Meet The Hayes

Emma

“Yeah, no. I don’t think you should come with me…” Luca shakes his head as soon as the call ends.

“Why not?” I ask. “I’m being invited. Maybe this is our chance to convince them that we really are in a relationship.”

Luca looks at me, his expression tense.

“This fake relationship… Emma, I thought it would be easier for me. For both of us. But it keeps making things more complicated.”

He pauses, running a hand through his hair.

“My hockey is at risk. Your scholarship is at risk. None of this is working out the way it was supposed to.”

I stare at him, trying to understand what has suddenly changed. “So, you’re saying I shouldn’t go?”

“I’m saying you don’t know what you’re walking into.”

Before I can respond, Luca grabs his phone and dials another number. He waits for the call to connect.

“Hello? Coach Reynolds, can you please come to my apartment?”

Half an hour later, I hear voices coming from the hallway. I step closer and immediately recognize Luca’s voice. He’s arguing with Coach Reynolds, and Tyler is there too.

“No! You put me in this situation!” Luca snaps. “You were the one who set me up with Emma!”

I freeze, wondering what happened to make him this angry. For a second, I wonder if he’s suddenly regretting the fake relationship or if his father inviting me to dinner has something to do with it.

I quietly step out of the room and stop behind the chair, listening.

“And…and you also had a scout watching me play without telling me!” Luca continues, his voice rising. “Aren’t you supposed to inform me about something like that, Coach Reynolds?”

Coach Reynolds turns toward me. “Have you informed him, Emma?”

Everyone’s eyes immediately land on me, making me feel like I’m somehow the one to blame.

“It doesn’t matter who told me,” Luca says before I can respond. “I’ve seen everything with my own eyes, Coach.”

“The important thing is that you didn’t tell me.”

Tyler sighs, but before he can say anything, Coach Reynolds quickly cuts in.

“Luca, listen to me. The whole point of not telling you was so the scouts could see you play naturally. We didn’t want you changing your game because you knew they were watching.”

Luca scoffs, clearly not buying the explanation.

“We both know how this works, Coach. You always reminded me whenever scouts were coming to watch me. It was our little secret until now…”

“You were single before!” Coach Reynolds gives me a quick look before turning his attention back to Luca.

For a moment, Luca and I exchange a confused glance. I have no idea what being single has to do with any of this—or why it suddenly sounds like my fault.

“What does that mean?” Luca asks, resting his hands on his waist. His eyebrows draw together. “What does my relationship have to do with hockey?”

“We wanted to see if you were still performing well. I couldn’t exactly tell the scouts about…”

Coach Reynolds suddenly stops, his eyes shift toward Tyler.

Luca follows his gaze, and so do I.

Tyler looks between all of us, completely lost. “What?” He points at himself. “Does this have something to do with me?”

Luca clicks his tongue in frustration.

“Forget Tyler. Just tell me what’s going on, Coach. Why does my relationship matter to the scouts?”

“Luca, I saved your ass, and I’m not answerable to you. Just make sure you’re doing your best at practice and everything will be fine.”

“Fucking hell!” Luca kicks the couch and rakes a hand through his hair.

“You know how hard it is for me to deal with this kind of pressure from my dad,” he says, turning back to Coach Reynolds.

“Coach, you don’t understand.” Luca’s voice drops, but the frustration in it is still clear. “I can’t have someone else putting more pressure on me. What if he’s the man my father sent to keep an eye on me?”

Tyler finally steps into the conversation.

“Then talk to him. Tell him he has no right to do that.”

I take a deep breath and sit on the couch while the men continue arguing. Luca is clearly the most stubborn one in the room, and his anger only seems to grow with every word.

“Now I’m getting it…” he mutters. “My dad invited us for dinner because of this scout thing.”

Reynolds immediately looks at him. “He invited you for dinner?”

I nod.

He strokes his beard, thinking for a moment before finally speaking. “Alright, listen to me. This is the most important part now. You need to convince your father that you’re serious about Emma.”

Luca remains standing beside the coach, his expression tense, while I quietly listen.

Reynolds looks between the two of us.

“If Richard Hayes has invited Emma, there’s probably a reason. Whatever that reason is, you need to make sure he believes this relationship is real.”

“But, aren’t they dating?” Tyler looks completely dumbfounded.

All three of us turn to stare at him.

“This shit is complicated…” Luca mutters, taking a long, frustrated breath.

I let the silence settle for a moment before turning toward him. “Luca, you need to relax. I’m sure we’ll figure everything out.”

He doesn’t answer, but a moment later, he drops onto the couch right beside me, his shoulders still tense.

“If you think I’m the reason—”

“Emma, trust me.” He cuts me off before I can finish. “This has nothing to do with you.”

I look at him.

“You know, I only told you because I thought you deserved to know. I never meant to make you angry or cause more problems.”

Luca looks directly into my eyes. “I know, Emma.”

His hand brushes against mine, and neither of us moves away.

For a moment, we simply stare at each other.

There’s no anger in his eyes now, no blame, just sincerity. Somehow, that makes my chest tighten more than his anger ever could.

“Um, are you sure you two aren’t dating?” Tyler looks between Luca and me, clearly unconvinced.

Luca and I exchange an uncertain glance.

Before Tyler can say anything else, Reynolds gives him a warning look. “Whatever you think you heard, keep it to yourself.”

Tyler raises both hands in surrender and nods.

“Fine. My lips are sealed.”

Reynolds turns toward me, “Prepare yourself, Emma. This is going to be a long night…”

The pity in his expression is enough to make me nervous.

