By admin Fake Dating My Ex’s Favourite Hockey Player Novel CH 29
LIAM
I stop in my tracks, my grip tightening around my keys.
What the hell is she doing here?
It takes me a second to fully register her–petite frame drowning in an oversized hoodie, a cap pulled low over her sunglasses, a face mask hiding half her face. The only thing that doesn’t scream incognito is the short skirt and the ridiculous heels that do absolutely nothing for her height.
For anyone else, this would look over the top. For her? It’s subtle compared to the media frenzy that’s been following her lately.
Still, she shouldn’t be here. Not at my place. Not in the middle of the night.
This is a bad idea. A really bad idea.
The elevator doors slide shut behind me, breaking the silence, and that’s when she finally looks up.
She tugs down her mask, lips curling into a soft, almost teasing smile.
“Hey, Li.”
Her voice is light, like she’s testing the waters.
I don’t answer right away. My brain is still catching up, trying to figure out what the hell she wants–why she’s here, of all places.
100%
13.14
CHAPTER 29
I should tell her to leave. Remind her that cameras are everywhere, that the last thing either of us needs is another headline.
But instead, I exhale, stuffing my keys into my pocket.
“What are you doing here, Jessica?”
She shrugs, shifting on her heels like she hasn’t just shown up unannounced at my door in the middle of the night. “Couldn’t sleep.”
Her eyes meet mine, searching for something.
I don’t know what she’s expecting me to say. Maybe I should just shake my head and walk past her, let her figure out whatever she came here for on her own.
But I don’t.
Because even though I know this is a bad idea, even though I know this is only going to complicate things-
I still can’t bring myself to tell her to leave. I never could. Not when we were stupid teenagers, and apparently, not now.
Maybe that’s why Elijah hates me so much. And honestly? I probably deserve it.
“You shouldn’t be here, Jess,” I say, keeping my voice low. “We agreed to stay away from each other until everything dies down.”
Yeah, because all it takes is one photo, and everything Emilia and I have built will come crashing down.
Jessica pulls off her sunglasses, then yanks off her hoodie and cap. She’s always been gorgeous. Even in middle school, scouts were falling over themselves to cast her in TV roles.
11,70%
13:14
CHAPTER 29
She recently cut her straight black hair to her shoulders and got bangs,
making her look way younger than she is. Her skin is still sun–kissed from filming in Mexico, and she looks tired.
My chest tightens.
“You said we should stay away from each other for a while,” she says, voice sharp. “Not that you should ignore my calls, my texts, or act like I’m some fragile little doll who can’t handle rejection.”
I grit my teeth. I do feel like an asshole. But I’m not about to let her twist this into something it’s not.
“You couldn’t even go to your own brother’s wedding,” I remind her. “I had to get them those cakes and play the asshole in your place. Remember? We both promised Elijah and Mar we’d be there.” I exhale. “Don’t act like I’m not doing this for your own good.”
Jessica scoffs. “Yeah, because you always know what’s best for me, right?” Her voice drips with sarcasm.
I open my mouth to argue, but the elevator dings. The doors slide open, and a middle–aged man steps out.
Jessica curses under her breath, yanking her hoodie back over her head.
She looks at me. “You’re not gonna let me in?”
I hesitate.
Letting her in means opening a door I’ve been trying to keep shut.
It means getting dragged back into the mess we swore we’d stay out of.
It means Elijah finding another reason to hate me.
26.569
1314
CHAPTER 29
甘
The guy from the elevator gives us a quick glance before walking down the hall. Jessica keeps her head down, her fingers tightening around the edges of her hoodie.
She’s waiting.
I should say no. I should tell her to go home, to stop making this harder than it already is.
But then I see it–the exhaustion in her eyes, the way her shoulders slump under the weight of whatever she’s carrying.
Damn it.
I run a hand through my hair, exhaling hard. “Five minutes.” I say, unlocking the door.
She doesn’t hesitate. She slips inside, moving quickly, like she’s afraid I’ll change my mind.
I follow her in, locking the door behind us.
This is a bad idea.
A really, really bad idea.
“Have you been taking your meds?” I try to keep my voice steady, but the worry seeps through anyway.
