Fake Dating My Ex's Hockey Star Brother (Maya Scott) novel Chapter 78

BRAYDON’S POV

I’m leaning against the wall outside Katy’s lecture hall, pretending to scroll through my phone so I don’t look like a creep waiting for her. My heart’s been pounding since I got here, and it just keeps getting worse every minute the door stays closed.

And look, I know how it sounds. Guys only get this worked up when they’ve screwed something up.

But that’s what’s messing with me-I don’t even know what I did. I’m not nervous, I’m not scared. I just feel… wrecked. Like someone reached straight into my chest and stabbed whatever keeps me alive.

I’ve texted her over twenty times since last night but she didn’t respond to any of them. Not even the short ones where I was basically begging her to just tell me what’s going on.

Now I’m pretty sure she blocked me and the thing killing me is that I have no clue why. I don’t know why the one girl who actually makes me feel alive suddenly wants nothing to do with it .

I know she’s angry and she’s hurt. I could see it in her eyes yesterday like I’d done something unforgivable. And I need to know what it is. Because if I’m the reason she looked like that, I swear I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to fix it.

The lecture hall doors open after what feels like forever and people start drifting out, talking about plans, midterms, and stupid things that suddenly feel so far away from me. I push off the wall and stand straighter, my pulse kicking up instantly.

Then I see her.

Katy walks out with Allie, her face hidden behind big sunglasses. Yeah… she’s worse than I thought and somehow that makes my stomach drop.

But I’m not backing off. If she’s going to shut me out, I at least deserve to understand why.

I pull my backpack higher on my shoulder and step forward, cutting across the flow of people until I’m right in front of her.

Her eyes widen just a little when she sees me, and she stops short. Allie shoots me a subtle shake of her head, basically telling me not now.

Yeah, well… there is no good time for this.

“Can we talk?” I ask.

She acts like she didn’t hear me and tries to slip past, but I move sideways, blocking her again.

“I just need a minute or two, Katy,” I say quietly. “I deserve to know why this is happening… don’t I?”

She pauses for a long moment, then exhales long and shakily, and looks over at Allie. “I’ll be late.”

Allie hesitates for a second, like she wants to stay, but then she nods and walks off, leaving the two of us standing there with this heavy silence between us.

“What do you-”

“I want to know why you’re ending things,” I cut in before she can finish. “I want to know what I did.”

Her sunglasses tilt up just enough for me to feel her stare. “And what will you do when you find out?” she asks. “Huh? What exactly?”

“I’ll figure that out.” I drag a hand through my hair, frustration pressing behind my ribs. “I thought we were close enough that-”

She suddenly turns left and starts walking fast. For a second, I’m thrown, but I go after her. I’m not letting her slip away again, not until I get answers. She leads us down a narrow side path behind the building, where no one ever really goes. It’s quiet, hidden, almost too still compared to the rest of campus.

Then she stops and spins around so sharply I almost run into her.

I let out a long breath. “Do you really think I’d lie to you about something like this?”

“So how do you explain the screenshot?” She fires back instantly. “The contact image? And how this person conveniently texts just like you?”

“You… you do know things can be made up, right?”

She actually lets out this short, humorless laugh. “And why on earth would someone care enough to do all this? Two girls I’ve never even met? Who exactly do you think you are? Your ego is so-”

“I did not send those texts,” I cut in firmly. I pull out my phone and open my messages, scrolling fast. “I blocked half the people I used to talk to weeks ago. You can look for-

“I’m not going through your chats,” she interrupts. “I don’t need that.”

“Then what do you need?” I step forward without thinking, and she immediately lifts her hands like she wants space. “Just tell me what I need to do.”

You don’t need to do anything,” her voice has gone colder. “If you’re not going to come clean and you’re just going to stand here and gaslight me when I have proof, then I don’t ever want to speak to you again.”

I feel it in my chest…this desperate, raw panic, like I might actually choke.

“Okay… what’s this girl’s name?” I manage to ask, my voice tighter than I want it to be. “If I can find proof… will you believe me?”

She tilts her head. “I don’t know her name.” She answers. “She’s got pink hair.” Then she lets out this short, sharp scoff. “You really are a piece of shit for pretending you don’t know who I’m talking about. Don’t bother coming after me.”

Before I can even open my mouth again, she turns and walks away.