Page 82 of Perfect Score
She was a consolation prize since he wasn’t good enough for the NHL?
I knew that this was never really about Zoey. I couldn’t prove it, but I fucking knew it. And in the end, the person who paid the biggest price for his jealousy is Zoey.
“Fuck you. You have a fucking fiancée… not that having a fiancée seems to mean jack shit to you,” I say.
“I broke it off, and she left this morning,” he says quickly, his hands clamping down on his hips.
He dumped the fiancée to get Zoey back.
She’s going to see through this, right?
But isn’t this what she wanted? She wanted Liam to see what he lost, and with me as the man playing the part, it worked better than even I thought it would. I wasn’t expecting him to dump Shelby at the wedding.
I thought he’d try to keep them both, cheating on one with the other for as long as he could keep it up.
“Stay the fuck away from her, Liam… I’m not fucking playing with you this time,” I say, taking a step closer, my chest brushing up against his as I get in his face.
“It’s not your goddamn decision. Leave Zoey alone and go fuck some puck bunny,” he says, pushing his chest back against mine.
I step in, bringing my fist up, about ready to knock out every last tooth in his fucking mouth, when a woman's voice stops me.
“Guys! Guys!” Christine says, running down the hall toward us.
She rushes in, trying to insert herself between us, with no luck.
“What are you two doing?!” she asks, her eyes flared at us both. “David told me to come find you. The wedding is starting. You’re going to be late!”
Her statement deflates us both a little, and we remember why we’re here.
David and Phoebe.
Liam and I glare at each other for a beat but know that we’ll have to table this conversation until after the wedding. David and Phoebe don’t deserve this shitstorm on their wedding day, and I won’t be a part of it. After that, though? All bets are off, and I will do anything I have to in order to keep Zoey.
Christine pulls at Liam’s arm to start moving in front of her, and he does as she asks. She grabs my wrist and then pulls me behind her, and we form a human chain, walking down the corridor as Phoebe’s cousin marches us down to the wedding hall.
We take the corridor down a little farther until we get to the waiting area outside of the double doors of the wedding hall.
David’s eyes flare at us the second he sees the look of murder on both of our faces.
“Pull it the fuck together. If you ruin Phoebe's wedding, I’ll end you both,” he threatens.
But he doesn’t have to. I can put on a fake smile for the cameras. I do every after-game media interview, and I like to think I do a pretty damn good job.
Christine gets into line behind David as they wait for the music to start and the doors to open.
David turns his neck to Liam and gives him a narrowed warning look.
I get in line with Sarah, and the silence drags on in our row behind the wedding hall’s doors. I stare back at Liam's blond head and wish I could get away with sucker-punching him right about now, but I keep my hands busy in my pockets.
The music starts inside the room, and the double doors open.
It’s showtime.
David straightens his spine, and although I can’t see his face, the skip in his step says he’s smiling as he makes it down the aisle.
Next is Liam and Christine.
I can see camera flashes coming from the other side of the door. I know there can only be one person behind that lens, and my feet inch to step closer to the edge of the doorway to see her tucked on the other side while she takes pictures of the wedding party.