Falling: A Fake Dating College Hockey Romance (North University Book 1)
Falling: Chapter 21

Sleeping on the edge of the bed that night in the hotel was fucking torture. So I thought the best way to help with that after she avoided me was to go see her again. The snowstorm was the perfect excuse. Until it turned into something way more than that, and I’m still trying to replace excuses for what I did.

I’ve been replaying that day in the forest nearly every night just to get myself to sleep. The sound of her whimpers haunts my dreams, and I can’t get the image of her grinding into me out of my mind. She was a fucking sight, and I have no idea how I’m supposed to act normal around her after that, especially for the game today.

I’m putting on my jacket, ready to leave when my phone lights up with a text.

I roll my eyes with a laugh and shoot back a message.

Hockey games at NU are the highlight of the week. We always get a full house even when the games are just friendly. Everyone loves the atmosphere, the rush, and the energy that radiates off the players. I can’t wait to get myself back out there.

Coach has been checking in to see how I’m doing, and he told me that he’ll let me know as soon as he thinks I’m ready to play again. Wren has been easing me into getting back on the ice in my full gear, but it’s a lot harder than I thought. Each time I step out there and see the nets, I freeze up. I’m going to have to get there eventually. After we sat by the ice for hours, I started to feel the warmth slowly seeping back into my blood, and imagining myself back out there isn’t as scary as it once was.

I drive the distance from my house to Wren’s apartment, and when I get to her door, I knock twice before Kennedy opens it. A wide grin splits on her face, and she lets me in.

“She’s through there,” she says, pointing down the hallway. I look down the hall and then back to her. “When you hear frustrated groans, you’ll know which one it is.”

As expected, I hear frustrated grunts coming from one of the rooms down the hallway, and I knock on the door.

“Wren?” I ask. “It’s me. Miles.”

“Yes, I know what your voice sounds like, Miles,” she says, sighing. “Open the door.”

Entering her room is like looking straight into her brain. A chaotic, beautiful mess.

The walls are covered in music posters, figure skating posters, and pictures of her and her friends. A dressing table in the corner holds a vinyl player and a stack of Taylor Swift records next to it. A shelf is covered from top to bottom in trophies, medals, and certificates. Another shelf is dedicated solely to books, and it looks like it’s seconds away from collapsing. I don’t know why I’m surprised with all the awards because I knew she was good, but fuck. There is almost no room for anything else on the shelves.

And best of all, Wren is sitting in the middle of the floor, surrounded by thousands of clothes in a sports bra and leggings. She looks up at me, and her face drops in exhaustion.

“You’re going to have to leave me here. I’m not going,” she groans. I crouch down in front of her and tilt my head to the side.

“Yeah, you are. I got you a present,” I say, holding out my cap and jersey with my number seven on it. She looks at them and then at me.

“Do you know how tacky it is for me to wear your jersey?”

“If you’re gonna wear a jersey, it needs to have my name and number on it. I’m not letting anyone think you’re someone else’s,” I challenge. Okay, maybe I do have a jealous side. Her mouth tilts into a grin. “Plus, it makes you look like you care and that we’re in a committed relationship. We are in a very committed relationship, right?”

“Yes,” she mumbles.

“Great. Then get dressed, princess.”

She groans before grabbing my shirt out of my hand and standing up out of her heap. When she stands, I get a better look at her and the red-and-purple marks on her skin.

She rolls her eyes when she catches me staring. “Yeah, those are your fault,” she says, pointing at her neck. “Really appreciate the hickeys, Miles. Are we in fucking high school?”

“How the fuck did you get those?”

“Do you not remember pinning me to a tree and kissing me everywhere but my mouth and then telling me you wouldn’t touch me again until I’m sure?” I give her a blank look. “Whatever the fuck that means.”

I snort. “I mean, I know I kissed you there, but fuck.”

I reach out to touch her neck, where she’s basically covered in marks from me. She swats my hand away. “My skin’s sensitive, Milesy. You would have known that if you didn’t go all crazy possessive caveman on me.”

“God, I’m sorry, but you’ve got to admit, it’s a little funny,” I say, pressing my lips together, but Wren is not the least bit amused. “You don’t think it’s a little funny that I hardly did anything, and you look like a victim of a vampire attack?”

“No, it’s not funny,” she huffs, but I can tell she’s trying to hold in her laughter. She pulls the shirt over her head and looks in her full-length mirror. The jersey hangs loose on her and falls halfway down her thighs. I stand behind her and put my hands on her shoulders.

