Fake Dating My Ex's Hockey Star Brother (Maya Scott) novel Chapter 265

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Chapter 0123

JUSTIN’S POV

Cooper slams his locker shut, and everyone turns to face him. Most of us are already fully geared up, but he’s still in his breezers, and shirtless.

This is the last game before the playoffs, and even though we’ve already clinched a spot, tonight still matters because it decides our positioning.

To me, it’s everything.

The past two games, I’ve emptied the tank completely, burning through every ounce of energy and still managed three assists and a goal. There was a moment I honestly thought something might give out in me, like my body would just crack under it all. Maybe it was fear. Maybe it was what already happened before.

But every game since has made me realize it’s mostly in my head.

Especially when I look up and see Allison and Katy in the stands, screaming at the top of their lungs. It’s a feeling I can’t really explain but it’s the happiest I’ve ever been.

“Last game before the playoffs,” Cooper says, scanning the room. “That means we go out there and take their pride and drag it across the ice.”

He reaches for his jersey, pulling it off the hook and dragging it over his head in one motion, his voice still carrying through the room as he talks.

“Minnesota’s power play has been sharp the last few games,” he continues, eyes moving across the room. “We stay disciplined, no lazy sticks and only clean exits, strong gaps, and we don’t give them extra looks. Offensively, we move our feet.” His gaze hardens slightly as he looks at the D–corps. “Take care of your zone first. Everything else comes after. We want home–ice advantage in round one, so we earn it tonight. Simple as that.”

Luke lets out a low whistle from the corner, already fully suited up with his helmet resting on his knee. “Man, Coop, you practice that speech in the mirror or what?”

A few guys snort and someone throws a roll of tape that bounces off Luke’s shin pad.

“I’m serious,” Luke says, grinning and holding his hands up. “Very motivational. I almost cried. Martin, you crying?”

“I was crying before he started.” Martin responds. “These Gophers knocked me into the boards last season and I’ve been waiting three hundred and forty–something days for tonight.

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“That’s a concerning level of dedication,” Luke jokes.

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“That’s called memory,” Martin replies flatly. “Something you might want to develop before your pharmacology exam.”

The room breaks into laughter this time, diluting the pre game tension that can sometimes

be too much.

Cooper lets the fun ride for a few seconds before he turns and his eyes land on me, his lips curving into a grin before he taps his temple.

“Get out of your head and give me that fire, J. You feel me?”

I hold his stare and nod. “Yeah, I feel you.”

“Good.” He points at the door. “We go out there and we remind this building why they call it

our home ice.”

Luke whistles again, knocking his stick against the floor in response, and a few of the guys join in, their small bursts of noise breaking through the room as voices start to overlap.

Slowly, I tune it out. Years of practice make it easy.

I drop my head, my elbows resting on my knees, and stick balanced across my thighs. My pregame ritual has been the same since I was in high school.

It’s a simple prayer: keep me healthy, keep me sharp, and let me play the way I know how.

I whisper it under my breath, then sit in silence after, my head still down.

By the time Cooper is geared up, we’re ready.

We file out.

The tunnel opens up and the moment my blades hit the ice, it’s like something inside my chest flips over. The cold rushes at my face all at once and the roar…God, the roar. The arena is packed, every seat filled, the student section already going absolutely insane behind the glass, banging on the boards, their voices melting into one enormous sound.

I push off and glide into my warm–up lap, my legs finding their rhythm automatically.

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

I look up towards the stands and it takes me maybe four seconds before I find them.

Allison and Katy are where they always are–the lower section, close to the glass, and on their feet. Katy has Cooper’s jacket swallowing her whole and Allison is in mine, the sleeves

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slightly too long, and they’re both holding up the posters they made.

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I start cutting toward the boards to greet them but Cooper gets there first, sliding to a stop in front of Katy’s side of the glass and grinning like he didn’t just give a serious pregame speech ten minutes ago. I pull up 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 lifts both hands, making a heart.

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

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

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

God, she’s beautiful.

I laugh, my heart swelling with pride. That’s my girl. My Allison. My happy, best, most

beautiful Allison.

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

After 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 lineups get announced, the crowd surging louder with each name. The ref calls Cooper and the Gophers‘ captain to center ice, and then the puck drops.

The game swallows everything else whole.

The first period is exactly what Cooper warned us about because Minnesota comes out physical, their d–men pinching hard, and their power play 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 for stride.

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

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

The shot comes through 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.

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