Chapter 22
Twenty-Two
REESE
I feel like a fraud.
I’m sitting in the first row, right next to the bench, cheering on my pretend fiancé with a ring on my finger that doesn’t belong.
The only thing that isn’t fake about this entire evening is that I’m surprisingly absorbed in what’s happening on the other side of the ice.
I won’t admit that I’m actually impressed, but wow. Daisy wasn’t kidding when she said the games are fast and exhilarating.
Kind of like this whole engagement with Malaki.
With Daisy being too busy to sit with me, I’m just waiting for the gleam of my ring to catch her eye before I fill her in–or maybe I’ll get lucky, and she’ll never notice, and I won’t have to explain myself.
She thinks I’ve finally just decided to take her advice and come to one of the games, which couldn’t be further from the truth.
The whistle blows, and I’m back to cheering the Blue Devils on.
They’re aggressive, and fast.
Especially Malaki.
It’s hard not to gravitate toward him, and that has nothing to do with our growing friendship?
Are we friends?
Fake lovers?
I freeze at the thought. We are not fake lovers.
We’re friends.
Friends who act engaged. Totally normal, right?
Emory, the goalie, blocks a shot, and the team takes a quick break. The majority of them skate over to the bench, Malaki included.
He finds me staring, but his grin is fleeting. He gulps down some water, then he’s off again. Back and forth, skates cut against the ice, players shout random words, and at one point, a broken stick flies through the air.
It’s thrilling. The game. The strength and endurance that these men possess.
I cheer for Malaki–a guy I hardly knew a week ago–like I’ve known him for ages.
A squeaky yelp rushes from my lungs with the loud thump against the glass. I jerk backward, and my hand presses to my heart. Two players fight over a puck in front of me, and my jaw drops. Everyone around me jumps to their feet, some of them banging on the glass.
Another blur of blue appears, and my breath catches.
Malaki uses his elbow and forcefully breaks apart the collision then turns toward me for the quickest second of my life. He smirks, and suddenly, I’m sweating.
It takes me a second to snap out of it, but I swear my cheeks still remain warm by the end of the game.
The men celebrate with each other until they skate off the ice, only for Daisy, in her devil costume, to bring a few back onto it for Play of the Game.
I stay seated while other fans take off up the stairs, several of them likely calling Ubers.
I can’t say I’m sad not to be on the clock anymore.
Malaki’s name is called, and I’m suddenly on my feet, clapping. I’m not sure who I am when I cup my hands around my mouth and yell out like a crazed fan.
With a smile still on my face, I lower myself to sit but quickly stand straight up when I see who has taken the empty seat next to mine.
“So you’re a hockey fan now?”
I’m instantly on edge. A blistering heat sweeps over my skin. “What are you doing here?”
Benedict chuckles with malice. His hand lands on my arm, and he tugs me to sit next to him. He looks back through the glass and relaxes in his seat.
“Just wanted to watch a hockey game,” he answers cooly, running his hands down his slacks.
I’d bet my life that he came directly from work and bought a ticket from some random person on the street just to see if I was here.
Goosebumps fly to my skin at the thought of him watching me this entire time. He’s probably been waiting for the game to be over just so he could corner me.
“Since when do you watch hockey?” I ask, a bite to my tone.
“Since when are you engaged?” he retorts.
My teeth grind.
Benedict is intimidating.
He comes from wealth and is used to getting everything he wants.
He likes to be in control, and thrives on it.
It’s obvious he knows his control is slipping when it comes to me, considering he’s beginning to act even more irrational than before.
I want to smack him or take my sister’s baseball bat to his prized possession, but I can’t.
There is too much at stake, and he knows it.
Benedict looks at me with his eyebrows raised.
He’s waiting for my answer, but I keep my mouth shut.
As more seconds pass, his expression quickly shifts to something I can’t name.
His smooth chuckle is like fingernails on a chalkboard to my ears.
“Does your little best friend over there in the hot devil costume know the answer? Maybe I should ask her how long you’ve been in a relationship with one of the players. ”
I pray he can’t see the panic on my face.
Shit. He’s been keeping tabs on me far longer than I thought if he knows that I’m friends with Daisy.
I grip the armrests of my seat. “Stop following me around.”
I push up from my seat, climb the concrete steps two at a time, and disappear through the arena in hopes that he won’t follow me.
He does, though. His voice hits the back of my head. “Well, when you avoid my calls, you leave me no choice.”
