MELISSA'S POV
Dinner ended much later than expected. The evening had been a whirlwind of compliments, congratulations, flashing cameras, and forced smiles. The Mexican Ice Hockey Federation had pulled out all the stops to honor us, and while I appreciated the gesture, I couldn't deny how exhausting it all was. Pretending to be Xavier's doting girlfriend under the eyes of people who scrutinized our every glance and every laugh took its toll.
Still, I smiled when necessary, laughed at the right cues, and even leaned in closer when the photographers demanded another picture. At one point, Xavier whispered something so ridiculous in my ear that I genuinely burst into laughter. Not because I wanted to, but because I couldn’t help it. For a second, I forgot we were pretending.
When the night
