It's Pucking Complicated

Showtime

KNOX

I watch as Isadora Halvick rises slowly.

Her full lips are pursed and there's a fire blazing in her honey-colored depths. Her eyes are literally the color of honey—I don't think I've ever seen such a spectacular shade of brown. It contrasts nicely with her tanned skin, making it stand out even more.

She looks nothing like her asshole of a brother.

But that's not what I should be focusing on.

"That's not why I'm here."

I arch a brow. I find that hard to believe, but she doesn't look like a liar to me. I could be wrong. I don't know her at all.

Watching someone from afar for weeks doesn't count as knowing them.

"Why're you here, then?"

Something crosses her face at the mere thought of having to explain herself. I noticed that she has this reaction even outside the sports bar. "My roommate gave me a ride and I forgot my key and ID in her car. It's back at the bar."

"Where's your roommate? Here?"

She nods.

"With Cleo?"

"How do you know it's him?"

"It could only be him."

Isadora says nothing else. Instead, she looked around uncomfortably for a few beats.

"If that's the case, then you'll be staying out here all night. It gets cold."

"No, she told me she'd be right out."

"When? Before or after she went into the room with him?"

She clenches her jaw in annoyance and I try not to smile. She's bothered but she's trying not to show it, and it makes me wonder what else she tries to hide.

I knew her relationship with her brother was pretty shitty when I first heard him talking about her to his pathetic friends. They'd stopped by the locker room to see him after practice, and Halvick seemed pretty upset. He didn't know I was around because I was one of the last guys to leave.

"I f*****g hate it," he said. "It's like his precious little daughter can do no wrong. He never listens to me when I tell him that it bothers me that she's here."

One of them told him, "Just ignore her, dude. It'll be easy for you to avoid her. You don't even have the same classes."

Halvick groaned and the sound reminded me of a rabid dog. "Don't you get it!? Have you been listening to anything I've been telling you? As long as that b***h is alive and breathing the same air as me, I'll never be at peace! You think I like knowing that the illegitimate scum is my father's favorite? He doesn't even care about my well-being or my reputation at this point. He just does whatever she wants. I'm sick of it!"

I hadn't known about Isadora Halvick or her story by that point. Hell, I didn't know anything about Halvick apart from the fact that he strolled into this place his first year and decided that he had to have what was mine. Two years. That's how long I've been captain.

He wasn't even passionate about hockey—he was just doing it for the fame.

That's when I first started planning all this. He wants to make a point of pissing me off every chance he gets, so fake dating his half-sister, who's his father's favorite as he pointed out, is the gift I'll give him.

Or rather, the one I plan on giving him.

She still hasn't said yes, and though I thought I saw something in her shift right before we parted ways, I could be wrong. She could always change her mind.

"Look, what I'm trying to say is that they're going to take a while. I've known Cleo long enough to know he rarely wraps up before the sun rises. Are you going to stay out here the whole time?"

She throws her arms up. "I don't know what else you think I'm supposed to do."

"You can wait in my room."

Her eyes widen and shock's clearly written all over her face before she purses her lips together and folds her arms. My gaze inadvertently drops to her chest, but I look back at her face quickly. What the hell am I doing? Focus.

"I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Why not?"

"We're strangers. I don't know you enough to trust you."

"I won't do anything," I assure her. "I'm just trying to help. Things can get pretty loud in there."

She opens her mouth to protest, but ends up being cut off by a long string of moans. Muffled, but loud enough to be heard all the way here. Her face reddens and the corners of my lips twitch. I manage to fight off the smile, though, and add, "My room's at the end of the hall. His is too close to the lounge. It'll be quieter in there."

"But you can still hear him, so it doesn't make much of a difference anyway."

I shrug and start heading toward the communal kitchen to grab a bottle of water, which is the only reason why I came out here to begin with. The last thing I want is to come off as a creep, especially when she's still supposed to give me an answer concerning my proposal.

I don't think it'll work out anymore, though. I might need another plan. If she can't trust me enough to step into my room, there's no chance that we'll be able to work together closely to piss off her brother.

"Wait."

I halt and look at her over my shoulder. She's starting toward me with her arms still wrapped around herself. She still looks pissed about all of this, though. I think she has a hard time accepting help.

Maybe that's why she didn't jump at the opportunity to call the cops on Halvick. f**k, whenever I think about what I saw in that alleyway, my blood boils. How can someone be so f*****g awful about a lot of things? He's a complete asshole in every aspect.

And if I ever get my hands on him...

"I'll take you up on that offer."

I jokingly ask, "Which one?"

Before she can answer me, the elevator opens and someone strides in. I stiffen, but her reaction is visceral. Panic flashes across her eyes, but she raises her chin, refusing to back down.

Halvick looks back and forth between us, clearly confused at first, but then the realization sinks in: we're standing a few feet away from each other, merely separated by the sofa. When he speaks, his harsh words are directed at her.

"What the f**k are you doing here?"

I react right away, moving so my body's hiding her from view. "Move on, Halvick. This doesn't concern you."

"No?" he asks wildly. "And it concerns you? I won't ask you again, Isadora, what're you doing here?"

She scoffs. "I don't have to answer your questions, Justin."

He starts toward her but I step in his way, bristling with anger. I couldn't intervene as much in the alleyway, but I knew deep down that if he tried something stupid, I wouldn't hold back. And sure, maybe I'd put everything I was working so hard toward at risk, but he wouldn't get away unscathed, either.

Fucking coward. Putting his hands on his own sister?

"Think really hard about what you're going to do next, Halvick."

"Or what? This is a family affair. Back the f**k off. That's my sister."

"And he's my boyfriend."

Isadora steps toward me and gently touches my arm. Halvick looks back and forth between us with an enraged look on his face. She's wearing a provocative smile on her face, but when we make eye contact, I see that she's panicking a little.

To reassure her, I loop an arm around her waist and pull her closer to my side.

It's showtime.