Page 24 of With the Assist

Heat crawls into my cheeks. Damn it.

“He came to the field and asked me to do more training sessions with him.” I try to sound indifferent, like my pulse wasn’t sprinting when it happened.

Avery snorts. “More like, he wanted to see all the different ways you can make him sweat.”

“Don’t start.” I shift, leaning my back against the couch and straightening my legs out in front of me. “Anyways, now she expects me to bring said boyfriend to the team party.”

“In January?” Avery brushes at the chip crumbs she’s dropping onto the couch.

“That’s the one.” I pat my hands against my thighs.

Harper sets the wine bottle down and pinches the bridge of her nose. “Wes, sweetheart, you could’ve said you go to trivia night, or take pottery, or volunteer at a shelter. Something normal. But a fake boyfriend? And a famous one? That’s… bold.”

Avery smirks. “Honestly? I love it. Finally, you’re using that brain for chaos instead of memorizing film.”

I groan, pulling my hair out of its sweaty ponytail and redoing it. My usual anxious tick. “You weren’t there. She looked so disappointed. She was already demoting me in her mind.”

“And instead of accepting constructive leadership feedback,” Avery says, swinging her legs off the couch and sitting forward, “you conjured a romance.”

I glare at her. “Shut up.”

Harper hands me a sparkling water, her eyes warm with concern. “Coach Bennett cares about you. She’s not trying to ruin your life.She’s worried you train too hard and isolate yourself. She wants more for you.”

“I know.”

“But also,” Avery interrupts, “I’m thrilled you lied.”

“You would be.”

“You’re always the responsible one, the structured one, the girl who eats protein bars for dessert and schedules her emotional breakdowns.”

“I don’t…”

Avery lifts a brow.

“Fine. Once. But it was during finals.”

She grins victoriously. “See? Iconic.”

Harper rests a gentle hand on my arm. “What now? Tell her you broke up before the party?”

“I’m pretty sure she already thinks I lied. If I show up without him, it’ll confirm it.”

“So take him,” Avery says simply, as though recruiting a famous athlete to go on a fake date with me is as casual as adding almond milk to coffee.

I laugh, a borderline hysterical sound. “Yeah, I’ll take the famous hockey player who has no idea I’ve lied and said he’s my boyfriend. I look like a fan girl.”

Avery shrugs. “Some guys are into that.”

Harper swats her. “You’re going to have to tell him if you want his help.”

“I don’t want his help.”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t sound like you have a lot of options.”

She’s right. I don’t. If I show up without my very fake boyfriend on my arm, then I’ll look like a liar. Which I am, but Coach can’t know that. The only choice is getting Nathan to agree to helping me out.

Avery interrupts my train of thought. “You could use the distraction. A short-term, no-strings type of distraction.”