I love that she has my name written on her back. I’ve never given a girl my jersey, and I’m so glad Wren is the first person to wear it. My ex-girlfriend Emily Fraser would love to use the fact that I’m a hockey player to show off, but she’d never wear my jersey. She demanded I get her a fitted one, or else there would be no point in wearing it.

“See, you look fabulous,” I say, smiling. She shakes her head and turns to me, my hands still on her shoulders.

“I look like I’m dating a hockey player,” she says before a horrified expression takes over her face. “Oh my god. I’m dating a hockey player.”

“Should I be concerned that it’s taken you that long to notice that?” I laugh while her jaw hangs open. I put my cap on her head and tap it. Her nose scrunches as I put two fingers under her jaw and close her mouth. “Come on. We’re going to be late.”

“Why are you so worried about being late? You’re not even playing.”

“I know, but it’s not the worst thing to be on time,” I retort. “You’re the one who likes to take hours to get ready.”

She huffs, and we walk out of her room. Kennedy and Scarlett stop us before we can get to the door. They both walk over to us slowly like they can’t believe what they’re seeing.

“Amelia Wren Hackerly. Respectfully, what the fuck is this?” Scarlett says dramatically, gesturing to Wren’s outfit.

“I am speechless. Like, no words,” Kennedy exclaims.

“I know. Desperate times call for desperate measures,” Wren replies, grabbing my hand, pulling us past them. “We better go before someone gets grumpy.”

The stadium is packed when we get there. There’s a certain buzz that radiates from each wall as we make our way through the crowds of people. We walk up to our seats, people’s heads turning as they see I’m not down on the ice. It’s weird having this many people care about what we do.

The season’s in full swing, and the pressure is mounting. Our team’s financial backing from the parents and investors is always a topic of conversation, and I can feel the weight of their expectations on my shoulders. It’s not just about winning games; it’s about generating buzz and getting noticed by scouts and sponsors. We’re not just a team, we’re a business, and everyone’s got a stake in our success. Just being in the arena makes me feel like a spectator in my own life, and everything feels off.

I keep my arm around Wren until we’re sitting comfortably in our seats with a perfect view. It’s still busy in our section, and people are walking up and down on the stands. I pull her into my lap instead, and she flashes me a look.

“This is cozy,” she murmurs.

“Well, we’ve got to look like we’re a couple.”

“Right, and me sitting on your dick is the most coupley thing you can think of?”

“If you’d rather we remove the layers, that can be arranged,” I tease, wrapping my hand around her stomach and pushing her back against my front.

She scoffs. “We could have just made out and made it more obvious.”

“You’re making some great suggestions here, Wrenny. If I didn’t know any better, I’d be starting to think that this is all a big ploy so you can get in my pants.”

She laughs. “You don’t know any better,” she says. She points to the rink where the Zamboni is doing its last round. “Now tell me what is going on here.”

I kiss her on the cheek. “Now you’re speaking my language.”

I’ve just finished explaining to Wren how the game works for the third time when Sophia Aoki sits down on the seat below us. She does a double take when she sees Wren and me.

“Hi, Miles. Long time no see,” she says, pushing her dark hair behind her shoulder, getting a better look at me. “I thought you’d be on the ice today.”

“Nah, not yet. I’m still working on my training,” I say with a shrug.

“Yeah, I get that,” she replies, giving me a sympathetic smile.

Sophia, Carter, and I became close in high school through Grayson, our friend, and her cousin. She’s one of those people who is genuinely good, and I need more people like her in my life.

She turns to look at Wren. “You’re Wren, right? I don’t think we’ve met.”

“Hi,” Wren replies, smiling and snuggling further into me, which only rubs her ass against my dick. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“You too.” Sophia grins before turning to me. “I thought you two were coming to my party, but I didn’t see you there.”

Wren stiffens and looks back at me. I run my hand down her arm quickly before resting it on her thigh. “Yeah, we went for a little while, but we didn’t stay for long. Sorry we didn’t get to say hi then,” I explain.

“No, it’s cool. Can I say that you guys are so cute together?!” she exclaims. Wren’s face turns red with heat when I slip my hand up to her waist, squeezing gently. “And Wren, you’re a figure skater, right?”

“Yeah, I am,” Wren replies. Sophia’s face lights up, quite literally. Her smile always reaches her eyes as lined dimples form on her cheekbones in a childlike way.

“That’s so cool! I always wished I could skate, but I’m so clumsy. So, I like to live vicariously through them by watching the team play.” She laughs. Which is very true. She fell into a Koi pond outside the venue of our high school prom, and whenever I see her around, she walks like she has two left feet. “I’d love to see you skate sometime. Do you have any competitions coming up?”

“Yeah, actually. We’re doing a winter showcase in December. I’d love to see you there,” Wren says.

