Page 28 of Perfectly Faked

“Hey, Victoria,” he says, swooping in with that stupid grin of his.

I can’t stop the low growl that comes out of my mouth. There’s no way I want him anywhere near her tonight. BeforeI can intervene, Rourke and the others rope her into a game of charades, leaving me stuck in the corner, watching as they have the time of their lives. As soon as the round ends, she excuses herself, then bypasses Rourke to head straight for her luggage. She attempts to haul two suitcases upstairs, but doesn’t make it past the second step before finally giving up on the heavier bag.

I jump out of my seat and sprint toward the remaining luggage before Rourke, grabbing the bag and following her upstairs.

When I reach the top, she eyes me like I’m stealing her stuff. “What are you doing?”

I shrug. “Can’t a guy be helpful, or is that a crime?”

She blinks. “No, it’s... fine. Thanks,” she says stiffly. “I can take it now.”

I hand it off to her, and then stand there with my hands in my pockets, feeling like an idiot. I didn’t have a plan for what I was going to say next, and it’s painfully obvious.

She pulls the luggage into her room, and I stop at the doorway, leaning against the frame as I fold my arms across my chest. Crossing the threshold feels like stepping over a line I shouldn’t.

She frowns when she notices I’m still here. “Do you... need something?” she asks slowly.

“Nope,” I say, trying to play it cool. “Just wondered how long you’re going to be staying.”

“Not sure yet.” She hauls a suitcase onto her bed, then glances at me again. “Any more questions?”

I shake my head, but still don’t move.

She shifts on her feet as she fights with the luggage zipper. “Listen, I know this living arrangement is awkward. For what it’s worth, I didn’t know you were here. Sloan told me after I’d brought my stuff over.”

I raise a brow. “And if you had known?”

She shrugs. “I might’ve reconsidered.”

“Well, you still can,” I say, giving her one last out. “It’s not too late.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll leave as soon as my apartment is fixed.” She struggles with the zipper before it finally releases. “Honestly, I thought you’d have your own place. You don’t seem like thesocialtype.”

I let out a laugh that sounds more like a grunt. “Maybe I’ve changed. When I played for other teams, I lived by myself, and it always felt really lonely.”

She looks at me for a second before taking a few shirts out of her suitcase.

What I don’t tell her is the less acceptable answer—most of my spare cash has gone to Tina’s rehab bills. Even my adoptive parents don’t know about it. They sacrificed everything—working long hours, scraping by to fund my hockey dreams while Tina racked up debt and her alcohol problem spiraled. I didn’t make this decision only for social reasons—I made it for practical ones, too.

“Well, I’m not here to ruin your life,” she says, her tone cool. “Dating or otherwise.” She turns back to stashing her gear like she can organize her way out of this conversation.

I drag a hand through my hair. “I don’t mean to sound like I don’t want you here... but you couldn’t find somewhere else?” Sure, I can handle flirting with her during practice, but how will we survive under one roof?We won’t—that much is certain.

She rifles through her suitcase. “It’s New Year’s Eve, Leo. Hotels are full, it’s snowing—whichneverhappens here—and I don’t exactly have options,” she says, stacking clothes in the dresser. “But you’ve made your point. You don’t want me here. I get it. Loud and clear.” She slams a sweater into the drawer with more force than necessary.

No wonder she dumped me. I was probably just as annoying then.

I rub a hand over my jaw. “Listen, I’m sorry,” I say softly. “I just don’t understand why you wouldn’t ask your parents for help.”

“It’s complicated.” She sighs and tosses a shirt back into her suitcase. “I tried to move out on my own after college. Mom had managed my career for so long, and it was suffocating. It didn’t help that I started falling in competitions around the same time. With every mistake, I lost championships and sponsorship opportunities. When my parents found out I wasn’t keeping up with my bills, they offered to pay for my coach, and Dad arranged for me to use the Ice House rink during the team’s off-hours. It’s the only way I could afford to make it work on my own. But I can’t ask them for help now without feeling like I...failed.”

I narrow my eyes, sensing there’s more she’s not saying. “So you didn’t really want to move to Sully’s Beach?”

She pauses. “It would’ve been easier not to...” Her eyes flick to mine for a moment too long, and I know exactly what she means:me. I’m the reason it’s hard for her to be here. Her move back, my position on the Crushers—it all feels like one giant mistake. I’ve spent years trying to erase her from my memory, yet here she is, unpacking her life in the room right next to mine. For the last six months, I didn’t even realize she was practically in my backyard. And I didn’t want to know because I was trying to pretend she didn’t exist.

She sits on the edge of the bed. “Why did you join the Crushers?” she asks, clearly steering the conversation away from us.

“I needed a fresh start, and they were building something new. Tate and the MacPherson twins came the same year, and things started looking up. Then your dad took over, and Iavoided asking about you, figured you didn’t want to hear from me. I’m just surprised we didn’t run into each other sooner.”

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