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August 23 - September 7, 2025
“You could still be a danger, Reed Darling.” “I promise I’m not a danger to you.”
“Only when my damsel-in-distress radar goes off.” “Oh, and I suppose that makes you Prince Charming?” “Sorry, princess, but I’m definitely no prince.”
“You know, if I was your boyfriend, I’d answer your calls and I’d drive you to parties.”
“That was really kind of your dad,” I said to Reed as we watched him drive off. “And you.” “Guess it’s lucky we’re friends,” he said. “Guess so,” I agreed with a smile.
“But you have a good night, Sunshine. I hope I proved to you not all hockey players are pigs.”
Maybe she thought I hadn’t heard her at the ice rink. Or that I didn’t recognize her. Impossible. Violet wasn’t the kind of girl you forgot.
I’d first spotted her well before she’d called me a pig. It was just after we’d won the game and were coming off the ice. I saw her in the stands, and she’d stopped me in my tracks.
I couldn’t feel the cold because my heart had been racing ever since I’d leaned close to Violet and whispered in her ear.
But she still had me buzzing with more nervous excitement than I experienced before a big game.
“Okay, she was hot.”
Could he tell how much I’d liked Violet even though I’d barely said a word about her?
He didn’t seem to believe me, which was fair because, despite what I said, I was struggling to get Violet off my mind. It had been a long time since a girl had caught my attention this way.
I shrugged. If it meant I got to see Violet again, I didn’t really care.
“I mean, I haven’t done anything yet, but I’ve got a couple of hockey sticks in my truck if you want to do some real damage?”
My head was already all over the place, but I was finding it even harder to think straight when he looked at me that way.
“I’m not letting you get an Uber alone,” Reed said. “Any psycho could be picking you up.”
“Besides, it looks better on you than it ever has on me,” he added.
“Seriously though,” he continued. “Regardless of what my brothers and I think of Hoffman, he shouldn’t have done that to you. You deserve better. Much better.”
I ran a hand through my hair but quickly gave up on trying to fix it. I wasn’t sure why I cared how I looked anyway.
placed a firm hand against my stomach in the hopes of settling the jitters I could feel there. Surely, I wasn’t this nervous to see Reed again, was I?
As I made my way inside, those pesky butterflies suddenly multiplied. Reed was here, and he was looking even more appealing than I remembered.
Yes, I really was that nervous to see Reed again. The more concerning question though was why.
Cuz you like him…!
I’d seen the Sunshine Prep uniform plenty of times before, and she was the first person who managed to look good despite it. But then again, she probably looked good in anything.
“My offer to give his car a makeover with my hockey stick is always open. I’m sure my brothers would be happy to lend us a hand
I wasn’t. In fact, I quite liked the idea of her keeping it.
She’d be coming back. The words chimed like a sweet song in my ears.
I was rambling, and I hoped my sales pitch didn’t sound too desperate. I guessed this was what happened when you liked a girl you had no chance with.
I don’t want to spend the night worrying about you jacketless and freezing in some field.” “You’d worry about me? That’s so sweet.”
As captain of the team, I was supposed to be setting the standard for the team and yelling at them when they were late. Not the other way around. Just this once though, it had been worth it.
Gone was the sweet boy I’d fallen for over the summer, and out of the shadows emerged a new beast—Jerkemy
“Haven’t you noticed the way he’s always checking to see if you’re watching?” “No . . .” “Well, he’s been doing it all week. And the way he keeps going on about how much he still cares for you. He’s clearly trying to get you back.”
she slipped on a patch of ice and nearly lost her footing. Grayson instantly reached out and grabbed her around the waist, stopping her from falling, and supported her until she righted herself.
Despite what I’d told Violet, I didn’t enjoy these things. Mostly because we had to mix with Sunshine Prep students, and I pretty much hated everything to do with Sunshine Hills. I’d had a change of heart this past week. There was at least one thing I liked about that place now. Violet.
Even though Matt was my best friend, I didn’t exactly feel like telling him I’d come for one reason only. Because I wanted to catch a glimpse of a girl who literally had a rule against spending time with me. Well, not me specifically, but guys like me.
Violet was smiling brightly as she talked with another girl, and when my eyes settled on her, my heart rate skyrocketed, and my hands went clammy like I was standing too close to the flames.
She looked beautiful tonight, especially with the soft glow of the firelight dancing across her features.
She might have sworn off hockey players, but that didn’t seem to matter to me as I watched her through the fire. I only needed her to like one hockey player: me.
It took him a moment to react, but when he did return the kiss, it was so intense I almost forgot to breathe. His lips were hot against mine, and a rush of warmth spread through my body as my heart beat faster and faster. I felt him grasp me tighter, but I wanted him closer still. The way the faint hint of cologne on his neck mixed with the bonfire smoke and snow was intoxicating. The kiss had been fueled by anger, but that quickly faded into something else—something more—and suddenly nothing else seemed to matter other than the connection between us. The snowy field we stood in felt like it
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“You don’t do girlfriends.” Jeremy scoffed. “I do now,” Reed replied.
When Jeremy had questioned her and insulted her and I saw the panic in her eyes, I would have done just about anything to help her. Pissing off Hoffman was just a bonus.
I could still feel the lingering warmth of our kiss. It had ignited a fire within me that had been dormant for far longer than I cared to admit. Even now I could feel the sparks and embers crackling contently because Violet remained within my grasp.
The truth was, while we’d only just met, I’d never felt this way about any girl before. I barely knew her, but already I wanted to do anything I could to make her smile. And anything to stop her feeling sad.
“It was hardly an attack, and I didn’t hear you complaining.” “Oh, I wasn’t complaining. The kiss was great. Maybe we should do it again.”
“But what do you get out of pretending to date me?” The simple truth: I wanted to help her. Plus, I’d also get to spend more time with her, and hopefully, I’d have a chance to show her I wasn’t the arrogant jock she thought I was.
I liked her and wanted to date her for real.
She shrugged, and a wry smile pulled at her lips. “I’m your girlfriend now, aren’t I? I think that means I get to keep it.” With that, she closed the door and hurried off into the darkness. And I was left trying to ignore how much I’d enjoyed it when she called herself my girlfriend.
I was getting seriously worked up, and I felt my heart skip a beat every time the bell above the front door chimed and a new customer came in. All Reed and I were doing was meeting to discuss our fake relationship, so there was no reason for me to be this anxious. I hadn’t even felt this way on my first few dates with Jeremy.
I couldn’t quite bring myself to regret the kiss though. I kept thinking about the way it had made my heart flutter and skin tingle. The look on Jeremy’s face hadn’t hurt either.
That was no fun though, and I grinned as an image of the perfect drink for Reed formed in my mind. As his fake girlfriend, I knew just what he needed.
I placed it down on the table before him, and his eyes widened with shock. “What on earth is that?” “It’s your favorite,” I said as sweetly as I could. “A strawberry Frappuccino with whipped cream, marshmallows, and sprinkles on top.”