That’s my girl.

As introverted as she seems, seeing her interact with other people makes my heart swell. She gets herself worked up about it, but when she realizes that my friends are not out to get her, she relaxes a little and lets herself enjoy talking to people who aren’t Kennedy and Scarlett.

“Great. I’ll be there. I’ll ask some of my friends to come, and I’ll bring Brie.” Her smile widens at the mention of her girlfriend. “Are you going to be there too?”

“Of course,” I say. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Sophia smiles and then pulls her bottom lip between her teeth, a nervous tick I’ve noticed she’s had over the years. “Miles, can I ask you something?”

I sigh, knowing what’s coming next. “Soph, we do this every time.” Wren looks up at me in confusion. “Sophia’s our photographer. You’ve probably seen her photos all over the school and on the school Instagram account. She takes all of our pictures of the team and tries to get as many candids as she can.” She still looks confused, so I add, “She wants to take a photo of us.”

Wren smiles shyly, but before she can say anything, Sophia cuts in. “I’m planning on making a mockumentary for this season, and I need some more pictures of NU’s star players. I need to schedule an interview with Miles soon, too, but some pictures are a good start.”

“That actually sounds really cool,” Wren says, “But do I have to be in it? I’m not on the team.”

“You’re on my team, baby,” I murmur, and she rolls her eyes. “Come on. Just one photo.”

She groans. “Fine. Just one.”

Sophia squeals happily and whips out the camera that she takes with her everywhere and instructs Wren and me to sit closer together than we already are. She leans her head back, dropping it onto my shoulder as I lean into her.

She feels too good like this.

Too much like mine.

“Say, ‘Hockey!’” We do as she asks, and the camera clicks. Sophia holds up the back camera to her face and squints at it. “It’s perfect.”

“Can we see it?” Wren asks.

Sophia laughs. “You’ll see it once the video is done.”

I wipe the confusion off Wren’s face with a kiss to her cheek as Sophia turns back around. The game starts up, and we stay quiet. Well, as quiet as possible because Wren keeps asking me what is happening every two seconds.

She keeps wiggling in my lap with excitement, and all it’s doing is pressing her ass into my dick.

I grip her hip with my left hand. “Can you keep still? You’re making it worse.”

She sighs, turning to me. “Can’t you tell it to go down?”

“Tell it to go down? My dick isn’t a fucking puppy, Wren.”

“I realized that, Miles, thank you.”

“If I could, I would have. This isn’t very comfortable for me either, princess,” I bite out, and her hips roll again. I suppress my groan into her shoulder, shaking my head. “Just keep still and watch the game.”

She salutes me, trying to hold in her laugh. “Yes, sir.”

I think she’s trying to kill me.

We keep quiet most of the game as I watch Xavier and Gray with concentration as they shuffle on the ice. We’re in the lead during the first period against Fraser College, one of our more friendly opponents. Most of the guys on my team went to high school with people on their team, so we’re all familiar with each other.

During the first intermission, Wren peppers me with more hockey questions before another one of my friends turns up behind me in the queue for the vending machine.

Charlie Jacobs is one of those guys who I don’t see often enough to call one of my close friends, but I have seen him at nearly all the parties I’ve been to over the past few months. He’s a cool guy, but he doesn’t exactly fit in with my friendship group.

“Davis! I wasn’t expecting to see you today,” Charlie exclaims, running a hand through his blond hair in disbelief. “It’s good to see you in daylight, man.”

I laugh nervously as Wren blinks up at me, twisting open the bottle of water. She moves closer to me as I watch her watch him. My friends are not at all like hers, so I wrap my arm around her shoulder, tugging her close to my side.

“Yeah, it’s good to see you too,” I reply. “This is my girlfriend, Wren. She skates. You should come to one of her performances sometime.”

“Jesus, I can talk, you know,” Wren murmurs as she looks up at me before turning back to Charlie, a smile playing on her lips. “But, yeah, I do skate. Don’t let Miles bully you into coming.”

“No, I definitely will go.” Charlie laughs with a huge grin. Right answer. “You probably wouldn’t believe it, but I used to skate as a kid. I wasn’t very good, but I appreciate the sport.”

“You’re right. I wouldn’t have guessed,” Wren says.

Charlie smiles at her and turns to me.

“Funny question, actually,” Charlie starts, rubbing the back of his neck. “If you’re dating Wren, does that mean Em is single?”

“She’s been single for almost a year, Charlie,” I huff. Wren does flinch at the mention of my ex. There’s not much of a story there to be told other than every guy on the team wanted her, even when she was with me. “If you’re asking for my permission to date her, then sure. I really couldn’t care less.”

