Page 49 of Faking It For Real

He looked up, curious.

"I'm the first one in my family to go to college," I explained. "My parents work multiple jobs to help support me and my siblings. They never explicitly say it, but I know they're counting on me to succeed, to make it all worth it." I stirred my coffee absently. "Every time I get a bad grade or struggle with an assignment, I feel like I'm letting them down."

"Like you're not living up to the investment," Ethan said, understanding immediately.

"Exactly. And with my scholarship reduction, the pressure's even worse. If I can't find a way to make up that money, all their sacrifices might be for nothing."

He met my gaze, his voice soft. “That’s a lot to carry.”

I nodded, feeling strangely vulnerable under his gaze. "TheSports Illustrationsconnection could literally save my degree. But..." I hesitated, then decided to be honest. "It's not just about the money anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm actually starting to care about hockey," I admitted with a small laugh. "God help me, but I find myself watching game highlights to better understand what I'm photographing. And I've started to care about the team—not just my shots of them, but the guys themselves."

Especially you, went the thought I didn't voice. But watching his expression soften almost imperceptibly, I couldn't help wondering if he'd somehow read my thoughts.

"Well, that makes one of us," he said, attempting a joke but not quite selling it. "Sometimes I think about what it would be like to just... stop. Walk away from hockey and do something else entirely."

"What would you do?" I asked, genuinely curious.

He looked surprised, as if no one had ever asked him that before. "I don't know. I've never really let myself think about it seriously." He was quiet for a moment. "Maybe something with sports management. Or coaching kids, where it's still about the joy of the game."

"You'd be good at that," I said, thinking of his patience explaining stick handling to me. "You're a natural teacher."

He looked pleased by the observation. "What about you? If money and expectations weren't factors, what would your dream be?"

"Photojournalism," I answered without hesitation. "Traveling, capturing stories that matter. Sports photography is amazing, but I'd love to document real issues, real lives."

"You'd be good at that," he echoed my words. "You have a way of seeing things—really seeing them." His eyes held mine. "It's a little unnerving sometimes, actually."

"What do you mean?"

"The way you look at me through that camera. Like you're seeing past all the hockey gear and captain bullshit," he said quietly. "Like you can see what I'm actually thinking."

My breath caught. "Can I?"

The question hung between us, charged with something I wasn't ready to name. Ethan leaned forward slightly, his coffee forgotten.

"Sometimes I think you're the only one who can," he admitted.

The moment was interrupted by his phone buzzing insistently. He checked it and sighed. "Dylan. Apparently there's a plumbing emergency at our apartment." He rolled his eyes. "Which probably means he tried to flush something ridiculous again."

Chapter 12: Mia

"That's it! Hold that expression!" I called, snapping rapidly as Ethan executed a perfect slap shot during practice. I was reviewing the photos on my camera's display when an idea crystallized—one that had been forming since our coffee shop conversation last week.

I waited until practice ended, then caught Ethan as he was leaving the locker room, his hair still damp from the shower.

"Hey," I said, suddenly nervous. "Can I talk to you about something? A photography idea."

His eyebrows raised. "Sure. What's up?"

I took a breath. "So, I've been thinking about a photo series. Not just action shots of games and practices, but something more... comprehensive. The full spectrum of what it means to be an athlete at this level."

He looked intrigued. "Go on."

"I want to document everything—your preparation, your focus, the victories, the disappointments. The person behind the player." I bit my lip, awaiting his reaction. "It would mean shadowing you more closely, getting access to moments most people don't see."

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