Chapter 10
I wake up the next morning in pure bliss knowing that I have food to cook this morning. I’ll whip up the classic eggs, toast, and bacon. I’ll offer some to caveman, of course.
He rounds the corner while his phone starts ringing from his pocket. Loudly. He stares at me, twisting his tongue with a tense face. He checks the screen and mutters, “Shit.”
He answers.
“Gray,” An angry man’s voice blasts through the receiver. “What the hell is going on? The world thinks you’re married. Married. What’s that about?”
Cameron opens his mouth, but the line goes dead.
A second later, his screen lights up with a text. I’m coming over.
I’m standing so close to him I don’t even have to lean in to read it. My stomach flips.
“What the hell does he mean by that?”
Cameron locks his jaw, slides the phone back into his pocket. “This is your fault.”
“No, hold on.” My hands tremble as I yank my own phone out. After googling his name plus married, it’s there—us. In the middle of the aisle last night, and I holding Cameron’s hand and grinning like a mad woman.
Shit.
A headline stamped over the photo: Cameron Gray and Mystery Wife?
My chest burns. “Why is this a thing? It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours.”
He presses his lips together. “You can thank social media. News is now is immediate.”
What the hell is happening and why does it have to happen to me.
“What exactly is going on?” My voice shakes, but I push through. “Who was that on the phone? Why would anyone think we’re married?”
He exhales through his nose at his coffee maker, like this is a nuisance instead of the disaster it feels like. “That was my manager. He handles… situations like this.”
“That’s not an answer,” I press, twisting in my seat to face him. “Why is your life being picked apart like you’re a celebrity?”
His jaw ticks. “You don’t need to worry about it.”
I gape at him. “Not worry? I just found out the internet thinks I’m your wife. People were literally taking pictures of us in the store. How am I supposed to ‘not worry’ about that?”
He finally glances at me, brief but sharp. “I’ll handle it, Brie. That’s what Collins is for. Just… don’t get caught up in the noise.”
I shake my head, disbelieving. “What does that even mean?”
“Well, maybe if you weren’t holding my fucking hand and clinging onto my damn arm, people wouldn’t have thought that.”
I nod. “You’re right. You’re like way too old for me!”
He scowls at me, but I have a lot more up my sleeve.
Then a knock rattles the frames on the wall. My head jerks to the noise. For a moment, I think someone’s trying to break down the door. Before I can even breathe, Cameron’s phone rings from his pocket.
The door bursts open without waiting for permission. A man storms in, all polished shoes and tailored suit, moving like he’s on a mission. When he sees me, he doesn’t hesitate.
“Gray!” he barks, voice sharp enough to slice through the tension already choking the room.
I freeze, clutching the edge of the counter.
Cameron’s scowl deepens when he sees Collins. His whole body goes rigid, like a boxer bracing for the first punch. I can almost hear the storm building in him. He doesn’t say anything, but his glare is enough to make me want to hide.
Collins doesn’t bother with pleasantries. He drops his phone on the counter and points at Cameron. “Wrong place, wrong time, buddy. Tracking where this began means you had the chance of running into an off-duty paparazzi. But the headlines? The Cameron Gray is Married. This––”
The word makes my stomach turn. Married. To him? My throat feels like it’s shrinking, like I can’t get enough air.
Cameron growls low in his chest. “I’m not married to anyone. I’m not marrying anyone. Not now, not ever.”
I want to vanish. Crawl under the counter.
Run upstairs and bury myself under the covers.
But then Collins’ gaze flicks to me, sharp and assessing, and my stomach twists even harder.
I shouldn’t have touched him in that store.
I shouldn’t have stood so close or made that joke with the cute old lady. My fault. All of this is my fault.
“Well, that’s too bad,” he says so casually, making Cameron raise a brow.
“What the hell do you mean that’s too bad?” Cameron asks, unsure of where he’s headed.
“This is too convenient to waste,” Collins presses, leaning close to Cameron like he’s trying to force the words down his throat. Then he swivels toward me, his voice smooth, persuasive.
“Hello, Mrs. Cameron Gray.”
Cameron makes a gagging sound, telling Collins to stop with his hand motions at his neck.
“I’m not…” My voice cracks, almost too soft to hear. “…I’m not sure…”
“Ms. Sparks, think of your career. Exposure. Credibility. Everyone loves a clever, witty woman. You could be known for helping this hotshot.”
Helping this hotshot.
“Why? What’s wrong with him?” I ask, but the words stab deeper than I expect.
Cameron gives me a death glare, but I focus on Collins. Collins just looks at Cameron with a smirk.
My fingers curl tight around my wrist until I feel my own pulse hammering there. Cameron hasn’t moved, hasn’t looked away from Collins. His eyes are blazing with rage.
Collins speaks again. “Cam, it’s simple.
Since the world already thinks that the both of you are married, we should use that to our advantage.
Who knows. We can even spin the story to say that you were defending your wife and that’s why you beat up your teammate who said degrading things about her, trust me, people love a husband who defends his wife’s honor and it’s even more beautiful that you are famous. ”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Cameron rolls his eyes and walks to the kitchen, probably to get a cigarette or something.
Married. Pretending. Public appearances. My head spins. The thought of being tied to Cameron, even for a lie, makes my chest ache. And yet—opportunity. Maybe, I could trust him and who knows? I could get back at my overbearing boss and her plastic lapdog.
“One condition.” My voice trembles, but I force it out. “I play your wife only in front of cameras. Otherwise, I’m just me. No pretending in private. No… fake intimacy. That’s my line.”
Collins doesn’t even pause. “That’s all he needs.” He answers before Cameron can open his mouth.
My chest tightens, pulse racing. I ignore Cameron because he doesn’t like to speak much anyway.
