Fake Dating My Ex's Hockey Star Brother

KATY’S POV “Hey, I’m heading over now. Can you bring out the books I left?” I press send and shove my phone into my jacket pocket as Bryan’s townhouse comes into view, my steps automatically quickening. I have Statistics in thirty minutes, and Mrs. Tompson would rather swallow a jean jacket than let me walk into her class without my textbook, the same textbook I managed to leave lying around in my boyfriend’s room. As I walk faster, I recheck my phone, half expecting a reply, but there’s nothing. Not even a typing bubble. For a moment, I wonder if he has already left, but it‘s unlikely. It’s only 9:30 in the morning, and Bryan never leaves his room early. One of the perks of being a baseball player is that he doesn’t have to treat academics like life or death the way I do. I reach his townhouse and take the stairs two at a time, my purse bouncing against my hip. The higher I climb, the more rushed my breathing feels, though it has less to do with the stairs and more to do with this creeping frustration that he still hasn’t texted back. By the time I get to the third floor, where his room is, I’m already picturing walking in and tossing a sarcastic comment about how hard it is to answer a simple text. My hand reaches for his doorknob when I hear his voice through the door. “Hurry up, my girlfriend will be here soon.” I freeze. “You need to leave.” Who is he talking to? The question barely forms before the door flies open and a girl rushes out, nearly colliding with me. My breath hitches. She gasps, her eyes wide with a mix of panic and shame. In the sliver of a second before she bolts, I take in her messy red hair, wrinkled shirt, and unbuttoned jeans. A sickening masculine scent, one I recognize very well, clings to her. My gaze snaps to Bryan, who is standing in the middle of the room in nothing but his boxers, his own chest bare, and his hair tousled. A cold, sharp shiver runs down my spine, stealing the air from my lungs. My knees go weak, and the knot in my stomach turns to a solid block of ice. Without a word, the girl tears past me, disappearing down the hallway. My fingers begin to tremble, and my heart hammers so hard it feels like it will burst through my ribs. I stumble back, a bitter taste rising in my throat. “Baby, wait.” Bryan’s voice follows me as he steps into the hallway. I spin around and run, determined to put as much distance as I can between us, my chest burning with anger. He catches me, his hands clamping around my wrist before I can escape, spinning me back toward him and blocking my path. "Baby, let's talk.” "Let go of me," I snap, my voice shaking. "Don't touch me!" I shove against his chest, but he doesn't budge. He tugs me toward his room, his grip tight. "It's better if we go inside. Everyone can hear us out here." Inside, I shove him away, my chest rising and falling with quick breaths. I want to demand answers, but I already know the truth. The evidence is everywhere: in the rumpled sheets, the scent of her perfume, and the desperate, guilty look in his eyes. He paces the room, running a hand through his hair before stopping and grabbing my shoulder. "I messed up, okay?" He drags a hand over his face. "It was a mistake.” My eyes twitch. “A mistake?” “Yeah, baby," he says, his eyes skittering away from mine. "Some of the guys came over last night. We drank too much. I got so s**t-faced I… I thought she was you. I don't even remember half of it.” I blink, unable to process his words. My mind stumbles over them, each syllable making less sense than the last. Did he really just say that? Does he actually expect me to believe this pathetic lie? I stare at him, my mouth slightly open, waiting for him to take the words back. But he doesn't. He just holds my gaze, searching my face as if he's trying to see if I'm stupid enough to swallow his bucket of lies. “You… you thought she was me?” I choke out in anger. “Are you actually serious right now?” “Yes, baby, I'm serious. I didn't mean it. It was a mistake," he insists. "And honestly, she came on to me first. How was I supposed to resist when I was drunk? Come on, you know I love you.” A bitter laugh escapes my lips. "Cheating is one thing, Bryan," I snap, taking a step toward him, "but thinking I'm stupid enough to believe your lies? That's a whole other level.” “Katy, you’re overreacting,” he states, his voice growing colder. “Jasper and Hannah had the same kind of problems, and they worked it out. Why can’t you be more like her?” I feel heat flare through me. “Overreacting?” I yell. “Fourteen months, Bryan! Fourteen months of promises, and you’ve broken every single one! And you have the nerve to tell me I’m overreacting?!” He scoffs, his mask finally dropping. "Promises? You really want to bring that up?" I recoil. "What do you mean by that?" He crosses his arms and steps toward me. "You want to talk about promises? Fine. Let's talk about it." He jabs a finger in my face, his eyes darkening. "You promised your schedule would never affect us. How's that working out? Every damn day, you're busy. Debate, magazines, some lame club! You put everything else before me.” “That’s not—” I start, but he cuts me off. “I play sports, and I still make time for you!” he yells, and I flinch. “You know what? This is your fault!” He jabs my shoulder again. “This happened because of you, not me. You!” I step back, rage crawling up my spine. Never in a million years did I imagine that the person I had loved and trusted for a whole year could be like this—twisting the truth, blaming me, acting as if I were at fault. “You are a coward, Bryan.” I whisper, lifting my head to meet his eyes. “That’s what you are. Blaming me, twisting everything, and calling it my fault? I’m done.” I dash to his desk, sending papers and books tumbling to the floor as I hunt for my textbook. I need to get out of here before my anger takes over, before I do something I will regret. “You act like there’s someone better out there. There isn’t, and there won’t ever be.” He sneers from behind me. “Nobody else will ever make you feel alive the way I do.” I pause, staring up at him. He steps closer, his voice rising as he repeats his claim. “You were nobody before me, Katy. I made you popular. You walk into a room, and people know your name because of me. Bryan Cooper.” Something inside me snaps. I close the distance between us, breathing against his face. "You will never speak to me again," I hiss. "And mark my words, you will be replaced by someone hotter, smarter, and better than you could ever be. I yank the couple necklace he gave me off my neck and fling it at his feet. Without another word, I storm out with my textbook, tears burning my eyes. I managed not to cry in front of him, but as I run down the stairs, the dam finally burst. I collapse against the side of the building, clutching my chest as sobs tear out of me. It feels like someone has ripped my heart away and shredded it into a million pieces. Our memories and moments fill my mind, stabbing me over and over. My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I fumble to answer it, my hands shaking. “Katy?”My brother’s voice floats through. “Yeah?” I sniffle, wiping my tears. “Don’t forget you promised to tutor Braydon after class today,” he says, sounding annoyed. “He’s already bugging me.” I bite my lip, wanting to tell him I can’t right now, not in this state, but I had promised to help his friend. I exhale, pushing back the lump in my throat, and slowly rise to my feet. “Okay,” I manage to say.