Faking It With The Hockey Star

Justin’s POV

I didn’t move until Diane’s SUV disappeared around the corner. Only then did I let out the breath I’d been holding. When I turned around, Harper was still standing on the porch. She looked exhausted. Not physically. Emotionally. The kind of tired that sleep doesn’t fix.

I climbed the steps and wrapped my arms around her before either of us said a word. She melted against me. For a long moment we just stood there. No talking. No explanations. Just breathing.

"I’m sorry," I whispered.

She pulled back just enough to look at me. "You didn’t do anything," she said.

"I know," I replied. "But you shouldn’t have had to go through that."

She gave me a tired smile. "I’m just glad my mom wasn’t home."

I frowned. "Where is she?"

"She took Emma and Noah to her follow-up appointment," Harper said.

Relief flooded my chest. "Thank God." I thought about the way Diane had sneered when she mentioned Harriet. The way she’d spoken about Harper’s family like they were beneath her. My jaw tightened all over again.

Harper reached up and gently touched my arm. "Hey." I looked at her. "Don’t," she said.

"Don’t what?"

"Don’t carry this on your shoulders," she said.

I let out a quiet laugh. "I don’t think I know how not to."

She studied me for a second before taking my hand. "Come inside," she said.

The house was unusually quiet without Emma arguing with Noah over the television or Harriet humming in the kitchen. It almost felt empty. Harper led me through the back door and out onto the small porch overlooking the yard. The afternoon breeze was cool. For the first time all day, no one was yelling or filming or whispering.

Harper sat beside me on the wooden steps. Neither of us spoke for a while. Finally, I rubbed both hands over my face. "I don’t think I can do this by myself anymore," I said. The words surprised even me.

Harper turned toward me. "What do you mean?"

I stared out at the backyard. "I keep telling everyone I’m okay. My teammates. Coach. My grandparents. You." I laughed quietly. "But I’m not." I swallowed. "The scouts are coming in a few days. My dad won’t answer my calls. My stepmother just showed up at your house. My stepsister is helping spread lies about you. And somehow I’m supposed to skate onto the ice like none of this is happening."

Silence settled between us. Then Harper slipped her fingers through mine. "You don’t have to pretend with me," she said softly.

I closed my eyes for a moment. "I know," I admitted.

She squeezed my hand. "So what do you want to do?"

The answer came almost immediately. "I need my grandma."

Harper smiled. "I was hoping you’d say that."

I looked at her. "Really?"

"She scares me," Harper said.

Despite everything, I laughed. "She scares everybody."

"Exactly," Harper replied.

I stepped into the backyard so I wouldn’t disturb the quiet inside the house. My thumb hovered over her contact for only a second before I pressed call. She answered on the second ring. "My favorite grandson," she said warmly.

A smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. "Hi, Grandma."

She didn’t waste a second. "What’s wrong?"

I sighed. "How did you know something was wrong?"

"Because you called me before dinner," she said simply. "And because your voice sounds heavy."

There was no point pretending. I told her everything. The anonymous account. The lies. The confrontation with Ethan. Coach. Diane showing up at Harper’s house. Every ugly detail, one after another. She didn’t interrupt once. By the time I finished, my throat felt tight.

The line stayed silent for several seconds. When she finally spoke, her voice was frighteningly calm. "So," she said. "My son has allowed all of this to happen."

I closed my eyes. "Grandma—"

"No," she cut me off. "Answer me honestly. Has he done anything to stop his wife?"

"No," I admitted.

"Has he protected you?"

"No."

"Has he protected that sweet girl?"

I looked toward the kitchen window. Harper was inside now, making tea. She smiled when she noticed me looking. I smiled back before answering quietly. "No."

Grandma inhaled slowly. "I’ve been far too patient with that boy," she said. There wasn’t a trace of anger in her voice. Just disappointment. Somehow that sounded even worse than anger.

"First things first," she continued, her tone softening. "How is Harper?"

I glanced toward the window again. "She’s trying to be strong," I said.

"I didn’t ask what she’s pretending to be," Grandma corrected gently. "I asked how she is."

I smiled sadly. "She’s hurting."

"I thought so," she said quietly. Another pause. "Listen to me carefully, Justin."

"I’m listening," I said.

"You stay with that girl tonight. Make sure she eats. Make sure she sleeps. And remind her that none of this changes who she is."

"I will," I said.

"Good." Then her voice changed. The warmth remained, but something else settled underneath it. A quiet authority that had always made everyone in the family pay attention. "I want every screenshot. The anonymous account. The messages. The comments. The video. Diane. Everything."

"I’ll send it," I said.

"No," she said, emphasizing each word carefully. "I want all of it. Leave nothing out."

I frowned. "What are you going to do?"

A small chuckle came through the phone. The kind that never meant anything good for the person on the receiving end. "I think," she said, "I’ve let my son get away with enough foolishness." She paused. "Forward everything to me. I know exactly what I’m going to do."

The call ended. I stared at the dark screen in my hand. For the first time in days, I felt like someone else had stepped into the fight alongside me. And somehow, that scared me almost as much as it comforted me.

Because if Grandma had decided to act, someone’s world was about to change. And she had never once in her life done anything halfway.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!