“Good,” Collins says briskly, clapping his hands once like a deal’s already been signed. “We need to move fast. Photoshoot this afternoon. Public appearances start tomorrow. You two—married, happy, convincing.”
I pinch the inside of my arm, hard. It hurts, so this is real.
“Enough.” Cameron’s voice cuts sharp across the room.
He straightens, arms folded like steel across his chest. “I have had enough of you acting like God over my life, making decisions for me like I’m not fucking here.
You don’t get to storm into my house and dictate my life.
I pay you, Collins, and not the other way around. So, watch it.”
Collins smirks, unbothered. “Your life is the brand, Gray. Without me dictating, you’d have buried yourself years ago.”
“Without you dictating,” Cameron snaps, “I’d still have my sanity.”
Their voices bounce off the walls, ricocheting back and forth. I stand there frozen, eyes darting between them like I’m watching a match I didn’t buy a ticket for.
Collins leans forward, elbows on the counter, his voice low but cutting. “You think you can go it alone? You can’t. Every headline, every deal, every contract—you’re not here because of talent alone. You’re here because I built a machine around you.”
Cameron slams his palm flat on the counter, the sound making me flinch. “You built a cage. That’s what you did.”
My mouth hangs open. I can’t stop staring at them.
Without even glancing my way, Cameron mutters, “Close your mouth, Sparks, and excuse us.”
Heat floods my cheeks. I snap my jaw shut, embarrassed he even noticed. I take half a step back, desperate for an exit.
But Collins doesn’t let me go. He gestures sharply in my direction. “She stays. If you two are going to be married, she’d better get used to everything—arguments, deals, all of it. Living together means no secrets.”
“He’s moving in five days,” I mention, but none of them hear me.
Cameron’s head jerks toward him, eyes blazing. “This isn’t your decision.”
Collins smirks, leaning back in his chair like he’s already won. “It’s the only way this works. And deep down, you know it.”
I freeze in place, caught between them, wishing more than anything the floor would open up and swallow me whole. My eyes move back and forth between them.
Collins jabs a finger toward Cameron. “You think you can keep playing this sport without structure? Without someone pulling the strings where it matters? You don’t have a clue what goes on behind the scenes.
You just lace your skates and show up. I’m the reason doors are open for you at all.
After everything you’ve done to sabotage your chances of making it, do you have any idea just how hard I work to ensure that you’re still relevant? ”
Cameron’s jaw tightens, his fists curling at his sides.
“And at what cost, Collins? You don’t consult me, you don’t even ask what I want.
You just pull stunts, and I’m left cleaning up the mess.
You want me to fucking lie about being married?
Pull this random person I don’t even know,” Yes, he’s pointing at me, “And make her lie too?”
“She just agreed to it. She’s willing to help you.”
My mouth falls open, the words bouncing between them. I don’t even realize how obvious my gawking is until Cameron suddenly snaps, still glaring at Collins but speaking to me. “Brie, you do not have to stay here and listen to this, just leave and go do something else.”
Heat floods my cheeks, and I’m honestly considering leaving the room, but Collins shakes his head firmly, voice sharp.
“No. She stays. She needs to hear this. She’s going to be your wife and live this life, she better get used to the reality.
This isn’t just hockey—it’s power, deals, influence. She should know what you’re tied to.”
My stomach twists. The words feel heavy, too heavy for me to carry right now.
Cameron scoffs. “You think throwing that in her face will scare me into agreeing to this bullshit?” His voice is low, dangerous. “This is between you and me.”
“Wrong.” Collins folds his arms, planting himself like a boulder in the middle of the room.
“It’s between us all. You want to play the lone wolf, fine.
But you won’t survive in this world doing it your way.
Not now. Not ever. Go ask the other players without a manager, ask how they’re fairing.
I do not want to mention names, but you know damn well who I’m talking about. ”
Their voices climb higher, louder, overlapping until I can’t even make out half of what they’re saying. It’s just a storm of male ego and clashing wills, and I’m caught in the center of it, shrinking further and further into myself.
I bite down on my lip, shifting my weight, looking between them again. The tension makes the air thick, suffocating. My hands curl into fists at my sides. Do they even realize I’m still here? Do they even care that I’m listening to all of these.”
Finally, I can’t take it anymore. The sound, the arrogance, the sheer childishness of it all—it just does something to me.
“Okay, that’s enough!” I shout, my voice cracking through their argument like a whip.
Both of them freeze, their heads whipping toward me.
My chest heaves as I step forward, glaring at them both.
“For God’s sake, do you hear yourselves?
You’re yelling like boys in a playground fight. You’re supposed to be grown men!”
The silence that follows is deafening. Cameron’s brows lift slightly, surprise flickering across his face. Collins tilts his head, one brow arched, like he’s impressed but annoyed at the same time.
I take a breath, steadying myself. “If you two are going to hash this out, then do it like adults. Talk. Don’t shout, don’t throw your pride around like it’s some kind of weapon. Because right now, all I see are two egos clashing while I’m left standing here like furniture in the room.”
Cameron blinks at me, and for the first time tonight, his anger falters. Collins lets out a low chuckle under his breath, but there’s no humor in it—it’s sharp, almost mocking.
I cross my arms tightly, squaring my shoulders despite the way my heart hammers in my chest. “So either lower your voices and talk like civilized human beings, or I swear I’ll walk out that door and let you scream yourselves hoarse without me.”
The weight of my words lingers in the air. Both men are watching me now, their fight paused, their energy redirected. For once, I’m not just an observer. I’ve forced myself into the center of it.
And God help me, I don’t know what that means for what comes next.
“You walk out that door, and you’d know why you shouldn’t have even bothered to live with me in the first place.” Cameron says and walks back to his room.
Collins shakes his head, “don’t mind him, he’ll come around, let’s just let him stew for a while.”