Faking It With The Hockey Star

Harper’s POVIt has been two weeks since Justin found out about his mother, and these past few days have been quiet and peaceful. I’m so deeply grateful for that. After everything we had been through over the last few months, I had learned never to take peace for granted.

No anonymous posts. No hateful messages. No surprise confrontations. No one trying to ruin our lives. Just peace.

I smiled at the progress bar crawling across my screen until it finally clicked to completion: Exporting Documentary... 100%.

"It’s done," I whispered to myself, leaning back into my chair.

I actually did it. Months of filming, countless interviews, freezing mornings at the rink, late nights editing, and hundreds of hours of raw footage had all finally come together into one finished documentary. I stared at the file icon for several seconds, almost afraid to double-click it.

"I can’t wait to show Justin."

The thought alone brought a wide smile to my face. He had been there from the very beginning. From carrying my heavy camera bag to buying me a professional camera when I couldn’t even dream of owning one. From encouraging me after every single setback to sitting beside me for hours while I edited, pretending to read his textbooks even though I would catch him watching me every five minutes.

This documentary wasn’t just mine anymore. It belonged to both of us.

A quick knock sounded against my bedroom door. "You decent?"

It was Justin’s voice. I laughed softly. "Come in."

He walked inside wearing a gray hoodie and sweatpants, a heavy textbook tucked under one arm. He looked thoroughly exhausted, with exam season already creeping closer.

He glanced straight at my laptop screen. "Well?"

I couldn’t stop smiling if I tried. "I finished."

His face lit up instantly. "You finished?"

I nodded so hard my ponytail bounced over my shoulder. "I finished."

For a second, he just looked at me with pure pride in his eyes. Then he walked over, bent down, and pressed a warm kiss against my forehead. "I’m proud of you."

Three simple words, yet somehow they meant more than any formal award I could ever receive.

"I haven’t even submitted it yet," I said softly.

"You don’t have to," he replied with a smile. "I’ve seen how hard you’ve worked. You already won."

My heart melted right there. Sometimes Justin said the sweetest things without even realizing the impact they had.

I closed my laptop lid with a satisfying snap. "No more editing today."

He raised an eyebrow, amused. "Really?"

"I promised myself," I said, stretching my arms high above my head. "I’m taking the rest of today off."

He laughed. "Good. You deserve it."

An hour later, the six of us were squeezed around a corner booth at our favorite burger place near campus. Mason was already halfway through demolishing a massive mountain of fries.

"I’ve made a life-changing decision," Mason announced dramatically.

Nobody looked up from their food. Ava just sighed. "What now?"

"I’m dropping out."

I gasped. "What?"

Mason nodded solemnly. "I’ve realized higher education simply isn’t for me."

Ava smacked his shoulder hard. "Mason!"

He burst out laughing. "I’m kidding!"

She rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "I actually hate you."

"I know. But you still love me."

She smiled despite herself. "I really don’t."

"You literally kissed me this morning."

Everyone around the table laughed. The sound filled the booth, warm and effortless. I had missed this so much. Just friends, without any drama, cameras, or people whispering behind our backs.

Mia took a sip of her drink before turning to look at me. "So, how’s the documentary going?"

I couldn’t hold back my grin. "It’s finished."

Both girls squealed at the exact same time.

"I knew it!"

"Oh my God! When do we get to watch it?"

"I call first screening!"

Justin cleared his throat dramatically, drawing everyone’s attention. "Excuse me."

Everyone looked over at him.

"I thought I was getting the first screening," he said.

I reached across the table and squeezed his hand. "Oh, honey. You get your own private screening tonight."

Mason pointed a finger straight at me. "Did everyone hear that? We’ve officially become second-class citizens."

Justin grinned smugly. "I like the sound of that."

Ava laughed. "I can’t believe you two. You’ve become disgustingly cute."

"I blame him," I said immediately.

Justin looked genuinely offended. "Me?"

"Absolutely. You started it."

"I regret nothing," he declared smoothly.

"I know. And I hope you don’t."

Our fingers stayed intertwined beneath the table. It was a small, simple, and comfortable gesture, exactly where they belonged.

"So..." Mia looked around the table thoughtfully. "Has anyone seen Ethan lately?"

The table grew quiet for a beat. I blinked, realizing that now that she mentioned it, I really hadn’t seen him around at all.

Ava shrugged. "I honestly forgot he existed."

Mason looked over toward Justin. "What about you?"

Justin shook his head. "No. The last thing I heard was that he and Vanessa were still together, but I haven’t seen either of them on campus in weeks." He shrugged casually. "I hope they’re okay."

The rest of us stared at him in collective disbelief.

"What?" he asked.

"You hope they’re okay?" Mason repeated, raising an eyebrow.

Justin nodded calmly. "I do. I don’t hate Ethan. I honestly just want everyone to move on."

There was no bitterness in his tone, no lingering anger, just complete acceptance. I looked at him quietly. A few months ago, Justin would have wanted revenge for what Ethan did. Now, he simply wanted peace.

Without thinking, I squeezed his hand beneath the table again. He glanced over at me, his thumb brushing softly across my knuckles. That tiny gesture somehow said everything.

Dinner came to an end far too quickly, and we all stepped outside together into the cool evening air.

Mason pulled Justin into a quick, hearty hug. "Good luck surviving finals, man."

Justin laughed. "You too."

"If I fail accounting, I’m becoming a farmer."

"You don’t even know how to grow tomatoes, Mason."

"I’ll figure it out."

Ava hugged me next, squeezing tightly. "We’re serious, Harper. We’re watching the documentary."

"I know."

"And we’re bringing tissues."

"You haven’t even seen it yet!"

"We don’t need to," Mia added with confident nods. "If Justin cried while watching hockey videos, he absolutely won’t survive your documentary."

Justin pointed to himself, bewildered. "Why am I catching strays right now?"

"Because you’re emotional," Mason answered plainly.

"I am not."

"You cried when your grandmother bought you socks."

"They were really nice socks."

Everyone burst into laughter. I hugged both girls goodbye. "I’ll see you tomorrow."

"Text us!"

"I will."

One by one, everyone headed toward their cars until only Justin and I were left standing in the quiet parking lot. He reached for my hand automatically, and I smiled. It had become so natural between us.

When we got back to his apartment, the silence wrapped around us like a warm blanket. No shouting teammates, no restaurant noise, no phones ringing. Just us.

I slipped off my sneakers and dropped my bag by the couch, letting out a long, contented sigh.

Justin looked over. "What?"

I smiled softly up at him. "I missed this."

"What?"

"This," I said, gesturing around the quiet space before looking back into his eyes. "No cameras. No editing. No rumors. No drama. Just us."

His expression softened completely. He walked over without saying a word, and before I even realized it, his strong arms wrapped gently around my waist from behind. I leaned back against his broad chest instinctively, feeling his chin rest lightly on my shoulder.

"You know," he murmured against my ear, "I missed this too."

I closed my eyes. For the first time in what felt like forever, the world was entirely quiet. No one needed anything from us, and no one was trying to tear us apart. There was only the steady, comforting beat of his heart behind me, the warmth of his arms, and the feeling of home.

He pressed a slow, tender kiss against my cheek. "I love you."

I smiled, my heart impossibly full. "I love you too."

And for just a little while, nothing else in the world mattered.

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