Faking It With The Hockey Star

Justin’s POV

I had adjusted my tie so many times that Harper finally caught my wrists, stopping me cold.

"Stop."

I looked down at her, my heart hammering against my ribs. "What?"

"You are going to strangle yourself with that thing."

I glanced down at the silk fabric. "I think it looks crooked."

"It looked fine ten minutes ago."

"That was ten minutes ago," I muttered.

She let out a soft laugh and reached up, her small hands brushing against my throat. "Come here."

I stood frozen while she straightened my collar and smoothed the knot for what had to be the hundredth time.

"There," she smoothed the front of my suit jacket, resting her palms flat against my chest. "You look handsome."

I swallowed hard over the lump in my throat. "Do I?"

She looked up, meeting my eyes with steady warmth. "You look perfect."

I was not convinced. My stomach had been twisting itself into knots for the last hour. I turned away from her, my gaze sweeping the crowded, buzzing hall. A few seats over, Mason sat with his family. His parents were talking in hushed, tense whispers, but I could see the nervous tremor in his hands. Every few seconds, his eyes darted toward the empty stage.

Beside me, my grandparents sat in rigid anticipation. Grandpa had barely spoken five words in twenty minutes, while Grandma held my right hand tightly, her knuckles pale. Harper’s family could not be here in person, but they were streaming the event live, her mother promising to call the second it wrapped up.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out just enough to see the notification flashing on the screen.

Dad.

I flipped the phone face down on my lap. Harper noticed immediately. "You okay?"

I nodded quickly. "Yeah."

She studied my face for a quiet second. "Do you want some water?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

She squeezed my fingers tightly, then leaned in close, her breath warm against my cheek. "Justin."

I looked at her.

"No matter what happens today, I love you," she whispered softly. "You have already worked your heart out to get here. You survived everything thrown at you." A gentle smile touched her lips. "So do not forget that you are already a winner, okay?"

I stared at her, feeling a sudden sting behind my eyes. "Why are you trying to make me emotional before they even start?"

"Because you are dramatic," she teased gently.

I let out a breathless laugh, squeezing her hand back.

"I love you," she said softly.

"I love you too."

"Good."

The overhead house lights dimmed slightly, and a quiet hush fell across the auditorium. My heart slammed against my chest like a trapped bird.

The announcer stepped up to the podium, tapping the microphone. "Good evening, everyone."

The crowd erupted into thunderous applause. I barely heard what came after the introductions, the welcome speeches, the storied history of the draft, the statistics. It all blurred into an endless roar of static in my ears.

Then came the words that stopped the air in my lungs.

"We are now ready to announce the first selection."

My fingers tightened around Harper’s until my hand ached. She squeezed back instantly, anchoring me.

"This year’s first pick goes to a player who has consistently demonstrated exceptional skill, leadership, discipline, and an extraordinary ability to elevate everyone around him," the announcer’s voice echoed through the speakers. "Throughout his college career, he has become one of the most recognizable young hockey players in the country."

Harper’s thumb stroked gently over the back of my hand. I looked over at her, and she offered a serene smile. "Breathe."

I tried.

"And tonight," the voice continued, "the team based right here in this city has made its decision."

The crowd exploded into deafening cheers. I froze.

Our city. My city. The place where I had played college ball. The place where people knew my name. The place where I had met Harper. The place where my whole life had shifted.

The announcer paused, letting the anticipation build, before a wide smile broke across his face. "Our number one pick is..."

The entire arena went dead silent.

"...Justin Carter!"

For one terrifying second, I could not move. I could not breathe. My brain refused to process the words.

Justin Carter. Number one.

Then the entire room exploded.

People leaped to their feet. My grandmother shrieked beside me. Harper gasped, her voice catching. Mason was on his feet in an instant. Hands grabbed my shoulders, pulling me, hugging me, but I could not tell whose hands they were. The roar of the crowd washed over me in waves.

I turned toward Harper. Tears were streaming down her face, spilling over her eyelashes.

