STUCK WITH THE ICE HOCKEY SUPERSTAR

The air in the university’s student union smelled like burnt coffee and desperation, the kind that clung to midterms week. Lily Evans hunched over a wobbly table, her biology textbook open but ignored, as her best friend, Mia, paced in front of her like a caffeinated squirrel.

“You’re not listening, Lily!” Mia’s voice was a mix of panic and exasperation, her blonde ponytail swinging. “This is a crisis. A catastrophe.”

Lily pushed her glasses up her nose, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear. “I’m listening, Mia. You’re freaking out because your wedding planner quit. I get it. But why are you telling me? I can barely plan my own laundry.”

Mia stopped pacing and leaned across the table, her blue eyes wide. “Because you’re my best friend, and you’re going to save my life. You have to.”

Lily blinked. “Save your life? What, by finding you a new planner? I don’t even know where to start.”

“No, not a planner.” Mia’s voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. “I need you to be my stand-in bride.”

Lily froze, her pen slipping from her fingers and clattering onto the table. “Your what?”

“Okay, hear me out,” Mia said, sliding into the chair opposite her. “You know how I’m marrying Ryan in, like, two days? The wedding’s a total whirlwind because his hockey scholarship depends on it, and his family’s all traditional, and—”

“Mia, slow down.” Lily held up a hand. “Why do you need a stand-in bride? You’re the bride!”

Mia chewed her lip, looking guilty. “It’s complicated. Ryan’s coach is superstitious, right? He thinks players getting married during the season is bad luck. So, we’re doing this secret ceremony now, just immediate family, and telling everyone else it’s an engagement party. But Ryan’s cousin saw the guest list and blabbed to the team, and now Jaxon Wolfe—the Jaxon Wolfe, team captain, total pain in the butt—says he’s crashing the wedding to ‘keep an eye on things.’ He is loyal to the coach, so he is coming to the wedding to see if it's a real wedding or not.”

Lily’s stomach did a weird flip at Jaxon’s name. She’d seen him around campus, all broad shoulders and piercing blue eyes, strutting like he owned the ice and half the university. He was the kind of guy who made her want to hide behind her textbooks. “What does this have to do with me?”

Mia leaned closer, her voice barely above a whisper. “Jaxon can’t know it’s a real wedding. If he finds out, he’ll tell the coach, and Ryan’s screwed. So, I need you to pretend to be me. You know, wear the veil, stand at the altar, say the vows. It’s just for show! Ryan’s cousin will officiate, we’ll sign the papers later, and no one will know.”

Lily stared at her, mouth open. “You want me to pretend to marry your fiancé? In front of Jaxon Wolfe? Are you insane?”

“It’s not insane! It’s genius!” Mia grabbed Lily’s hands, squeezing them. “You’re shy, you’re sweet, you’re perfect. Jaxon won’t suspect a thing. He barely knows me, and he definitely doesn’t know you. It’s just for one weekend. Please, Lily. I’m begging you.”

Lily pulled her hands back, her cheeks flushing. “Mia, I can’t even talk to guys without tripping over my own tongue. How am I supposed to pull off a fake wedding? What if Jaxon figures it out?”

“He won’t,” Mia said firmly. “He’s too busy being Mr. Hockey Star. Just wear the dress, smile, and don’t faint. Easy.”

“Easy?” Lily’s voice rose, drawing a glance from a nearby table of freshmen. She lowered it. “This is a disaster waiting to happen. What if I say something stupid? Or trip down the aisle? Or—”

“Lily, you’re overthinking it.” Mia’s tone softened. “You’re the only one I trust. Please. I need you.”

Lily let out a shaky breath, pushing her chair back just a little as if putting physical space between her and the madness Mia had just laid on the table.

“This is insane,” she muttered, rubbing her temples. “Pretending to marry someone? Do you even hear yourself? I could get expelled. Or arrested. Or struck by lightning from sheer awkwardness.”

Mia clasped her hands together like she was praying. “No one’s getting arrested! And definitely not struck by lightning. It’s not illegal—it’s just... creatively bending the truth.”

“Mia.” Lily looked up at her, frowning. “You’re talking about me pretending to be you. On your wedding day. In a dress. With a veil. In front of your fiancé. Who I barely even know. And Jaxon Wolfe, who probably knows the rules of body checking better than he knows how to smile.”

“I know it’s a big ask,” Mia said quickly, her eyes pleading. “But you’re the only one I trust to pull it off. You’re calm under pressure. You’re good at staying invisible. That’s exactly what we need.”

“Wow. Thanks for the glowing praise.” Lily crossed her arms. “So I’m shy enough to fool everyone, but somehow brave enough to stand up and fake-vow myself into marriage in front of total strangers?”

“Exactly!” Mia beamed like it was a compliment. “You’re perfect.”

Lily groaned and dropped her head to the table with a soft thud. “I can’t believe you’re serious.”

“I’ll owe you forever,” Mia said softly, inching closer. “I mean it. Anything you ask. I’ll do your laundry for a month. I’ll buy you lunch every day for a semester. I’ll even delete that photo from freshman year where your face got sunburned only on one side.”

Lily lifted her head slowly, glaring. “You still have that?”

Mia didn’t answer, just gave her the most pitiful puppy eyes she could muster.

“Ugh.” Lily threw up her hands. “You’re impossible.”

“But I’m your best friend,” Mia said with a hopeful smile.

“And you’re lucky I’m too tired to run away.”

“So… is that a yes?” Mia asked, gripping the edge of the table like her life depended on it.

“No. It’s a maybe,” Lily said sharply. “A very reluctant, possibly regrettable, can’t-believe-I’m-even-considering-this kind of maybe.”

