Page 35 of Faking the Shot
Not long after, we’re back inside the house, rummaging through my room. Valentina didn’t bring other clothes, so I hand her one of my oversized shirts to pair with the leggings she found in Scottie’s closet.
When she comes out of my sister’s room, her face is flushed, her hair pulled into a messy bun, and her face scrubbed clean of makeup—at least, as far as I can tell.
I blink, taking her in. I’m used to women doing the absolute most to get my attention—tight sports bras, barely-there leggings, whatever it takes to grab my eye. It never really works. Sure, I think they’re attractive, but there’s always something calculated about it, something a little fake.
Valentina, though? She’s nothing like that. She’s absolutely gorgeous, and it catches me off guard. There’s no pretense withher. Just her—annoyingly real and entirely too stunning for my sanity.
“So, are we doing this or what?” she asks, bouncing slightly on the balls of her feet. She’s actually excited. And now I feel bad for what she’s about to endure.
“Maybe you should just stand on the sidelines,” I say as we head outside.
The backyard has already been transformed into a makeshift soccer field, complete with the old kiddy goals we used to play with when we were younger. My brothers are kicking a ball back and forth, talking trash like they’re in the World Cup finals.
“Let’s go. We don’t have all day, lover boy,” Lucian shouts, waving us over.
“I’m going to kill him,” I growl, narrowing my eyes at him.
“Don’t mind him,” Valentina says with a laugh. “It’s cute. I love your family dynamic.”
I stop in my tracks, squinting at her. “Cute? This isn’t cute. They’re all assholes.”
She shrugs, her smile softening. “Why don’t more people know how close you are with them?”
“What kind of question is that?” I ask, genuinely confused.
“For starters,” she says, bounding down the stairs toward the field, “so people can realize you actually have a heart. I mean, I’m sorry to say it, but most people think you’re just this asshole who happens to score hockey goals.”
Her words hit like a slap disguised as a compliment. I stand there, watching as she joins my family without hesitation, chatting with Scottie and Leif like she’s been here all along.
Sure, people think I’m an asshole. Not that I care. But maybe that’s the problem—one Valentina seems hell-bent on fixing.
I shake off the thought and join my family on the makeshift field.
My fathers are already calling everyone together to pick teams.
“Scottie, Killion, you two are captains. Play smart,” Pop announces before moving to stand with Dad, clearly waiting to see which team he’ll end up on.
Scottie wastes no time picking me first, because she knows I’m a solid player. Killion, of course, chooses Valentina—probably just to get under my skin.
My fathers quickly go over the rules, though everyone already knows them by heart. They’re probably doing it for Valentina’s sake. She nods along seriously, though she’s still bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet like she’s ready.
“Let’s play,” Pop calls out, and just like that, we’re off.
The game starts strong, with Lucian scoring a goal right away. I find myself yelling at Leif for letting the ball get past him.
“Boys, it’s just a game,” Dad calls out, his tone laced with amusement as he jogs back on defense. He’s smirking, which tells you everything you need to know about where this family’s competitive streak comes from.
Both my fathers were world-class athletes—Dad’s a Hall of Fame hockey player, and Pop’s a Hall of Fame football player. When it comes to sports and winning, there’s no messing around in this house.
The game is fast-paced and relentless, with both teams running back and forth across the field. To my surprise, Valentina’s holding her own. She’s not the best athlete—obviously—but she’s putting in real effort. She’s not trying to impress anyone; she’s just having fun and being a team player.
And it’s . . . endearing.
Finally, the ball is kicked in my direction, and I see a clean shot at the goal. With some fancy footwork, I dodge past Lucian, who’s been dogging me the whole game. I’m closing in when I hear someone rushing me, yelling like a banshee.
Before I can react, Valentina jumps on my back, and we both go crashing to the ground.
I try to push her off and get up, but her legs are tangled with mine, and we end up in a heap, both of us sprawled in the grass.
