Fake Dating My Ex's Hockey Star Brother (Maya Scott) novel Chapter 52

KATY’S POV

“Thank you, everyone, for showing up,” I announce, standing proudly in front of my makeshift projector setup. The bedsheet I used as a screen keeps slipping from the wall, but I ignore that small detail. This presentation is everything.

Justin lets out an exaggerated yawn. “You didn’t exactly give us a choice to decline, did you?”

I shoot him a look, and Braydon snorts while Allie tries to hide her laugh behind her cup of coffee. It’s not even that early, it’s eleven a.m., which is practically midday. I’m sure he’s had time for breakfast, maybe even a snack or two. The drama is unnecessary.

And for the record, I sent a very polite text.

“BE IN MY ROOM BY 10:50 A.M. I KNOW YOUR PRACTICE ENDS BY 9 ON SATURDAYS! BE

HERE!!!!”

See? Just the perfect text from a sister to her brother. I see nothing coercive about that.

“So, I know everyone here is aware about the Blackrock grant and that-”

“Just go straight to the point,” Justin cuts in.

I suck air through my teeth and turn to him sharply. “Interrupt me one more time and I’ll toss that paper you have due tomorrow in the bin.”

Immediately, he clasps his hands together in mock apology before pressing his mouth shut.

I let out a slow breath and turn back to my screen, scrolling through my slides. The old projector hums like it’s tired of existing, but it’s doing its best, just like me.

“I have three ideas for my product,” I say, pausing to make sure no one else interrupts. “But I’m having a hard time picking one. So that’s why I called you all here to help me out.”

Braydon nods. “Sounds exciting.”

I narrow my eyes slightly. I can’t tell if he’s being sarcastic or not. He looks serious, but this is Braydon we’re talking about. He bailed on applying for this same grant, so, yeah… I’ll take that exciting with a grain of salt.

“The first one is called Smart Stock,” I continue, clicking to the next slide. “It’s a modular smart shelf with inbuilt weight and sensor technology that tracks inventory automatically.”

Allie raises her hand like she’s back in high school.

I exhale. “What is it?”

“So it can track product quantity and restock levels?” she asks.

“Yup,” I reply.

“Wow,” she gushes. “Cool.”

I almost roll my eyes. If she’d paid any attention to me last night, instead of spending an hour analyzing why Bryan suddenly decided to rekindle our dead and buried relationship, she might’ve actually learned something.

“Thanks Alls,” I mumble, scrolling again. “Now, onto the next one. It’s called Safe Pod.”

Justin leans forward, smirking. “Let me guess, it keeps products safe?”

Allie elbows him, and they both laugh. I bite back a glare because, annoyingly, he’s right.

“It’s a line of storage containers that protect goods from fire and water damage,” I explain, clicking to the next image. “They’re made with heat-resistant materials that don’t affect the products inside.”

I pause for a moment before switching slides again. “And my final one is called Stickies. It’s a plant-based gel sticker you place on fruits and vegetables. As they ripen and release ethylene, the sticker changes color to show how fresh or spoiled they are.”

“And that’s it,” I conclude, spreading my arms out like a performer on stage.

They actually start clapping and Justin even throws in a few words I can’t catch. Allie looks impressed and Braydon gives a small nod.

When the noise fades, I lower my arms. “So,” I say, scanning their faces, “what do you think? Which idea sounds the best? Like, the one that could actually help me win?”

“The first one,” Justin says, without even thinking.

“Okay…” I tilt my head. “But why is it better?”

He shrugs, cocking an eyebrow. “It’s kinda really cool. Like high tech and stuff.”

I stare at him for a second, then sigh and rub my forehead. Out of everything he could’ve said, that’s what he came up with? Did he even listen to anything I just explained?

Sometimes I wonder if Mom passed down any of her brains to him or just gave me the full batch. Honestly, the latter makes more sense, especially since I’m the one doing his papers.

“Thanks, Justin, for your… insight,” I say finally but he’s already back on his phone, his thumbs moving at lightning speed.

I turn to Allie. “What about you?”

“I’ll go with the second one. Safe Pod,” she says thoughtfully. “A lot of people lose their stuff to fire and water. It’d be nice to have something that actually protects it without overheating or anything weird like that.”

I nod slowly, appreciating that she actually gave her reasons. It’s more than I expected, honestly.

Then I turn to Braydon, the last person. He’s rubbing his jaw, his eyes on the screen like he’s actually thinking this through.

“I’ll go for the last one,” he says finally.

Great. I call them here to help me pick one, and they each choose something different.

Perfect teamwork.

She taps her screen, replaying a video from her Snapchat.

At first, it’s just a group of loud, sweaty jocks crammed together in what looks like a bar or maybe a club. The lighting’s awful, and music blasting in the background. But then I realize there’s way too much skin showing for it to be a regular hangout.

I narrow my eyes. “Is this a… a strip bar?”

The camera shifts, panning across the room and it stops at Justin. My dear brother, grinning like an idiot while a stripper dances behind him, her hands resting casually on his shoulders.

I roll my eyes. Of course, it’s not the first time I’ve seen him in questionable situations. Why Allie thinks I need to see this is beyond me. I make it a point to stay far, far away from my brother’s sexual life.

“That’s totally Justin. Who cares about-” Something catches my eye at the corner of the screen, and I do a double take so fast it almost hurts my neck. My jaw drops as the camera angle shifts, confirming what I just saw. “Is that…” my voice comes out higher, “Braydon?”

“You were saying?” she quips. “Do you still not care?”

I snatch the phone from her, bringing it closer and zooming in like I’m trying to convince myself it isn’t Braydon surrounded by half-naked strippers. My stomach twists, and I can’t help but lean in, scrutinizing every movement.

A scoff slips out when one of the girls leans closer and whispers something to him. And he actually smirks. He smirks.

Wow.

So this is where he was rushing off to with Justin? All this time? Has he been partying all day without a single thought about anything else?

”

I glare at Allie. “Whose story is this?” I ask, my voice tight, a mild burn rising in my throat.

“Jackson’s,” she says, taking the phone back. She shakes her head, throwing her hands up. Those boys are going absolutely wild. And I don’t even care about anyone else, but you and Braydon… you’re supposed to be in a relationship. Fake or not. What are people going to think when they see this?”

I clench my fist against the desk, knuckles whitening.

At Zach’s party, he made such a huge deal that I didn’t openly declare him as my type. And today, he’s at a strip bar or wherever that is, flirting with other women like it’s nothing.

What exactly does he take me for?

Anger coils in my stomach, and before I can even think about cooling off, my voice comes out sharp. “Where’s this place?”

“It’s called 24:11 and it’s a ten minutes drive from school.” Allie replies. “Do you want us to crash it? I confirmed with Jackson and they’re still there.”

I stare at my books, my mind buzzing. If Braydon thinks he can just make a fool out of me, he’s got another thing coming. Fake boyfriend or not, I’m not the kind of girl anyone walks over.

I jump up, march to my closet, and start digging through clothes. My hand finds the dress I wore last during freshman year, the one I’m sure it’s still tight in all the right places. Perfect.

I pull it out, and hold it up. “Let’s crash that fucking place,” I tell Allie.