Faking It With The Hockey Star

Harper’s POV

I woke up the next morning feeling as though I had been run over by a truck. My entire body ached with bone-deep fatigue, my head felt heavy, and for a few blissful seconds, I genuinely considered pulling the sheets over my face and sinking back into sleep.

Then the tide of yesterday rushed over me. The draft. The unexpected celebration. The tears, the toasts, the endless photographs, and the fact that today was graduation.

I let out a low groan and yanked the blanket over my head. I was not ready. Not even remotely.

A few minutes later, the unmistakable crunch of tires sounded in the driveway, followed shortly by the sharp slam of a car door.

"Harper!" Emma’s voice boomed through the house.

I squeezed my eyes shut tight. No. Absolutely not.

Heavy footsteps rushed down the hallway, and my bedroom door swung open with a bang. "Harper! Get up!"

"I hear you," I mumbled into my pillow.

"Get up," she demanded, coming right to the side of the bed.

"I am tired."

"You have been tired for three days straight!"

"Because I have been busy for three days straight!"

"Exactly, and now you are graduating. So get your butt out of bed."

Before I could protest, Emma yanked the blanket clean off me.

"I hate you," I groaned, shielding my eyes.

"No, you do not," she replied, grabbing my forearm and pulling me into a sitting position. "Move it. If you do not get in the shower right now, we are going to be late."

My eyes snapped open. "What time is it?"

"Late enough," she warned.

That got me moving. Within minutes, the house descended into complete, vibrant chaos. Mia and Eva were already spreading out makeup brushes and setting powders across the dining table. I grabbed my clothes, sprinted through a hot shower, and emerged just in time to see Emma taking a seat in front of the vanity mirror while Mia started on her eyeshadow.

"Your turn next, Valedictorian," Eva called out with a knowing smirk.

I dropped into the hot seat, and from there, everything blurred into a fast-paced montage of hairspray, silk dresses, adjusting heels, and securing jewelry. Then came the photos hundreds of them. My mom kept insisting on just one more angle, while my siblings pulled ridiculous faces in the background.

When we finally made it out to the cars, the drive to the university felt surreal. I had spent years imagining this exact morning, and now the moment was slipping beneath my feet in real time.

The campus was buzzing. Thousands of caps and gowns swept through the courtyards, laughter echoed off the brick buildings, and families crowded together for pictures.

We filed into the auditorium and found our assigned seats. My eyes searched the sea of black robes until I spotted him: Justin, seated near the front with his grandparents. He looked breathtaking in his suit, his dark hair styled to perfection. When his eyes caught mine across the aisle, a slow, breathtaking smile spread across his face. I smiled back, my chest swelling with a quiet, fierce affection.

The ceremony started shortly after. Speeches bled into department awards, but my heart began hammering against my ribs when the dean finally stepped up to the podium.

"And now, we would like to invite our class valedictorian to the stage to deliver the graduating address."

He called my name.

My heart practically leapt into my throat. Across the aisle, I caught Justin’s reaction and his face was absolute perfection. He looked at me as if I had just confessed to being a secret agent.

What the hell? he mouthed, his brows drawn together in utter shock.

I could not stop the laugh that bubbled up. I gave a small shrug and blew him a subtle kiss. His mouth dropped wide open.

Shaking off the nerves, I walked up the side steps and took my place behind the podium. Looking out over the ocean of caps, seeing my friends, my family, and the boy who held my heart, the panic completely melted away.

"Good morning, everyone," I spoke into the mic, my voice steady. "Today is supposed to be the end of a Chapter, but I do not think it is. I think today is proof that we made it through things that once felt entirely impossible."

A quiet hush fell over the crowd.

"We all had moments when we wanted to give up," I continued, glancing toward Mia and Eva. "Moments when we questioned if the late nights, the sacrifices, and the endless doubt were worth it. But we kept going. Perseverance isn’t about never getting tired, and it isn’t about never failing. Sometimes, perseverance simply means waking up the next morning and deciding to try one more time."

I paused, looking directly at Justin.

"You do not have to have your whole life figured out today. None of us do and that is okay. Success isn’t always about being the smartest person in the room or reaching the finish line first. Sometimes, it is just about refusing to quit when things get difficult. Keep learning. Keep creating. Keep believing in yourselves. And when you finally reach where you are going, never forget the people who helped you build the ladder."

The auditorium erupted into thunderous applause.

As I walked back down the steps, Justin was already on his feet, clapping louder than anyone in the room. I laughed softly as I reclaimed the seat near him.

"You did not tell me!" he whispered fiercely.

"I wanted it to be a surprise," I teased.

"You almost gave me a heart attack."

"And yet, you survived."\

The rest of the ceremony passed quickly, before I knew it, we were outside.

Outside after the commencement, the air was chaotic and joyful. Photos resumed with my mom, my siblings, Mia, and Eva. Justin joined us for several shots, leaning down to kiss my temple between takes.

As we gathered our bags, I noticed Justin’s father, Richard, lingering a few yards away near the archway. Justin didn’t look at him not once. He simply kept his arm hooked around my waist, laughing with Mason as if the man weren’t standing there at all. He wasn’t ready to bridge that gap yet, and that was completely okay. Healing took its own time.

Justin stepped up beside me, a soft, secret smile playing on his lips as he laced his fingers through mine. "Alright, Valedictorian. Time to get moving."

I looked at him suspiciously, picking up on the shift in his tone immediately. "where to? Your place or my place?"

"You’ll see," he said smoothly, pulling me gently toward the parking lot.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Justin... please do not tell me you are planning something."

He looked picture-perfect innocent, squeezing my hand as we walked. "What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean."

"I am simply taking my girlfriend to an undisclosed location," he teased, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "You spent all night making sure Mason and I were celebrated. You really thought I’d let you graduate top of your class without giving you the exact same treatment?"

What is this young man planning?

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