I spin around so quickly my hair falls into my face. “If by avoiding your calls you mean I promptly hang up when you bring up something other than seeing your daughter, then sure, I avoid your calls.”
I roll my eyes, pent up with irritation, and turn away.
Only, he grabs me by the arm to stop me.
I stiffen. “Let go of me.”
His fingers uncurl around my bicep at the sound of my demand.
I’m confused as I take a step away.
“Hey, baby.” Malaki’s arm curves around my waist, and he tucks me next to him.
Ah, so that’s why it was easy.
I tilt my chin and try my best to thank him silently.
His mouth tilts on one side, and his hand around my waist squeezes.
It’s the quickest warning of my life. He places his lips on mine, and I go from tense to relieved in the same breath.
It’s like all the tension in the air breaks apart, and I’m safe.
I reach up on my tiptoes to deepen our kiss. Malaki’s tongue slips inside for a brief second, and it makes me forget all about Benedict standing a few feet away.
Malaki eventually breaks our kiss, and his eyes bouncing back and forth between mine.
He’s so good at playing the part of my fiancé in front of Benedict that I’m almost fooled.
“Did you enjoy the game?” he asks, ignoring Benedict completely.
I gulp and lick his kiss from my lips. “Mm-hmm,” I squeak.
“Hello?” Benedict snaps. “We were in a conversation.”
Malaki cranes his neck toward Benedict. “It sounded one-sided. I thought you may be talking to yourself.”
I slap a hand over my mouth when a laugh accidentally slips out.
Benedict blinks. He’s clearly baffled.
“Well, I need to talk to the mother of my child alone,” Benedict growls.
Malaki shakes his head. “Not happening.”
“This doesn’t concern you,” he argues.
Malaki clicks his tongue. “The second you put your hand on my fiancée, it concerned me.” His airy attitude switches like a blink. “Don’t do it again.”
When Benedict doesn’t say anything, likely too appalled that someone had the nerve to speak down to him, Malaki goes back to ignoring him.
“Are you ready to go home, babe?”
I nod. My lips sealed.
He takes my hand in his. “Excuse us.”
Benedict makes no move to scoot over. His jaw flickers, his chest puffing with a sharp inhale.
Malaki’s hand tightens in mine, his body heat climbing the longer we stand here.
The last thing I need is for my fake fiancé to assault Charleigh’s dad, whether he deserves it or not. In fact, that’s probably what he wants–a reason to get the police involved.
“Benedict,” I say his name with conviction. “If you want to speak to me about Charleigh, then I am all ears. But other than that, we have no reason to talk. I would really appreciate it if you didn’t show up at my fiancé’s place of employment again.”
His eyes narrow, and I know I’ve struck a chord.
It’s very similar to what he said to me when I showed up at his office to inform him that I was pregnant with his child. He denied it, threatened to call security, and told me to never come to his place of employment again.
I haven’t been back since.
Eventually, he moves out of our way. He gives us such a small passageway that Malaki’s pads brush against his shirt. He towers over Benedict, and I hope it makes Benedict feel even a fraction of intimidation.
As soon as Malaki and I are let through a door by security, I release his hand and bend at the knees.
Malaki gently pulls on my arms so I’m looking at him. “Oh now, come on.” His thumbs rub soft circles against my shirt. “I thought that went well.” His gaze drops to my mouth, and I tingle in spots I shouldn’t be.
“I thought you were going to hit him,” I admit.
His lips flatten. “You don’t give me enough credit, Dimples. If anything, I was going to kiss you in front of him again.”
“You were?”
His lip hitches into a sly grin. “I’ll take any excuse I can to kiss you.”
My thoughts fizzle. Do not smile.
A second passes, and then another, and damnnit!
I smile because, after all, I am just a girl.
He shakes his sweaty hair out and chuckles. “Those dimples kill me.”
I roll my eyes playfully but still move to cross my arms, because even though Malaki is putting me at ease, I’m still cagey over Benedict.
“Here.” Malaki digs into the pocket of his uniform, and something crinkles. “Open your mouth.”
I hesitate, but he sends me a look that has my lips parting. He grips my chin lightly, and the tangy taste of an orange Skittle plops onto my tongue.
“Better?” he asks, helping push my jaw closed with his thumb.
Oh my god.
He’s completely ruining every man for me after this fake engagement is over.
Which is simply unacceptable.
I shrug and lick my lips. “Would’ve been better if it were a red Skittle.”
Malaki laughs. “My bad.” He tugs me down the hall toward the locker room. “I ate them all during my game.”