Fake Dating My Ex's Hockey Star Brother (Maya Scott) novel Chapter 40

KATY’S POV

The glass door slides open, and Allie’s operating doctor steps out, looking tired. My heart jumps into my throat, and I scramble upright, brushing Braydon’s head off my thighs.

“How is she?” I ask breathlessly.

He exhales, running a hand down his face, and then nods. “The surgery is successful, but we have to wait a few hours for her to wake up.”

Relief washes over me so much that I feel my knees weaken. My lips quiver, and tears of joy blur my vision. “Thank you,” I whisper, my arm shooting out before I can stop myself and I grab his hand tightly. “Thank you so much for saving her.”

He pats my shoulder gently. “You can rest now and see her in about an hour if you want.”

I nod, finally releasing his hand and dabbing at the tears streaking my face. And then I notice Braydon has been standing behind me the whole time. I thought he was still slumped asleep on the chair.

“Thank you,” he says softly, directing it toward the doctor as well. The man nods with a tired smile before disappearing back through the glass doors. I watch him go, exhaling shakily, and pressing a hand to my chest. The surgery was successful. Allie will wake up soon.

I turn back to Braydon, my relief spilling into a huge smile because if anyone has endured the full share of my tears and emotions, it’s him.

“She’s gonna be okay,” I say, my voice filled with joy.

He smiles, his eyes still heavy from sleep, and he leans back against the chair. “I told you,” he says. Then, with a yawn, he adds, “Is it too early to say I’m starving?”

I run a hand through my hair. “Have you been holding it in because of me?”

He shrugs. “Can’t really be stuffing my mouth while you look like a sad Victorian widow.”

I tilt my head slightly with a small grin. “How do you even come up with these things…or jokes?”

“I don’t,” he says casually. “They just… come to me.”

I can’t help but marvel at him. Even when he’s tired, even when I’m a mess of panic and tears, he somehow manages to be both goofy and grounding. I probably would have completely sunk into despair before the surgery ended if I hadn’t called him and my brain knew I needed him here.

The best part is that he doesn’t minimize the situation. He’s empathetic, truly understands how serious everything is, but he also knows how to ease the tension.

“I owe you big time,” I say. “Don’t worry, if you ever end up in the hospital, I’ll return the favor.”

He lifts an eyebrow, one corner of his mouth twitching. “Did you just try to joke?”

I shake my head, a little defensively. “No, I didn’t.”

Like the doctor said, Allie wakes up about four hours after surgery. Mrs. Katherine, her mom, has arrived, so she signs all the forms and goes in to see her first.

Braydon has returned to campus to get me some clean clothes and to refresh. Sean still hasn’t responded so I’m left alone outside Allie’s recovery room, shifting nervously from foot to foot, waiting.

I can hear her mom crying through the door of her room and every sob twists my chest, making it feel like it’s being squeezed too tightly. My stomach churns with fear and I whisper quick prayers in my mind. I hope Allie isn’t in bad shape. I hope my best friend will be okay.

Time crawls, my watch ticks slowly and everything seems dull. I pace a few steps, then stop, pressing my back against the wall.

Another hour drags past before Mrs. Katherine finally emerges, her face pale and her eyes rimmed with red.

She beckons me over and I swallow hard.

“How is she?” I ask, my voice barely a whisper.

Mrs. Katherine shakes her head, her eyes watering, and my stomach twists into knots. I freeze for a heartbeat, watching her for some kind of sign that Allie’s better than her face is showing. But there’s none.

Mrs. Katherine sniffles, pulling a small handkerchief from her bag. “I heard the police talked to you,” she says, her voice still trembling.

I nod. “Yeah. They just asked a few questions about Allie and the car.” I hesitate for a second before adding quietly, “They said her brakes failed.”

Her eyes widen, and she lets out a hiccup that turns into a sob. I rub her back gently as her shoulders shake.

“She must have been terrified,” she manages between sobs. “I should have changed her car when she asked.”

The guilt in her voice makes my heart ache.

“It’s not your fault,” I tell her, leaning closer so she can hear the firmness in my voice. “Don’t think like that.”

She nods, but her tears keep coming and I stay with her, rubbing her arm until her breathing steadies. It takes almost twenty minutes before she finally wipes her eyes and exhales shakily.

“I’ll go get some air,” she whispers.

I nod, watching her walk down the hallway until she disappears around the corner. I sink into one of the seats, every bone in my body exhausted. For a moment, I just stare at the blank white wall across from me, zoning out to the quiet beeping sounds echoing from nearby rooms.

When I finally blink out of it, I remember that I forgot to tell Braydon to get my toothbrush. I groan softly, fishing my phone from my pocket to text him. But before I can, a notification lights up the screen.

SOFIA FROM CLASS: Did you already submit your application to Blackrock? I heard there are too many submissions this year, so the link’s closing in 36 hours.

I stare at the message and my throat burns…not from panic, but from disappointment. It’s not like I can do anything about it now. Three grand doesn’t magically fall from the sky, and I’m not the kind of person who gets miracles out of nowhere.

With a sigh, I swipe the message away. Then I open my chat with Braydon and start typing about my toothbrush instead.