Page 50 of Breakaway Hearts

Margo grins and throws a kiss back Noah’s way before ending the video recording. I take my seat nearby her, and she comes over to say hi a few minutes later.

“Ah, I’m so happy you’re coming to away games now!” She drops into the seat next to me, nudging me with her shoulder. “One of the perks of being Reese’s girlfriend. I’m sure one ofmany.”

She lifts an eyebrow and sticks out her tongue, and my stomach flips. She’s not wrong. After the few lessons I’ve had with Reese, I’m positive he’s not only good at foreplay and dirty talk, but everything else that comes after.

I swallow. Hard.

Reese catches sight of me and skates over to the glass, his usual grin spread wide across his face. “Hey, Firefly. You made it!”

He puts his fist up to the glass, and I raise my own hand and bump the glass back, trying to act like this is all perfectly normal. He gives me a little salute and skates away, and Margo chuckles knowingly.

“I’ve got a few things to take care of for work,” she says, glancing around the arena. “But I should be able to hang out and watch with you for most of it.”

“Sure, of course.”

She rises from the seat beside me, and for the next several minutes, I occupy myself with watching the players finish their warmups. With no one to talk to, my mind starts to wander—and of course, the first place it goes is to Reese. Honestly, I’m dying to talk to someone about everything that’s going on with us. I didn’t expect it to be so difficult to keep the secret of our fake relationship, but this whole thing is so confusing and terrifying and exhilarating that I feel like I’m bursting at the seams trying to keep it all in.

Margo comes back over just as the game is starting, and the two of us lean forward in our seats as the puck drops. The Prowlers are one of the Aces’ biggest rivals, so it’s an intense game right from the start. I wince at the sound of bodies hitting the boards, and my hands don’t uncurl from the fists I’ve unconsciously formed until we score our first goal. Then I’m able to relax a little.

Margo must feel the same way, because she leans her head toward me a minute or two later, her gaze still locked on the action as she speaks.

“So, how are things with Reese?” she asks.

“Great,” I say automatically. Then, before I can stop myself, I blurt out, “We’re fake dating.”

There’s a pause, and then Margo wrenches her gaze away from the action on the ice, staring at me with wide gray eyes. “What?”

“Yeah.” I bite my lip as the whistle blows signaling the end of the first period. “It’s all an act. He asked me to fake date him so he can try to win Sienna back. Make her realize what she’s missing, you know?”

People start to leave their seats to go grab snacks or drinks, but we both ignore the hubbub around us. Margo makes a stunned face, shaking her head. “Holy shit.”

“I know it sounds weird.” I bite my lip. “And probably a little crazy. But I’ve never seen Reese so messed up after a breakup, and I wanted to help him however I could. When he asked me to do this, I couldn’t say no. It didn’t seem like it would be all that hard. But it’s been driving me crazy keeping it to myself. I’m sorry to spring it on you out of the blue, but I just needed to tellsomeone.”

Margo nods, but her eyebrows are still elevated and her mouth is hanging open a little. After telling her this much, I decide not to say anything about the whole friends with benefits deal or that he’s giving me sex lessons. Somehow, that sounds even crazier than the fake-dating scheme.

“Wow, Callie. That’s…” Margo huffs a little breath. “That sounds risky.”

“Risky?”

She tilts her head from side to side. “Risky might be the wrong word. I just don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

“No one will,” I assure her quickly. “Sienna won’t ever know this was the plan. In fact, I think she’s already getting a little jealous over the two of us.”

Something shifts in Margo’s features, and she gives me a soft smile. “I’m not worried about Sienna getting hurt.”

I know what she’s saying. I recognize her worry, because it’s occurred to me too—that the one getting hurt in the end won’t be Sienna, but me.

But that’s not how it has to be. I just need to keep my emotions in check and not get swept up in the heat of the moment. I have to remember that no matter what happens between me and Reese, we’ve both agreed not to let feelings get involved. And maybe having told Margo that our relationship isn’t real will help me with that.

“It’s fine,” I say, glancing out onto the ice as the Zamboni rolls across it. “Trust me. Reese and I have been friends for years, and that’s all we’ll ever be. If we were actually going to start dating, it would’ve happened a long time ago.”

Margo taps her fingers against her chin. “I guess you’re right. But still, I’m pretty surprised. You two are really good actors. It was so easy to believe that you were dating. I almost can’t believe it’s a lie.”

I hold in a flinch and instead smile along with her. I’m glad she thinks so, because it means the rest of the team must think that as well. So why does it hurt a little, hearing her say our relationship is a lie? She’s not wrong, and I just insisted that it’s meant to be this way.

Our conversation is interrupted by the beginning of the second period, and it starts with a bang—literally.

Less than a minute into play, Shawn Kaplan, a cocky asshole who plays for the Prowlers, high-sticks Theo aggressively. Theo grimaces in pain, his hand instinctively reaching to protect his face as he stumbles but manages to keep his balance.

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