“Okay, cool. It’s just— You looked like you would kill anyone that even looked at her when you were dating, so I wanted to make sure.” Wren looks up at me with an evil smile, and I can tell she’s going to make fun of me later.

“Yeah, well, I don’t care anymore. If you want to date her, go ahead,” I say. I know that Emily would eat him alive, but I don’t say that. “The game is starting up again. We better get back to our seats.”

I don’t let him say bye before I turn around with my arm still around Wren. When we sit down, she nuzzles herself right back in my lap, and my breathing stops. For someone who loves physical touch so much, whenever she touches me, it feels different. It’s uniquely hers, and it’s slightly terrifying.

It feels like a slow, torturous, perfect way to die.

“Jealous and protective. Wow, Davis. You really are something,” she whispers into my ear. As she draws back, the smell of her clouds my thoughts, and I don’t respond.

It would be too risky to tell her that I would protect her with my life. I would never let anything, or anyone, hurt her.

When we score another goal, Wren and I both get out of our seats and cheer, the excitement taking over us completely. Chaos erupts around us as the stadium grows loud with chants and cheers. She jumps into my arms and hugs me tight. I kiss her quickly before pulling away. Her eyes widen in shock for a moment before she returns her celebratory smile to the rest of the team.

This is easy.

We can do this.

The locker room is loud and chaotic when I walk in. Most of the guys are still in their jerseys, spraying water around as they whoop and yell. There is no better feeling than winning a game alongside your best friends. When they see me, they start cheering even louder.

“Look who decided to show up,” Harry announces, gesturing toward me, looking out of place in my jeans and hoodie.

“You guys did good. Could have been better if I was there though.” I laugh. Tyler Vaughan stalks toward me, patting me on the back.

“No need to get cocky, dude. You need to get back out there. This season is going to be a nightmare without you,” he says, rolling his eyes at the rest of the team before slipping away into the showers.

“It’s up to Coach. I’m still training and getting my head back in the game. Coach just needs to give me the all-clear,” I reply, shrugging. All of the team nod in agreement.

Then Jake starts laughing hysterically from the corner of the room. Who the fuck does he think he is? Is he a villain in a kid’s movie? Everyone’s heads turn to him as he makes himself the center of attention. Like always.

Jake and I were good friends in first year. We both got onto the team, and, like all my other teammates, we bonded instantly. Carter was never really a fan of his. He always thought Jake was too much for the team. He has too much chaotic energy and not in a good way. He always took things a step too far, especially during prank week.

Then he started dating anyone he could get his hands on. He dated Scarlett, which didn’t last very long when he cheated on her. Considering who her family is, he’s lucky he got away without a scratch. He’s a machine on the ice, which is the only reason anyone on this team tolerates him.

“Are you, Davis? Because I haven’t seen you on the ice in months,” he drawls, stepping closer to me. I swallow, feeling the rage and nausea at the same time.

“Dude, calm down. No one has been feeling it since Carter died, especially Miles. They were practically brothers. Just leave it, and fuck off,” Xavier cuts in, coming to my rescue.

“Don’t give me that dead friend bullshit. If Davis wanted to play, he would have by now. Instead, he’s too busy fucking around with his girlfriend,” he says, moving closer in my face. I take a breath in, trying to calm myself down. I can’t fuck this up for myself now. “What’s her name? Wren? Hacks’s kid?”

“Keep her name out of your mouth, Callahan,” I bite out, my fists clenching and unclenching at my sides. I feel bile rising in my throat, but I swallow it. I’ve never felt this kind of anger and exhaustion all at the same time. I hate the way it makes my pulse quicken and my jaw clench. I hate the way he thinks he can talk about my girl with no repercussions.

“Or what? You going to go crying to Coach about it? Grow the fuck up, Miles. If you ever want to play in the pros, you’re going to have to stop moping over Carter and stop drooling over that whore. If you’re not careful, she might follow in her friend’s footsteps.”

I get closer to him, our faces inches apart.

“Talk about her or her friends again and see what happens,” I bite out. An evil smile spreads across his face slowly. “I swear to God, Callahan, if you so much as breathe near her, I’ll crack your fucking head open.”

“Oh, shit.” He laughs. “Does she really fuck that good, Davis?”

I bite my tongue so hard that it almost bleeds. I take a deep breath in before turning around. I can do this. I can take the high road. I can walk out of here and leave him to crawl back into whatever hole he came from. If I mess up now, I could be off the team for good. I walk closer to the door before I hear him again behind me.

“Yeah, go home and cry to your little slut,” Jake shouts.

I turn back around.

Fuck this.