Faking It With The Hockey Star

Everyone was hugging me. My mom went first, squeezing me so tightly that I nearly lost my balance on the grass. Then Emma, then Noah, then Eva and Mia in a tearful group embrace. Even my dad pulled me into a long, quiet hug. By the time they finally let me go, I was standing in the middle of the crowd with a wide smile and absolutely no idea what was happening.

"Okay," I said, looking around at the sea of grinning faces. "Why is everyone acting like I am leaving the country?"

Emma laughed softly, adjusting her purse strap. "Just get in the car, Harper."

I frowned. "Why?"

"Because Justin is waiting for you."

I turned my head. He was leaning against the side of his truck a few yards away, looking far too pleased with himself. A sudden wave of suspicion washed over me.

I walked over to him, narrowing my eyes. "What is going on?"

He opened the passenger door with a smooth, sweeping motion. "Get in."

"Justin."

"Harper."

"Where are we going?"

"Get in the truck."

I stared at him. He was wearing that exact smile—the one that meant he knew a secret I didn’t.

I gave up and climbed into the seat. Justin walked around to the driver’s side, slid in, and turned the key in the ignition. I looked through the side window to see our families waving wildly at us. I waved back, thoroughly bewildered, before turning to him as he pulled away from the university curb.

"Wait," I said, watching our families’ cars disappear in the rearview mirror. "We are not following them?"

"Nope."

I blinked. "What?"

"We have our own little trip."

My jaw dropped slightly. "Where?"

He kept his eyes on the road, a soft smirk tugging at his lips. "Do not worry about it."

"Justin."

"Trust your man."

I let out a dramatic groan. "You are driving me crazy."

He glanced sideways at me with a warm glint in his eyes. "You drove me crazy yesterday too. We are even."

I rolled my eyes, though a smile threatened to break through. "Where are you taking me?"

"You are just going to have to wait."

"Justin."

"Harper."

"I need to know!"

"You really don’t."

"Why not?"

"Because you are absolutely terrible with surprises."

I gasped, pressing a hand to my chest. "I am not!"

"You asked me where we were going approximately twelve seconds after we pulled onto the main road."

"Because you are acting completely suspicious!"

He burst out laughing, the deep, rich sound filling the quiet cabin. I crossed my arms and turned to look out the window. Fine. I would just pay attention to the route and figure it out myself.

For the next thirty minutes, I kept trying to guess. Every time I brought up a landmark, he offered the exact same answer: "Trust me."

Gradually, the dense city architecture began to fade. The massive concrete buildings gave way to open stretches of green, quieter highways, and small roadside towns. Two hours later, Justin finally turned off the main road into a quiet, sun-drenched coastal neighborhood lined with small cottages.

Beyond the rows of houses, a wide horizon of deep, shimmering blue caught the light.

My eyes widened. "Is that..."

He pulled into a gravel driveway in front of a cozy beach house and put the truck in park. I stared out the windshield at the ocean waves crashing softly in the distance.

I turned to him, my pulse fluttering. "What are we doing here?"

Justin switched off the engine and looked over at me, his expression softening completely. "Happy graduation."

I blinked. "What?"

"This is your graduation present."

My mouth fell open. "Justin... I did not pack a single thing!"

He raised a playful eyebrow. "Are you sure about that?"

"Yes!" I gestured down at my dress. "I am literally still wearing my formal graduation clothes!"

He chuckled softly. "Come on."

He climbed out of the truck and rounded the front. Before I could even attempt to step down onto the gravel in my heels, he opened my door and crouched right in front of me.

"Wait," he said gently. "Turn around."

"What?"

"Just turn around."

I shifted in the seat. With steady hands, he unbuckled my heels and slipped them off my feet, his touch warm against my ankles.

I looked down at his dark head. "What are you doing?"

"Saving your feet," he murmured. He reached behind his back, pulled out my favorite comfortable slides, and set them right in front of my toes.

I stared down at the shoes, then back at him in total awe. "How did you even get these?"

He stood up, brushing off his jeans with a soft grin. "I pay attention."

I shook my head, a helpless laugh escaping me. "This is completely crazy."

"Come here." He walked around to the back of the truck and opened the bed. I watched in utter shock as he reached in and pulled out a familiar weekend tote bag.

My tote bag.

"Justin!"

He grinned broadly. "Surprise."

I rushed over, unlatching the bag to see my things neatly folded inside. "You packed my clothes?"

"Not me," he pointed toward the beach house. "Your mom and Eva helped me organize everything."

I stared at him, overwhelmed by the sheer thought he had poured into every detail. "You all planned this whole thing behind my back?"

"Obviously." He opened the rest of the tailgate, revealing two more bags. "You have your clothes, your toiletries, your favorite snacks... everything."

My chest tightened with a wave of emotion. "I cannot believe you."

"You said you wanted a proper graduation trip," he said quietly, stepping closer.

"I did."

"So I gave you one."

A radiant smile broke across my face, but then a sudden thought hit me. My expression fell slightly. "Justin... you have your NHL development camp in three days."

His soft smile remained steady. "I know."

"And you have to report early..."

"In the evening," he corrected gently. "We have two full days right here. We leave the morning camp starts. I will drive us back, grab my pre-packed bag, and head straight to the facility."

I frowned with concern. "Are you sure that isn’t too much for you?"

"My camp bag has been packed for a week," he murmured, closing the distance between us and resting his hands gently on my waist. "Stop worrying about me for once."

I looked up at him, my heart overflowing. Here was a man who had just been drafted first overall in the country, standing on the precipice of the biggest career leap of his life, and yet his only priority was making sure I felt cherished and celebrated.

"Justin," I whispered, resting my palms against his chest.

"Hmm?"

"I love you so much."

His gaze softened into total devotion. "I love you too, Harper."

I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him down into a tight hug. He held me securely, burying his face in the crook of my neck as the gentle ocean breeze swept over us. For the first time in months, the noise of the world faded completely away. No exams, no draft pressure, no scary career choices—just the two of us by the sea.

I pulled back slightly, my cheeks flushed with happiness. "Okay."

He raised an eyebrow, amused. "Okay?"

"Let us go inside."

He laughed, taking my bag from my hand with one arm and grabbing my fingers with his free hand. "Finally."

"Lead the way, boyfriend."

"After you, Valedictorian."

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