I reached for her, pulling her against me. She threw her arms around my neck, and I buried my face into her shoulder, my body shaking with the shock of it all.

"Oh my God," I choked out against her skin.

She laughed through her tears, holding my head tight. "You did it! You did it!"

I pulled back slightly, staring at her. "I did it."

"You did it!"

I turned to my grandparents. Grandma was crying openly, while Grandpa frantically wiped his eyes, pretending he was just clearing his vision. I let out a loud, breathless laugh, looking back at Harper.

"I do not know what to do," I admitted, my mind spinning.

She laughed, shoving my shoulder gently. "Go!"

"What?"

"Go up there!"

"Oh."

I had almost forgotten. I stumbled out of the row toward the stage, my legs trembling while the crowd continued to scream. Someone handed me the official team cap, and I pressed it onto my head. The moment my shoes hit the stage steps, the reality slammed into me with full force.

I was officially drafted.

Years of brutal early morning practices, injuries, sacrifices, and doubts and here I stood.

I looked out into the ocean of faces, searching until I found Harper standing beside my grandparents, her hands pressed over her mouth, her eyes shining. I smiled at her, unable to stop the joy spilling out of me.

The announcer waited until I finished handshaking the team executives, then turned back to the crowd. "Alright, everyone. Let us settle down."

The noise slowly subsided into a low hum.

"We know he is a hometown favorite," the announcer joked, prompting a ripple of fond laughter across the room. "But we still have a lot of talented players waiting for their names to be called."

I floated back down the steps toward my seat, my legs feeling entirely detached from my body. The second I sat down, Harper grabbed my hand.

"You are officially an NHL player," she whispered, her voice trembling.

I looked at her, dazed. "Holy shit."

She laughed softly. "Exactly."

I glanced over at Mason. He was staring at me with the widest, proudest grin I had ever seen on his face. I raised a fist to him, and he returned it instantly.

"We now move to our second selection," the announcer stated.

My heart instantly leaped back into my throat. I looked at Mason. He looked back at me, his knuckles turning white as he gripped his armrests.

"Another exceptional collegiate athlete..."

I barely heard the rest of the description. I knew. Somewhere deep in my gut, I just knew.

"This player has demonstrated remarkable chemistry with his teammates, incredible consistency, and an ability to read the game at an elite level."

Mason’s mother grabbed his wrist. His father leaned forward in his chair. I stood up halfway, unable to stay still.

The announcer smiled. "And our second pick is..."

A heartbeat of silence.

"...Mason "

The rest of his last name was completely swallowed by the wall of sound that erupted from our section.

I lost my mind.

"MASON!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, jumping completely out of my seat.

Mason was frozen in his chair, his eyes wide, his mouth slightly open in utter disbelief. He looked at me, stunned.

I pointed fiercely toward the stage. "GO!"

That broke his trance. His family swarmed him first, his mother weeping as she clung to him, his father pulling him into a hug so tight Mason actually laughed. Then he broke free, turned, and ran straight toward me.

We collided halfway down the aisle with enough force to send us both stumbling back.

"BRO!" I yelled into his ear, wrapping my arms around him.

"WE DID IT!" he roared back, his voice cracking.

"WE ARE GOING TOGETHER! WE ARE ON THE SAME TEAM!"

We were both laughing hysterically, shouting over the noise, completely out of our minds with relief and joy. The crowd roared around us, but all I knew was the brother standing in front of me. I grabbed the back of his head, pulling him in again.

"Can you believe this?"

"No!"

"We are actually doing this!"

"We are doing this!"

Harper was crying again beside my grandparents, who were weeping right along with Mason’s family. Everyone around us was in tears, and for the first time in my life, I did not care about holding it back.

I looked at Mason my best friend, my line mate, my brother. We had spent countless late nights talking about this exact dream, wondering if we would end up split across the country. And somehow, against every single odds stacked against us, we had made it here together.

Same city. Same team. Same dream.

I turned my head and found Harper watching me, smiling through her tears. I smiled back, the weight of the entire world lifting off my shoulders.

This was really happening.

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