The Blindfold Game That Ended Us Chapter 12

The Blindfold Game That Ended Us Chapter 12

Out of nowhere, two security guards appeared, one on each side, taking hold of

Liam’s arms.

“Let go of me!” Liam struggled, his eyes locked on me. “Emma! Eight years! Eight years, and this is how you leave?”

“You can’t marry him. I won’t let you.”

I didn’t look back.

I turned away so smoothly it was like I’d finally put down something I’d been carrying for a very long time.

The car door closed.

Liam stopped fighting. He stood there, held by the guards, watching the black sedan pull out of the lot.

The taillights shrank. Smaller. Smaller. Gone.

Tears hit the pavement, breaking the silence of eight years of hiding.

How had he hidden someone so well that he’d lost me?

Inside the car, I leaned back against the seat and watched the streetlights pass.

“So.” Nathan’s voice was gentle. “For the past two years, I’ve actually been asking around to see if you were available.”

A pause. His eyes flicked to the rearview mirror. “I really thought you were single. I

didn’t know about…”

He let the sentence hang.

“You married me just because we’re compatible?”

I turned to look at him.

Light from the windows slid across his face in segments, catching the earnest look

in his eyes.

I smiled. “Compatibility’s important, don’t you think?” I paused. “As for the rest…”

I tilted my head slightly.

“That’s up to you to prove.”

Nathan blinked, then smiled too.

“Okay.”

The car merged onto the highway, heading home.

I turned toward the window.

The night was dark. A few scattered lights glowed in the distance.

I thought about the summer eight years ago. The emergency room. The stitches. His hand around mine, his voice saying he’d never mistake me again. Never. For the rest of

his life.

I looked down at the back of her hand.

The scar was still there. Still visible.

But it hadn’t itched in a very long time.

The Flavor Fusion Game!

I was one of them.

“Come on, that game was just to get you singles thinking about each other. No need

to take it seriously!” Ryan Mitchell said, trying to smooth things over.

A few people laughed half-heartedly.

But one of the couples that formed was the pair everyone had rooted for back in the

day. So those laughs carried a certain charged satisfaction, like a long-awaited payoff.

“Hey now, for some people, that might’ve been the perfect chance to finally make

up for old regrets. You can’t just wave it off.”

Ryan laughed and waved his hand. “Alright, alright, take it seriously then. But you

have to down that drink. Don’t want anyone getting worked up over nothing.”

“Come on, eat up! Stop just drinking.”

He started spinning the lazy Susan.

Someone chimed in, “Ryan’s looking out for us single folks. Doesn’t want us to starve while we’re getting our hearts broken.”

More laughter.

The table was loud with it.

I took a bite of cold appetizer and chewed slowly.

Too much vinegar. It was sour enough to make my tongue prickle. It helped, though, kept whatever was rising in my throat from actually coming out.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Liam lean back in his seat. His gaze swept the room and paused for a second.

I knew he was looking at me.

I didn’t lift my head. Just took a sip of tea and waited until I felt his attention shift before setting the cup down quietly.

“Hey, speaking of which,” Ryan said, turning to me with a warm, eager smile.