The Blindfold Game That Ended Us Chapter 04

The Blindfold Game That Ended Us Chapter 04

Liam still hadn’t moved.

Over the years, I’d hinted plenty of times that I wanted to settle down. Two weeks ago, I told him my mom wanted to know his zodiac sign and birth time so she could run our compatibility. You know how moms are with that stuff.

He knew what that meant.

Something flickered across his face, there and gone. Something cold. But his expression smoothed out quickly. He almost looked relieved that I’d said two weeks instead of eight years.

“Congratulations,” Olivia said warmly. “So when’s the wedding?”

There was no dodging it this time.

“Next Saturday. I hope everyone can make it.”

Olivia’s smile grew. She rested her chin on her hand. “That’s wonderful. You know, I have to say, I always thought…”

Someone caught the implication and laughed. “Thought what?”

“That…” Olivia gave a small, deliberate smile, her eyes sliding across the table. “That you’d wait for someone to figure things out.”

A few people shifted uncomfortably.

“But this is good,” she added. “You finally moved on.”

“Liam,” someone called out, “she’s getting married. You gonna say something?”

Liam didn’t even lift his head. “Ancient history.”

I almost laughed.

Ancient history.

They had no idea he was the one who’d pursued me. But because we’d never gone public, everyone just assumed I was the one pining. That all that affection I showed him was one-sided.

And he could’ve said something, anything, to set the record straight. Instead, he let them believe I was just some girl who’d wasted her feelings on him.

“Okay, okay,” Ryan said, raising his glass. “Let’s toast to one less single in the world.”

Glasses clinked.

The next half hour went fine. I chatted with a few girls about work, listened to them complain about their husbands and kids, made a comment here and there about how tough it must be.

Olivia tried a couple of times to steer the conversation back to my “fiancé,” but I sidestepped it without much effort.

When people started heading out, voices overlapped as they gathered their things.

“Liam,” Olivia’s voice came from behind me, hesitant. “It’s pretty late. Could you… give me a ride? The hotel I’m staying at is kind of out of the way.”

I was bent over, reaching for my bag. I didn’t even pause.

Around me, the chorus went up:

“Ooh…”

“Obviously he’s taking you.”

“Liam, don’t blow it!”

I straightened up and walked past them.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Liam standing next to Olivia. He smiled. “Let’s go.”

No hesitation.

I pushed through the door. Cold air hit my neck, carrying the noise of the room far behind me.

The numbers above the elevator ticked down. I watched them hit “8” and thought about eight summers ago. He’d gotten into a fight at a basketball game, over Olivia leaving the country. I’d stepped in, taken a bottle for him without thinking.

In the emergency room, while they stitched me up, he’d held my hand and said over and over: “I’ll never mistake you again. This scar is my mark. I’ll know it for the rest of my life.”

Turns out “the rest of my life” was pretty short.

Short enough that a game ended and he walked away holding someone else’s hand.

The elevator doors opened. I stepped inside.

My phone buzzed. A message from Liam: 　　[You handled that well. But saying you’re getting married next Saturday is a bit much. We’ll figure out how to fix it when I get home.]

I laughed quietly, then closed the chat.

There was nothing to fix.

I was going to marry someone else.