Mia squealed and lunged over the table to hug her, nearly knocking over Lily’s untouched coffee. “You’re the best human alive! I owe you everything! Seriously, I’ll never forget this.”

“You better not,” Lily grumbled, hugging her back weakly. “Because if I trip in those heels or say the wrong name or somehow faint during the vows, we’re both going down together.”

“I’ll catch you,” Mia promised. “Or Ryan will. Or, worst case, Jaxon will. He has good reflexes.”

Lily groaned again. “Don’t remind me.”

But deep down, past the panic and the million what-ifs, a strange curiosity curled in her chest. What did it even feel like to walk down an aisle—even if it was fake? To pretend, just for a moment, that she belonged in a world as glamorous and chaotic as Mia’s?

She glanced at her best friend, whose smile now stretched from ear to ear, and sighed.

“One weekend,” Lily said sternly. “One fake wedding. And after that, I go back to my awkward, quiet, coffee-scented life.”

“Deal!” Mia cried, throwing her arms up in victory.

Lily buried her face in her hands. “I’m going to regret this.”

---

Saturday morning arrived too fast. Lily stood in the tiny chapel dressing room, staring at herself in a full-length mirror. The white dress Mia had shoved her into was simple but elegant, with a fitted bodice and a flowing veil that made her feel like a fraud. Her dark hair was pinned up, and her glasses were swapped for contacts, which she was already regretting because her eyes kept watering.

“You look amazing,” Mia said, adjusting the veil. “Like, bridal-level amazing.”

“I look like a nervous wreck,” Lily countered, tugging at the dress. “What if someone asks me something bride-y? Like, ‘What’s your wedding song?’ I don’t even know Ryan’s favorite color!”

“It’s blue,” Mia said, grinning. “Relax. Just nod and smile. Ryan’s got your back. And Jaxon’s probably too busy glaring at everyone to notice anything off.”

Lily’s stomach knotted at the mention of Jaxon. “He’s really going to be there? Watching me?”

“Yup.” Mia’s grin faded slightly. “Just… don’t make eye contact. He’s intense.”

“Great. Perfect. No pressure.” Lily pressed a hand to her chest, willing her heart to stop racing.

A knock on the door made them both jump. Ryan poked his head in, his sandy hair mussed and his tie slightly crooked. “You ready, Lil? The officiant’s here, and, uh, Jaxon just showed up. He’s… in a mood.”

Lily’s eyes widened. “A mood? What kind of mood?”

“The usual,” Ryan said, shrugging. “Grumpy, suspicious, probably annoyed he’s not on the ice right now. Just stick to the plan, okay? You’re Mia, I’m me, and we’re totally in love.” He winked, but Lily caught the nervous edge in his voice.

“Totally in love,” she echoed weakly. “Right.”

Mia gave her a quick hug. “You’ve got this. I’ll be in the back, cheering you on. Well, silently. From behind a pillar.”

Lily shot her a glare. “You owe me big time.”

The chapel was small, with stained-glass windows casting colorful patterns across the wooden pews. A handful of Ryan’s family members sat on one side, whispering and smiling, oblivious to the deception. Lily’s knees wobbled as she stepped into the aisle, clutching a bouquet of lilies that Mia had thrust into her hands.

Ryan stood at the altar, looking surprisingly calm for someone committing fake-vow fraud. But it wasn’t Ryan who made her breath catch. It was Jaxon Wolfe, leaning against a pew in a dark suit that hugged his broad frame, his arms crossed and his blue eyes locked on her like she was a puzzle he was determined to solve.

Lily’s steps faltered. "Don’t make eye contact," Mia had said. But it was too late. Jaxon’s gaze was like a spotlight, and she was a deer in the middle of the rink.

“You’re late,” Jaxon said, his voice low and rough as he straightened, his eyes narrowing. “Bride’s supposed to be on time, right?”

Lily’s mouth went dry. “I—um—traffic?” she stammered, then cringed. Traffic? Really, Lily?

Jaxon’s lips twitched, like he was fighting a smirk. “Traffic. In a town with three stoplights.”

Ryan stepped forward, looping an arm around Lily’s waist. “She’s here now, Jaxon. Chill. It’s my day, not yours.”

Jaxon’s eyes flicked to Ryan, then back to Lily, lingering on the veil. “Yeah, well, something’s off. I can feel it.”

Lily’s heart pounded so loud she was sure everyone could hear it. “Nothing’s off,” she said, her voice higher than usual. “Just… wedding jitters.”

Jaxon raised an eyebrow, stepping closer. He was tall, way taller than she’d realized, and he smelled like cedar and something faintly minty. “Jitters, huh? You don’t strike me as the jittery type, Mia.”

Lily swallowed hard. He’d said Mia’s name like a challenge, like he knew she wasn’t who she claimed to be. Before she could respond, the officiant; Ryan’s cousin, a lanky guy with a nervous smile, cleared his throat.

“Uh, let’s get started, yeah?” he said, gesturing to the altar. “Places, everyone!”

Lily let Ryan guide her forward, her legs moving on autopilot. Jaxon stayed where he was, watching, his presence like a storm cloud over the sunny charade. As the officiant began droning about love and commitment, Lily risked a glance at Jaxon. He was still staring, his jaw tight, his eyes unreadable.

"This is fine," she told herself. "Just two days of pretending. No big deal."

But as Ryan took her hand and the officiant asked, “Do you, Mia, take this man…,” Lily couldn’t shake the feeling that Jaxon was about to blow her carefully constructed lie wide open.

And then, just as she opened her mouth to say “I do,” the chapel door burst open, and a man in a suit stormed in, holding up a piece of paper.

“Stop!” he shouted. “There’s been a mistake!”

Lily’s heart stopped. Jaxon’s smirk finally broke free.

This was not part of the plan.