I don’t understand what he means, but the way Luca shifts uncomfortably beside me tells me there’s something I’m missing.

“Luca, what do you expect your father to do besides invite us for dinner?” I ask. “What’s so wrong with him meeting his son’s girlfriend?”

“Or are you scared to introduce her to the family?” Tyler adds with a teasing grin.

Luca shoots him a deadly stare. “No, I’m not scared.”

His answer is immediate.

“Embarrassed?” I quickly ask. 

He shrugs. “No.” After a brief pause, he adds, “I’m not scared or embarrassed.”

Tyler raises his hands in surrender. “Alright, my bad.”

His expression tells me enough. Richard Hayes must be the kind of man even Luca hesitates to face.

Once Tyler and Coach Reynolds leave, it’s just the two of us sitting together in the sudden quiet.

“If you need time to think about it, we can ditch the dinner,” Luca says.

I look at him, surprised.

“We can go somewhere else instead. Maybe a fancy restaurant or a local diner. Whatever you want.”

The way he says it makes me realize he isn’t trying to get out of dinner for himself.

He’s giving me a way out.

“We’re going to the Hayes mansion,” I simply reply, keeping my tone soft but firm.

Luca sighs in disbelief. “Emma, look. My family isn’t like other ordinary families, alright?”

He pauses, searching for the right words. “My family is… well, wealthy, obviously. They’re formal. Arrogant. And extremely judgmental.”

“So, you’re saying they’ll judge me?” He hesitates for a second before nodding. “They might.”

“They’re very particular about their standards. Now that they’ve seen both of us in the news, they’re eager to meet you. They’ll expect me to bring a girl who is… well…”

He trails off.

I raise an eyebrow. “A Sabrina Carpenter type?”

“Yes!” he blurts out, as if I’ve just given him the answer he was struggling to find.

I almost smile.

“Whatever it is, Luca, this is part of our agreement. I’ll meet your family as your girlfriend, and we’ll pretend to be a couple so in love that they won’t question a thing.”

His expression softens. “So, you’re not backing out?”

I shake my head confidently. “No.”

I stand from the couch.

“I need to get ready now…”

Before he can say anything else, I turn and make my way toward my bedroom.

It’s been an hour since I started pacing back and forth in my room, my phone clutched tightly in my palm.

The moment the message arrives, I rush out of my room and hurry toward the front door.

I grab the parcel from the delivery guy and quickly retreat to my room, locking the door behind me.

Nearly half an hour later, I finally step out. My eyes immediately land on Luca.

He’s dressed in a neatly pressed suit, looking far too comfortable in it.

Then his gaze moves over me from head to toe and a slow, amused grin spreads across his face before he lets out a low whistle.

I can’t help but laugh. “What?”

“So, you’re going to prove that you…” Luca starts, but before he can finish, I quickly cut him off.

“No, Luca.” I shake my head, my voice firm. “I’m not going there to prove that I’m good enough for your family. I’m going there to make them realize that I don’t need to fit their idea of perfection to stand beside you.”

“I may not look like the petite women your father expects you to date, but that doesn’t make me any less.”

I hold his gaze, refusing to let even a hint of doubt show on my face. “And I’m not going to walk into that house feeling inferior to anyone.”

He raises his eyebrows, clearly impressed, and we leave together.

The closer we get to the Hayes estate, the quieter Luca becomes.

At first, I think he is simply lost in his thoughts, but when I glance at him again, I notice the tension in his jaw and the way his fingers tighten around the steering wheel.

I turn toward him. “Why are you so nervous?” His eyes remain fixed on the road. “I’m not nervous.”

I almost laugh. “Luca, you’ve been quiet for the last twenty minutes. You’re gripping the steering wheel like it personally offended you.”

He exhales slowly, finally glancing at me. “Because you don’t know my father.” There is something in his voice that makes my smile disappear.

A few minutes later, the gates come into view. I stare through the window as they slowly open. The Hayes estate is enormous.

I knew Luca came from a wealthy family, but knowing something and actually seeing it are two completely different things.

A long driveway stretches toward the main house, surrounded by perfectly trimmed lawns and tall trees. There are security guards stationed near the entrance, several expensive cars parked outside, and staff moving around as if everything has to run according to a schedule.

I lower the window slightly, taking it all in.

“Wow.”

Luca barely reacts.

He keeps his eyes on the road, his expression becoming harder with every second.

“You’re not impressed?” I ask.

He gives me a humorless smile. “I grew up here.”

There is no pride in his voice, only exhaustion.

I look at him again and suddenly understand that this place doesn’t represent luxury to him. It represents everything he has been trying to escape while still being trapped inside it.

The car finally stops in front of the massive entrance, and Luca reaches across the space between us to take my hand. His fingers close around mine, tense and slightly stiff.

I know we’re supposed to look convincing, but the way he holds my hand feels different. He isn’t just pretending.

I turn toward him. “Are you okay?”

He looks down at our joined hands before lifting his eyes to mine. “Not even close.”

Before I can say anything else, he gives my hand a gentle squeeze. “Stay with me.”

“I will.”

He gives me a small nod before releasing my hand, and we step out of the car together. I straighten my dress, take a deep breath, and turn toward the entrance.

And then I freeze. 

A man is already standing there.

He isn’t smiling or welcoming us. He simply stands at the entrance with his hands behind his back, his attention fixed directly on me.

As if he’s been waiting for us.

I glance at Luca. The moment he sees his father, his entire expression changes.

And I realize this dinner isn’t going to be about meeting Luca’s family.

It’s going to be about surviving his father.