All Chapters of Faking It With The Hockey Playboy: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Lila POVDerek carried me through the snow, his arms shaking from effort and cold. Each step he took was unsteady, his feet slipping on the ice beneath the fresh powder."You are insane," he muttered as he ran. "Completely insane. What kind of person sits outside in a blizzard for three hours? What were you trying to prove?"I could not answer. My jaw was locked tight from the cold, my teeth still chattering uncontrollably.Derek's car was parked in the far corner of the lot. He must have gotten his keys back somehow, or stolen them from his father. The headlights were on, cutting through the darkness and snow.When we reached the car, Derek had to set me down carefully against the side while he fumbled with the door handle. His own hands were shaking now too, red and raw from the cold.He got the passenger door open and tried to lift me inside, but I was too stiff. My body would not bend properly. My limbs were frozen in the curled position I had held on the bench."Come on," Derek s

Lila POVThe tears came silently at first.I tried to hold them back, but my defenses were completely gone. The cold, the exhaustion, the fear, the anger. Everything I had been holding inside for days came pouring out.I set down my mug and covered my face with my hands, my shoulders shaking with sobs.Derek did not say anything. He just sat there across from me, giving me space to fall apart.After a few minutes, my crying subsided. I wiped my eyes with the sleeve of Derek's coat and took a shaky breath."Sorry," I muttered."Do not apologize," Derek said quietly.I picked up my hot chocolate again and took another long sip. The warmth was spreading through my body now, chasing away the last of the dangerous cold. My fingers were starting to feel normal again. My toes were tingling as circulation returned.But as my physical discomfort faded, another discomfort took its place.Derek was staring at me.Not just glancing. Not just looking. Full-on staring like I was some kind of fascin

Lila POVDerek squeezed my hands gently, then released them and sat back in his chair.I could see something working behind his eyes. Emotions he was struggling to contain. But whatever he was feeling, he kept it locked inside."Drink more of your hot chocolate," he said, his voice carefully neutral. "You need to keep warm."I realized my mug was still half full. I picked it up with shaking hands and took another sip. It had cooled down considerably, but it was still warm enough to help.Derek watched me drink, that same intense stare from before. But this time, it did not feel creepy. It felt almost protective. Like he was memorizing every detail of this moment."When does your mother get home?" Derek asked."Two hours," I said. "Maybe less if the roads are not too bad."Derek checked his watch. "That gives us some time.""Time for what?" I asked."To come up with a plan," Derek said. "To figure out how to convince your mother not to send you away."I shook my head. "There is no plan

Derek POVI made it exactly three steps down the hallway before I heard the crash.Glass exploded against the wall right beside my head. I ducked instinctively, feeling shards spray past my ear.A wine glass. My father had thrown a wine glass at me.I turned around slowly to see him standing in the doorway of his study, his face twisted with rage, his hand still raised from the throw."You do not walk away from me when I am talking to you!" my father shouted."You threw a glass at my head," I said, my voice dangerously calm."You deserved it!" my father yelled. "Do you have ANY idea what you have done?"I stared at him, waiting for the explanation I knew was coming."There was a family meeting tonight," my father continued, his voice shaking with fury. "With your uncle and the board members from the company. They came all the way here to discuss your hockey scholarship opportunities and your future with the family business."My stomach sank. I had completely forgotten about the meetin

Lila POVI stared at Derek's message on my phone screen, my heart pounding."Understood."That single word should have made me feel relieved. He was agreeing to my terms. A fake date. Nothing real. Nothing that would complicate things further.But something about the way he responded felt off. Too easy. Too quick.Derek Stone did not give up that easily.I started typing a response, but another message from him came through first."Actually, wait. I take that back."My stomach dropped. Here it comes. The argument. The manipulation."The coffee wasn't free," Derek typed. "So technically, you already owe me. Which means this date is payment for saving your life tonight."I could not help it. I actually laughed out loud in my empty bedroom."You didn't save my life," I typed back. "You showed up late after making me wait for three hours.""I still showed up. That counts for something.""It counts for you being a terrible person with bad time management.""Ouch," Derek responded. "My feel