Fake Dating Alpha Hockey Captain Chapter 97

First semester, I jump right in by taking Drama 101 and signing up for Drama Club. I’m so excited to fall back on what I love doing. This is my moment to live my dream before my life’s unusual obligations tie me down.

Drama club is in the evenings, and I start by working on costumes for the crew. This gives me an in that makes me feel comfortable, so I can ease my way back into acting, which is my ultimate goal.

I also start phasing out my stutter in front of Hailey, and don’t use it in any of my classes. College is a clean slate for me, and with my newfound confidence and my ability to keep from standing out in the wrong ways, I find new momentum.

It isn’t long before I land a small role in one of the Drama Club productions. Requiem at a Summer Cottage is a murder mystery and I play one of the supporting characters. Think Clue set in a beach house. It’s a fun adaptation and allows me to get my feet wet with something a little less intense than, say, a Midsummer Night’s Dream.

I play a teenage victim of divorce who harbors resentment toward her stepmother, to whom the house belongs. It’s a lot of tit-for-tat with humor mixed in. There are four children total, and I have the fewest lines, which is perfect for my first go-round.

I Facetime Alex from backstage during a stage rehearsal.

“Look at you,” he says, his genuine smile warming my heart and causing me to miss him. I do miss him so bad…

I pretend to mess with my hair, which has gotten longer and fuller since my inner wolf was released. “Do I look sixteen and filled with angst?”

“If that means you look stunning, then yes.”

“When does the show start?”

“Next weekend. I wish you could be here,” I say, my tone betraying my regret.

“Me too, honey, but things are busy here.”

“How’s Michael?”

“Hanging in there. Rita helps a lot, but he has some rough days, ya know?”

I nod. I wish I were able to be there for him, but I can’t jump right into a life that I don’t know. Alex understands, and he would never ask me to do something I’m not comfortable with. Just another reason to love him.

We say our goodbyes and I promise to call him later. We talk every day and text multiple times a day, so we don’t miss anything.

I plan on visiting during my fall break. Mom thinks I have a trip for drama, so she’s not expecting me. I hate lying to her, but it really is for her own good.

The following week leading up to our opening night is stressful. The play only runs for two weekends, but everything has to be perfect for the first show. I scramble to make last-minute changes to costumes and learn a few lines that just don’t seem to be sticking.

Which is what makes opening night more stressful when Alex and Mom both show up with flowers. Talk about feeling loved…and feeling the pressure to perform!

Alex plants a big kiss on me and Hailey, who plays another one of the teens, ooh’s and ah’s over us. So does Mom, and I’m starting to wonder which one of us she likes more.

Alex and Mom sit with Lenard through the show. I peek out from the back curtain to find their seats, so I know not to look there. I can’t risk catching one of them smile at me and throwing me off. Tonight has to be perfect because I’ve worked so hard, and I want them to see that.

The show goes off without a hitch. We all go out to eat afterward and they praise both me and Hailey for our upstanding performances. It feels like the kind of night I want to lock away in memory forever.

Alex stays the night in my dorm. Of course, he’s not allowed, but some rules are made to be broken. Besides, I missed his touch and it’s so comforting to sleep with his arms wrapped around me. Besides, it’s not like we can do anything with girls sleeping on either side of us.

Which is the point. As time goes on, it becomes more difficult for us to restrain our natural desires. I imagine this is how any relationship feels when the partners abstain from relations, but I know it is totally going to be worth it.

Not that we’re saints. By the time I’m a junior in college, we’ve done about everything but…you know. Our motivator for behaving? Simple: Having a kid would ruin what we’ve worked so hard for. It’s just not time and not a risk we’re willing to take.

Sure, we have moments of weakness. Who doesn’t in a long-term relationship? Especially when you don’t get to see each other every day. I mean, the electricity between us has never faltered. If anything, it is growing more and more intense. So I know when we finally release it the feeling will be other-worldly.

Right before finals my freshman year, I receive the dreaded call. “It’s Michael,” Alex says. His breathing is loud, erratic. “He passed away last night.”

Of course, there’s nothing I can do over the phone. I borrow Hailey’s car and leave that very night.

When I get there, it is after dark and Alex is at Michael’s house, sitting in the kitchen with Rita. When I walk in, it’s quiet. They’re not talking or doing anything aside from staring at the table.

They look up at me and I see their sorrow. I run over to Alex and wrap my arms around him, absorbing his sobs of mourning as I cry into his shoulder.

I hear Rita sniffle, and I let go long enough to cross the table and give her a hug. “I’m so sorry!” I whisper into her ear. “I’m so sorry…”

That night is when Alex and I take our physical relationship to another level. I wanted to make him feel better, if only for a little while.

When we get back to his house, I follow him into his room and lock the door behind us. I don’t care if his parents are home, I want to let my man know how much I love him.

Alex sits on the end of the bed, defeated and drained. This is when my plan forms.

I’m not a vixen by any means, but I chalk my actions up to my inner wolf wanting to bring relief to her Alpha. As I walk toward Alex, I slip my shirt off, exposing my bra. He stares at it like he’s never seen it before…probably because he hasn’t.

When I stop in front of him, I release the clasp in the back and let my bra fall to the floor. I can hear Alex’s breath catch, and a wildness sweeps over his eyes.

He nuzzles his face into my chest, which is rather small and unappealing as far as I’m concerned, before lying back and pulling me on top of him.

Leaning down, he takes one breast in his mouth, then the other. He is gentle, and it’s erotic. My body heats up and I can’t help but rub my hips against his. If this feels so good, I can’t imagine what our union is going to be like!