Page 73 of Perfectly Faked

“You look like the monsters are getting to you again,” Leo says, studying me. He opens his arms like an invitation. “Maybe I can help?”

I hesitate, wanting nothing more than to fall into him and let him chase away my fears. But I don’t have time.

“Rain check?” I ask, leaning one knee on the bed to kiss his forehead. “I can’t right now.”

“Oh, but this is too important,” he says, a gleam in his eye as he grabs my waist and pulls me down onto his chest.

“Leo!” I squeal, laughing.

“You look worried,” he says, his arms wrapping around me firmly. “And I knowexactlyhow to fix that.”

His lips find mine, and for a moment, everything else dissolves like sugar under a hot flame. My shoulders relax as his hands stroke along my spine, the worries in my head floating away like a helium balloon. It’s tempting—so completely tempting—to forget the impending disaster before me and stay in Leo’s arms, avoiding reality. For a few precious seconds, I let myself sink into him, let him smooth away this new wrinkle in my day—right before reality wallops me on the head with the sharp ring of the doorbell.

“Oh my goodness, it’s her!” I roll off the bed so fast, I land on the floor with a loudthud.

Leo peeks over the edge of the bed, biting back a laugh. “That was a ten-out-of-ten bed roll. You okay?”

“Yeah, but I’m not even presentable yet,” I say, scrambling to my feet and trying to smooth my hair.

“How about I get the door while you finish getting ready?” he offers, moving to the stairs.

“No, Leo. She’ll make assumptions, and then...” I trail off, my stomach knotting as she rings the bell again.She can’t wait a few seconds?

Leo puts a hand on my face, rubbing my cheek. “Vic, I can handle your mom.”

“I know you can,” I say, pulling his hoodie tighter around me, like it’s a shield to protect me from Mom’s grenades. “But this ismysituation to handle.”

Before he can argue, I race down the stairs, glancing in each room along the way. Jaz and Sloan have already left for work, and from the looks of the missing bags in the foyer, so have the other hockey players. They must be at their morning workout—which Leo has clearly missed. Henevermisses a workout.

I yank open the door, and find my mother standing there, her narrowed eyes immediately grazing over my outfit.

I look down and cringe. I’m still wearing Leo’s hoodie, the Crushers’ logo impossible to miss.

Mom’s lips purse. “Victoria,” she says in that clipped tone of hers. “Did you just get up? Why aren’t you at the gym?” The way she says it isn’t a question; it’s an accusation. Like she knows I should’ve have gotten up two hours ago for a morning workout.

“Um, it was a late night,” I reply, trying to smooth out my hair. “I’ll change if we’re going someplace fancy, and then we can head out.”

I stand firmly in the doorway, hoping my body language screamsdon’t come in.

“May I?” she asks.

Before I can answer, she steps past me, sniffing out evidence like a crime dog. Does she suspect I’m not alone?

I stand there awkwardly as panic seizes my body. As long as Leo stays upstairs, maybe I can get her to leave.

I take in a sharp breath.This is fine. Totally fine!I’m an adult now. I don’t need my mother’s blessing. So why does her opinion matter so much to me? Maybe it’s because deep down, I still want her approval. After all this time, I still want her to be proud of me, to accept me no matter what.

“Jaz and Sloan are my good friends,” I explain quickly, playing with my fingers. “They offered me a place to stay while my apartment gets fixed.”

“It must have been quite the leak,” she says, her tone neutral but loaded. “Your neighbor said you’ve been gone weeks.”

“The carpet was ruined,” I explain. “And the landlord’s been dragging his feet on repairs.”

Even though I called a repairman first, my landlord said he “knew a guy” who could do it himself. Knowing his track record of letting things fester until they become twice as bad, he didn’t do anything until I threatened him with a few angry voicemails.

Mom’s lips press into a thin line. “You didn’t tell me how disgusting that place was. The whole complex smells like a pig farm. There was even someone yelling...inappropriatethings.”

I don’t explain that it was a bird—that would only make it worse.

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