Page 107 of Break Point
He lifts a hand and waves, his eyes narrowing with the kind of smile that’s actually real.
I wave back with a dumb smile on my face, feeling half-paralyzed, half-sad, and a full hundred percent clueless about what to do next.
He leans in to whisper something to the girl beside him and starts walking my way.
Fuck.
My grip tightens around Gemma’s hand as my heartflutters in my chest. It’s been so long since I last saw or talked to him. My body reacts to the familiarity of his presence, but I know better than to fall for it.Just chemicals, I remind myself. That’s all it is. My body hasn’t caught up to the fact that my heart moved on.
“Hi,” he says, stopping a safe distance away. But not far enough to keep his cologne from hitting me in the face. Close enough that I can see how his thick lashes frame those light honey eyes.
“Hey, Gemma.” Liam glances at our hands and laughs, maybe at the way I’m crushing her fingers.
I let go.
“Hey,” I reply with a tight smile, readjusting my purse strap on my shoulder.
“I just wanted to say happy birthday.”
Liam gives me a quick once-over, like he’s taking in the version of me that’s standing here now. His expression softens as he glances away.
“So, when’s your next match?”
“Thank you. It’s tomorrow. Eleven a.m.”
Our conversation is clipped. To the point. I’m glad to see him, but I don’t know if this is what I need right now. It’s best to keep it short. Besides, someone is clearly waiting for him to go back.
My stupid curiosity gets the best of me, so I glance at the gorgeous brunette, and surprisingly, she’s not looking this way. She’s laughing, fully wrapped up in the moment with Liam’s friends.Herfriends, from the looks of it. She seems so confident. Happy.
“New girl?” Gemma asks with a smirk.
I am going to kill her in her sleep.
Liam clicks his tongue and smiles at her, shaking his head. He knows Gemma. Knows how she is. I doubt he’s surprised by her candor.
“Her name’s Nina,” he says. “She’s one of Billie’s best friends.”
So Billie set them up, huh.
“She seems nice,” I blurt out. “You look … happy.”
“We are.” His lips press into a smile. Evidently, he’s not enjoying this part of the conversation, but there’s no way around the awkwardness.
I can’t lie and say it doesn’t hurt to see him with someone else, but I know I couldn’t give him what he needed. What he deserved. My mind was always elsewhere, and when Henry came back, it only got worse. Butthe fact that he’s standing here, congratulating me on my birthday, showing me grace, only reminds me of how much I don’t deserve him. Of how much I suck.
I know I hurt him.
“Liam,” I say, barely above a whisper but looking straight into his eyes. “I’m so sorry. About everything.”
“Hey, it’s okay,” he says. “We’re good. It’s all good.” He gives me a small smile. “Good luck tomorrow.”
“Thanks,” I say, swallowing the growing lump in my throat.
“Take care of that racket of yours. Still can’t believe they took you back after you tried to murder it on live TV.” He chuckles, stepping back. “Turns out smashing stuffdoessell. Who knew?”
“Oh, shut up,” I say with a laugh.
He pretends to zip his mouth shut.
