PUCK ME ON ICE

Chapter 18

Tessy’s POV

I watch in total disbelief as the boutique staff parade out rail after rail of stunning, high-end clothes just for me.

So this is where he was taking me—a high-end designer boutique. He wants me to completely overhaul my wardrobe now that I’m supposed to be seen with him. I hate the fact that he wants to change this about me. I mean... sure, I want Tristan to notice me, but do I really need to throw away my entire personal style just to do that?

I try on outfit after outfit, stepping in and out of the fitting room, honestly not caring much about how I look in any of them.

“Ma’am, you have to go show Sir this outfit,” one of the staff members says gently, motioning toward the lounge area. “He asked to see every look on you.”

I give a tired nod and step out onto the plush carpet. Ryder is sitting on a leather sofa, casually scrolling through his phone.

“What do you think?” I ask, tapping my foot to get his attention.

He looks up, and the moment his eyes land on me, a slow, genuine smile breaks across his face.

“Tessy, I know potential when I see it,” he says, his eyes drinking in the look as the smile lingers on his lips. “You look breathtaking.”

I cross my arms, looking down at the fabric. “Do I really need to change my clothes, Ryder?”

“Yes. You have to change everything, so we’re getting as many outfits as possible today,” he says smoothly.

I just shake my head, giving up on arguing. I spend the next thirty minutes stepping out to show him the rest of the options, and he approves every single one.

When we head to the counter, he steps up and pulls out his card. “I’ll take all of these,” he tells the cashier, then reaches over to gather every single heavy shopping bag before I can even touch them. He looks over at me with a smirk. “I can’t let my girlfriend suffer any inconvenience.”

“Wow, what a true gentleman,” I say, rolling my eyes so hard it hurts.

A quiet laugh slips out of him as he holds the door open, leading me back out to the car. Once the bags are loaded into the trunk, he slides into the driver's seat.

“Let’s go eat,” he says, starting the engine.

I check the clock on the dashboard. “It’s really late, Ryder. I should definitely be heading home.”

“No. You need to eat,” he says, completely ignoring my protest.

God, he is really getting on my nerves tonight.

Ten minutes later, he pulls up to a grand, lit-up building with valet service. I stare out the window in shock.

“Wait... isn’t this place a little too fancy for a random late-night bite?” I ask, looking around at the ultra-luxurious decor.

“Nothing is too much when it comes to you,” he says, flashing me a quick wink that instantly earns a deep frown from me. “Come on.”

He takes my hand, leading me straight past the hostess stand. Apparently, a reservation had already been made in advance. We’re led to a private table, and within minutes, plates of high-end food are placed before us.

Ryder picks up his fork, cuts off a prime piece of steak, and gently sets it onto my plate. “Eat this.”

I look at the food, then lift my eyes to stare dead at him. “How is any of this supposed to help me get Tristan?”

“We need to make sure our fake relationship looks 100% real to everyone watching, Tessy,” he says, leaning back in his chair and taking a slow sip of his water. “Plus, I’m teaching you how to flirt—just like everything I’ve been doing all night.”

“What have you been doing?” I ask, utter confusion twisting my face.

Ryder just gives me a low, amused smile as he picks up his wine glass, taking a slow sip.

“You look really beautiful tonight,” he says softly, his eyes locking onto mine.

My heart instantly skips a beat. Where the hell did that come from?

“See? You’re blushing,” he smirks, pointing a finger at me.

“What?! No, I’m not!” I say immediately, pressing my cold palms to my warm cheeks.

“Tessy, you compliment the person you like and make them feel special—always,” he explains, leaning his elbows on the table. “And the real key is confidence. You have to stand out and make sure you’re on everyone’s lips. Which is already happening, by the way, because the whole school is talking about you now. The best part? I’m going to be on my best behavior, so I won’t disrespect you or give anyone a single reason to think our relationship is fake.”

“Meaning you won’t sleep around?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes. I won’t have s*x with anyone for as long as we’re together.”

I let out a skeptical laugh. “How are you going to manage that? Looking at you, I highly doubt you can stay away from s*x for more than a few days.”

“I don’t need to stay away,” he says smoothly, a dangerous glint in his eye. “I have a girlfriend.”

My eyes snap wide open in absolute horror.

“That was a joke, Tessy!” he laughs, holding his hands up in surrender.

“It better be a joke, because I really don’t like where that tone was heading,” I say, sharp annoyance lacing my voice. “Having a girlfriend isn’t just all about s*x!”

“I know,” he says, his laugh softening into a surprisingly genuine smile. “I mean... it’s just nice to finally have someone to eat dinner with. I usually end up eating by myself.” He looks at me for a long beat before asking, “Will you come to my games more often?”

“Not really,” I reply honestly. “I only showed up tonight because I wanted to cheer on Tristan.”

Ryder puts a hand over his chest, throwing his head back with a dramatic, fake pout. “Ouch. That’s harsh. You just broke my heart.”

“Oh, please,” I roll my eyes, though I can’t stop the tiny smile tugging at my lips.

My face turns serious as a sudden, heavy thought hits me. “Ryder... what happens when our parents find out about us? Their engagement might actually get affected.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?” he says, his voice suddenly completely stripped of all emotion.

My left eyebrow shoots up. “You... don’t want your dad to marry my mom?” I ask, wanting to be completely sure.

“Whatever I want doesn’t matter,” he says coldly, his gaze dropping to his plate. “He calls the shots in his own life.”

He sounds so rigid and dead serious that I don't even know how to respond. A quiet, heavy silence falls over our table, and I decide it's better not to push him on it.

After a few quiet minutes, we finish up our meal.

“We should get going now,” he says, sliding out of his booth.

I nod in agreement and stand up, pulling my purse over my shoulder. But as I take my first step toward the aisle, my ankle gives out, my heel catching on the carpet. A sharp gasp leaves my mouth as I plunge forward toward the floor—

Before I can hit the ground, two strong arms wrap firmly around my waist, pulling me straight back up against his chest.

“Thanks,” I breath out, my heart hammering against my ribs as I quickly regain my balance and step out of his grip.

“Tessy?”

A sudden, horribly familiar voice echoes from the front entrance of the restaurant.

My eyes snap up in pure, unadulterated terror.

Standing right by the hostess stand, staring directly at Ryder and me... is my mother.

Oh, no.