LOGINShe swore she’d never touch a hockey stick again. Not after the boy she loved humiliated her on the ice in front of the whole school. But when Ryder Hayes, the new goalie with a criminal record, a reckless grin, and a habit of getting under her skin, asks her to pretend to be his girlfriend, she says yes… for one reason. He’ll help her win a scholarship that could change her life. The deal is simple: she teaches him how to handle the pressure of big games, and he pretends to be the perfect boyfriend in front of the cameras. But the closer they get, the harder it is to tell what’s fake and what’s not. And the more she learns about the secrets behind his smirk, the more dangerous this game becomes.
View MoreRyder's Pov The locker room was alive with noise. Laughter. Shouts. The sound of sticks clacking together as the guys got hyped for the game. I was taping my stick when someone across the room yelled, “Tonight’s our night! Ryder’s bringing us to victory!” The whole room erupted into cheers. “Yeah, Ryder!” “Let’s go, man!” A couple guys slapped me on the shoulder as they passed. I forced a grin, but my eyes drifted across the room… straight to Mason. He was leaning back against the wall, arms folded, his expression flat. When he saw me looking, his mouth twitched into a smile, but not the friendly kind. I wanted to beat him up so bad. My knuckles tightened around the tape. I could walk over there right now. I could slam him against the lockers and make him pay for what he did to Lila. The thought burned in my chest. But I didn’t move. Not yet. The door swung open and Coach walked in. The noise dropped instantly. He stood in the center of the room, his voice carrying
Lila's Pov The cafeteria was loud like always. People were laughing. Forks scraping on trays. Chairs dragging across the floor. Harper was talking about something, her weekend plans, I think, but my mind was somewhere else entirely. Actually, not “somewhere.” Someone. “…and then we could go Saturday if you want,” Harper said, tapping her spoon against her drink lid. “Mm-hm,” I said, not looking up from the apple I was slicing with my plastic knife. “Or Sunday,” she continued. “Depends if you’re working. Are you listening to me?” “Yeah,” I lied. She gave me a suspicious look. “Lila, that’s the third time I’ve had to ask if you’re listening today.” “It’s the second,” I said automatically. “It’s the fifth,” she shot back, narrowing her eyes. I blinked. “Really?” “Yes, really.” Harper leaned forward, resting her chin in her hand. “Okay. Spill.” “There’s nothing to spill,” I said, trying to sound casual. “Lila.” Her voice dropped, and her eyes sparkled like she’d just figured
RYDER’S PovThe sound of blades cutting into the ice is one of my favorite things in the world. It means I’m alive. It means I’m here.And right now, it means I have less than a week before our next game and no room to screw up.The rink was freezing, but sweat was already sliding down my neck under my gear. The coach was barking orders from the side, pacing the blue line like it owes him money.“Move your feet, Hayes! You’re not out here for a Sunday stroll!”I dug in harder, pushing past Mason as we raced for the puck. He tried to shoulder me, but I cut inside and stole it clean. The sound of my stick meeting the puck echoed through the rink. It felt good.We were not just playing with our team today. Mason’s teammates from his travel league were here too, mixing into the drills. The air is thick with competition, half these guys want to take my head off, and the other half want to see if I’m worth the hype.Fine. I’ll show them.I threw myself into every play. Sprinted down the ice
Lila's Pov For the next two weeks, Ryder Hayes was everywhere. And when I say everywhere, I mean everywhere. If I was in class, he was sitting at the desk next to mine. If I was walking down the hall, he was suddenly there, matching my steps like we were in some weird synchronized dance. If I was having lunch, he’d just… appear, plopping his tray down in front of me like we’d been meeting for years. Every single time, it was the same question. “So… decided to be my fake girlfriend yet?” Every single time, it was the same answer. “No.” But Ryder? He didn’t know how to take a hint. It was almost impressive. Almost. Today was no different, except it was worse. Because now he was sitting across from me in the library, leaning back in his chair like he had all the time in the world, while I tried to pretend he wasn’t there. I would have left, God knows I wanted to, but I had a huge history test coming up and I couldn’t afford to lose this study time. Not even to escape Ryde
Lila's Pov I didn’t slow down until I was halfway down the hall. My pulse was still kicking hard in my ears, and not because I’d just rushed out of class.Of all the ridiculous things Ryder could have said… his fake girlfriend?The nerve. The absolute nerve.I spotted Harper leaning against the lockers, scrolling on her phone. She looked up as soon as she saw me.“Finally,” she said. “What took you so long?”I yanked open my locker. “Your new favorite hockey boy.”Her eyebrows lifted. “Ryder?”“Yeah.” I stuffed my books inside and grabbed my jacket.“What did he want?” she asked, stepping closer.I slammed my locker shut. “To make me his fake girlfriend.”Harper blinked. “I’m sorry, what?”“You heard me.”She stared at me for a second, like she was waiting for me to laugh and admit it was a joke. When I didn’t, her mouth fell open. “Are you serious? He just… asked you that?”“In the doorway. Blocking my exit like some big, arrogant wall.” I shook my head. “I told him no.”Harper look
Ryder's Pov The next morning, I was no closer to figuring out how to make Lila say yes.I’d run through at least six different approaches in my head, be nice, be pushy, be charming, bribe her with coffee, play the pity card, even ask Coach to talk to her again, but every version ended the same. She’d look at me with those steady, unreadable eyes and tell me no. She wouldn't even consider it. And I didn’t have time for a no. That would hurt. The clock was already ticking. My grades, eligibility, scholarship, every day mattered.I had gone to the coach's office before class. When I entered, he was standing near his window, looking over the school grounds. “Hi Coach.” I said softly.“Son, you're early today.”“I learnt my lesson yesterday. Didn't want to repeat the same mistake.”“Good.” He turned to look at me. “Figured out a way to get Lila to coach you yet?” “I'm still on it, Coach. It'll happen.” I told him softly and he nodded. “Alright.” The bell rang at that point.“See you












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