I can’t help it. Every time I think about why she has to take them in the first place, I blame myself all over again.
Jessica flips on the lights and practically throws herself onto my couch. In seconds, she’s found the remote and is flipping through channels like she lives here. She finally stops on Confidential Family and settles in, eyes glued to the screen.
J
CHAPTER 29
“Yup,” she says casually. But even she doesn’t believe it.
I press my lips into a firm line, but I don’t push.
“And your therapist?” I drop my duffel bag by the door and take off my shoes before sitting on the couch–leaving as much space between us as possible. She notices. She doesn’t say anything.
“Same ol‘.”
I hesitate. “Do-”
“I’m not a psychopath, Liam,” she snaps. “Just say whatever it is you want to say. You don’t have to tiptoe around me.” She folds her arms, eyes still on the TV. “I already get this shit from Elijah. I don’t need it from you too.”
I exhale through my nose, forcing myself to stay calm.
“That’s not what I meant,” I say, voice steady.
Jessica doesn’t look at me. Her fingers drum against her arm, restless. She always does that when she’s annoyed–like she’s trying to keep the irritation from spilling over.
I run a hand over my face. “I just want to make sure you’re okay, Jess.”
“I am okay,” she says flatly. “Or at least, I was until you decided to treat me like some fragile glass doll again.”
I don’t answer right away. Because if I do, I’ll say something I’ll regret. Something like ‘I wouldn’t have to if you actually took care of yourself.‘
Or ‘Maybe things would be different if you weren’t so obsessed with me.‘
Instead, I watch the screen, letting the sound of the TV fill the space
SA 2046
CHAPTER 29
JLL intere
between us.
Jess comes on screen, it’s one of the episodes she shot in Mexico. She’s screaming her head off at one of the characters and goosebumps break out on my arms. She’s always been good at acting.
Pretending. She learnt it from me, after all.
Jessica sighs, shifting in her seat. “I know you mean well, Li.” Her voice is softer now, almost hesitant. “But I don’t need you to save me.” Not
anymore.
I nod, even though I don’t quite believe her. Because the last time I thought she didn’t need saving, I almost lost her.
And that’s a risk I’m not willing to take.
So I tell her exactly what she came here to hear. No sugarcoating. No hesitation. Just rip the bandaid off before the wound even starts to hurt.
“It’s not a rumour. Or pretend. Emilia and I are really dating. The cruise is real too. At first, I wasn’t comfortable with her being around her ex for an entire month, but I trust her. And…” I take a breath. “I think I might love her.”
The words hang in the air, heavier than I expected.
I could always tell when she wasn’t being honest with me, but she could never tell when I wasn’t. So it works right in my favour.
Jessica doesn’t react right away. She just stares at the TV, her expression unreadable. But I know her too well. I see the way her fingers tighten around the remote, how her shoulders go just a little too still.
Finally, she exhales a short laugh–one that holds no humour. “You think you might love her?” She shakes her head, eyes still locked on the screen.
13/14
CHAPTER 29
“That’s rich, Li.”
I wait for her to say more, but she doesn’t. She just sits there, silent. And somehow, that makes me feel worse.
“I can’t control how I feel.”
Jessica lets out a shaky breath, her hands clenched into fists in her lap. “I‘ ve seen her. She’s gorgeous. She looks kind too. I can’t even hate her, even if I want to.” Her voice wavers, and then–finally–she looks at me.
Her eyes are glassy, shimmering with unshed tears, and my heart drops.
“What does she have that I don’t?” Her voice cracks on the last word, like she’s breaking apart right in front of me.
I can’t take it anymore.
I pull her into my arms, and she clings to me, her body trembling as the dam finally bursts. She cries and cries and cries, the sound raw and gut- wrenching. And for a second, I’m terrified–terrified she’ll start
hyperventilating again, that I won’t be able to calm her down.
All I can do is hold her, rocking her slightly, my hand cradling the back of her head as I whisper the only words that come to mind.
“I’m so sorry, Jess.”
I don’t know if she hears me over her sobs, but I keep saying it.
I’m sorry.
I’m so fucking sorry.
67 04