Faking It With The Hockey Star

Harper’s POV

I smiled as I dragged the final clip into my editing timeline. The progress bar crept forward steadily until it hit ninety-three percent.

I leaned back in my chair and stretched my arms overhead. "Oh my God... I’m actually almost done."

I couldn’t stop smiling. Months of filming, endless editing, late nights, and running all over campus carrying heavy camera equipment were finally paying off. It was all coming together.

I clicked play to preview one of the newly edited scenes. Coach Reynolds’ interview flowed seamlessly into the practice footage, and the background music sat at the exact volume I wanted.

I grinned, whispering to myself in the quiet room. "You’re going to graduate, Harper. You are actually going to graduate."

For the first time in what felt like forever, the future didn’t seem so frightening.

I reached across the table for my bubble tea, only to discover the cup was completely empty. Typical.

Just as I stood up to throw it away, the heavy wooden door to the study opened. I turned automatically, but the smile on my face vanished instantly.

Justin walked out first, looking entirely wrong. His face had gone completely pale, and his shoulders, which were always squared and confident, seemed to have collapsed inward. His eyes looked distant, as though he had just heard something that broke him from the inside out.

Grandma followed a few steps behind him. She forced a small, tight smile when she saw me. "Harper, sweetheart."

I smiled back politely, but my eyes never left Justin. "What happened?"

Neither of them answered. Justin walked over slowly, his voice sounding flat and hollow. "Baby. Let’s go home."

Immediately, a cold knot twisted in my chest. I packed my laptop in a hurry, shoving the charger cord into my backpack without even bothering to wrap it properly.

Grandpa walked into the hallway with a warm grin, clearly trying to lighten the heavy mood in the room. "So... you’ve forgotten all about us now?"

I blinked, taking a second to catch up. "What?"

"You young people," he teased softly. "You only visit when you need free food."

Despite the anxiety pooling in my stomach, I managed a soft laugh. "I promise I’ll make it up to you this weekend. I’ll spend the whole afternoon with both of you."

Grandma smiled gently. "We’ll hold you to that."

I wrapped Grandma in a tight hug, then turned to give Grandpa one too.

"Take care of him," Grandma whispered softly against my ear.

I pulled back, frowning slightly. "I will."

She squeezed my hand tightly. "I know you will."

Something about the solemn way she said it made my stomach tighten even further. By the time I turned around, Justin was already halfway to the front door. I hurried after him into the bright afternoon light.

The drive started in total silence. It was an uncomfortable, heavy silence, not the peaceful kind we usually shared. It pressed hard against my chest until breathing felt difficult.

I finally couldn’t take the tension anymore. "Justin..."

He kept his eyes glued straight to the road ahead. "Hm?"

"What happened back there?"

He remained quiet for several long seconds. "They told me everything."

I frowned, shifting in the passenger seat. "Everything?"

"My mom," he said softly, swallowing hard. "My dad. The company. And Vanessa’s mother."

He never called Diane by her name. Never.

I reached across the console and rested my hand over his. "Was it that bad?"

His fingers tightened around the leather steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. "Worse. I..." He exhaled a shaky breath. "I just want to go home."

I nodded reassuringly. "Okay. I’ll stay with you tonight. I can make us some dinner, and we don’t even have to talk. I just want to make sure you’re okay."

Still, he said nothing. The silence began to frighten me more than anything he could have admitted out loud.

Then I noticed our surroundings. We weren’t heading toward his apartment building; we were turning into my neighborhood streets.

"My house?" I asked gently.

He gave a single nod. "I’ll drop you off."

I blinked, caught off guard. "What?"

"I just..." He swallowed hard, staring through the windshield. "I need to be alone."

For a second, it felt like someone had poured a bucket of ice water straight over me. "Oh." I pulled my hand back and looked down at my lap. "Okay."

Another long silence stretched out between us. I forced a small, supportive smile, trying to hide the sting. "I just thought... I don’t know. I wanted to stay with you. I don’t feel comfortable leaving you alone right now."

"I’ll be fine," he said, his voice snapping sharper than he intended. "I just need to be alone."

I flinched slightly at his tone. "Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to push."

The second those words left my mouth, Justin closed his eyes. His tight grip on the wheel loosened, and when he spoke again, his voice was barely a whisper.

"No. No, baby. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry."

He pulled into the driveway outside my house and shifted the truck into park. Neither of us moved to get out. He rested both hands on top of the steering wheel, bowing his head.

"I shouldn’t have snapped at you," he murmured.

I shook my head quickly. "It’s okay."

"No, it isn’t." He let out a bitter, breathless laugh. "I don’t even know what’s happening in my head right now. I’ve just..." He dragged a heavy hand over his face. "Everything I’ve believed my entire life... it wasn’t true. I don’t know what to do with that." His voice cracked slightly. "I don’t know how to process it."

The next sound that came from him wasn’t a laugh or a sigh. It was a jagged, raw sob.

My heart shattered right then and there. I had never seen Justin cry. Not once. Not after everything Ethan had done, not after his father humiliated him in public, and not after dealing with Diane. Nothing had ever broken him down like this. But right now, he completely fell apart.

I unbuckled my seatbelt and reached across the center console without thinking. "Justin."

He covered his face with both hands, his voice muffled and desperate. "I don’t know what to do, Harper. I’m trying so hard not to fall apart."

I climbed over the console and wrapped both arms around his neck, pulling him close. He didn’t hesitate for a single second. He buried his face against my shoulder, his entire frame shaking with heavy sobs.

I simply held him tight, running my fingers softly through his damp hair. "It’s okay," I whispered into the quiet truck. "You don’t have to be strong every second of the day. I’m here. I’ve got you."

He cried until there were no tears left to shed, his shallow breathing slowly steadying against my neck.

Click. The front door of my house opened.

"Harper?"

It was Mom. I looked up to see her standing on the front porch. She wasn’t using her walker, just leaning lightly against the doorframe for support, her face filled with deep concern. "Is everything alright?"

I quickly wiped my own tear-stained eyes and gave her a small shake of my head. Not now.

She understood immediately. Without asking another question, she nodded softly and stepped back inside, leaving the front door unlocked and slightly open for us.

I looked back down at Justin. "Come on inside."

He looked utterly exhausted, his eyes red and heavy. "I... I should probably just go home."

I squeezed his hand tightly. "I know you said you wanted to be alone, and if you still want that later, I’ll take you home myself. But right now, I’m not letting you drive anywhere like this."

He didn’t argue. For the first time since the day I met him, he looked completely defeated.

I helped him out of the truck, walking him slowly toward the porch. We entered the house together, where Mom offered a gentle, quiet smile as we passed the kitchen.

"I’ll put some tea on," she said softly.

I mouthed a silent thank you to her. Justin barely noticed the exchange.

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