets mine and she pauses mid step for half a second.

Then she breaks into a run.

I barely have time to brace before she launches herself at me completely, her arms going around my neck, and I catch her the way I always will – both arms wrapping around her waist, lifting her clean off the

She’s giggling before I even get her fully up, her face buried in the side of my neck.

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