29. Margo
Chapter 29
Margo
I had finally told the whole group about my engagement with Ben. No surprise that Liam wasn’t very fond of the news, we ended up bickering like how we used to.
Also, not to my surprise, Adrianna and Grayson had announced their debut as a couple. A real couple now, they never looked so happy.
She was excited to attend his game, and this time I’m quite sure that she would actually come and make it.
I, however, have no choice but to go because of my jail sentence. I don’t really know why I’m even overreacting when I actually kind of enjoy it.
I never really realized how much I enjoyed it. A place where I can just be by myself. I never appreciated it until now, especially since Ben and his family are now spending a bit more time at our house because of the wedding preparations.
“You ready for tonight?” Ronni yawned while she sat, with her phone close to her face, with a wide smile.
“I mean, I surely wouldn’t want anyone to get injured.” I said with a simple expression.
Ronni had been spending time smiling and giggling at her phone for quite some time. She has recently gotten into a relationship with a barista that worked the Hawthorne Coffee shop. Ronni’s new girlfriend was everything that you would want a partner to be.
They are everything, the communication is excellent, they want nothing more but to be in each other’s presence. I mean that’s what all couples should be right?
I find myself comparing my relationship with Ben with other people’s which of course isn’t right. But I can’t help it. I feel like we were doing everything right and yet… I don’t gravitate towards him.
Isn’t your boyfriend supposed to be your best friend?
I mean fiancé.
I don’t get giddy when he does something romantic, I don’t look for him in a crowded room. I don’t admire his eyes even though they are a dashing color. I don’t feel anything but an ache in my heart.
Ever since that night I hadn’t been able to look at Ben the same, I had bruises on my waist and my wrists were covered with hues of purple and pink. I couldn’t help but feel so embarrassed. Everything hurt.
But telling anyone would be a bad idea, he would be charged, and his parents would back out of the engagement. My family needs this opportunity.
And I would do anything and everything to not disappoint my family, especially after I picked Liam before, and it was a huge mistake. I would never want to put a wedge between my father and I ever again.
Even if I’m in pain.
A girl walks into the trainer’s office. Ronni looks at me with yet another smile, “You got that Hamilton.” She stood up and left from the back door.
I twirl around to grab a first aid kit before I walked over to the girl who had tears in her eyes.
“Hey sweetie, are you––” I start my sentence.
“––No, I am most certainly not okay.” She snarls at me as I take a step back.
“Well then what can I do for you.” I smile.
She lifts her leg up, a giant opened scab presented itself to my eyes. I couldn’t help but gag internally. It was bloody, dirty, and I just knew that, when I would disinfect it, she would be screaming at me.
“Okay take a seat on that.” I point at the high trainer’s bed.
By the time I turn back around, she hopped on it, in no time.
As I pull out the necessary items, I would need to clean up her wound, the door opens and of course to my luck, Liam walks right in the door with another kid.
I completely ignore him, after all, we said goodbye. I wasn’t really sure how to be friends with him. I mean we were never really friends in the first place.
“Okay, what’s your name?” I ask the girl as she still blubbers with tears.
“Alexa.” She speaks.
“That’s a very pretty name, how did you hurt yourself darling?” I continue with the brilliant questionnaires so that it would take her mind away from the fact that I was about to put rubbing alcohol on the scab.
“Well, I figure skate.” She starts off as I could hear Liam and the young boy behind me, taking a seat in the waiting area.
“I was trying to impress this boy I like; his name is Eric by the way. And I was doing beautiful moves I’ve been working on all year, but I don’t think he really cared.” She continued with a frown on her face.
“Is Eric perchance a hockey player?” I ask as she nods her head.
“Hockey players are usually not thinking of much else other than being on the ice.” I suggest as she stays silent.
I didn’t really know if giving love life advice was a part of the job description, even if my love life is nowhere perfect. I would like to think that I had a few words of wisdom to share.
“Alexa, you shouldn’t care about boys just yet, let alone making sure they see you.” I pat down her scab with a wet cloth.
“Trust me when I say, the right boy will always seek you out in a crowded room. You don’t have to beg for his attention or beg for him to pick you out of the millions of other girls.”
I couldn’t help but hear the two boys behind me laugh.
I turn around, “Is anything funny?” I ask as the little boy next to Liam stands up.
“Nothing.” Liam quickly mutters.
“No, if you have anything to say, say it.” Alexa points at both of the boys.
“I just think you are a bit overreacting, Lexi.” The boy says at Alexa.
“You two know each other?” Liam asks, as I was about to ask the same question.
“Chase. He’s Eric’s best friend and he was the one who hit me with a puck.” Alexa answers.
There was a slight pause, Liam and I made direct eye contact.
“How am I overreacting?” She continues.
“Eric doesn’t really give two craps about you, and your figure skating. I can vouch and say that no guy on the team cares whether you fall or not.” He says in a rude tone.
“You don’t know that.” Alexa comments while folding both of her arms in front of her.
“I do.” Chase scowls.
I smile for a second, seeing how annoyed the two kids are at each other, bickering. It kind of reminds me of an old married couple.
“Eric might just not tell you anything.” Alexa defends herself once more.
Chase gets irritated, “He doesn’t care whether you wear your white skates or your pink ones Lexi. He doesn’t care whether you put your hair up in a bun, or if you do your stupid Dutch braids.” He turns red with each word that comes out of his mouth.
“I was finally talking to him, before your stupid puck hit me!” Alexa starts to scream a bit louder.
“It wasn’t my fault! You guys could’ve found a different place to talk.” Chase gives a huge sneer, “Accidents happen all the time around the ice rink.”
Liam and I smile at each other, knowing the situation now.
Chase likes Alexa. But Alexa doesn’t have a clue, and she likes his best friend.
This is a big problem.
“Why don’t you just apologize, Chase.” Liam slowly approaches him.
“No way! It’s not my fault she was having a conversation in the middle of the ice rink.” He grumbles as Alexa glares.
I finish up, putting a huge band aid on Alexa’s knee.
“You should just apologize anyways.” I turn around to Chase.
“I didn’t come here for a lesson; I came for an ice pack.” He says with an attitude, walking over to the freezer and pulling out a bag of ice.
Alexa thanks me, then gets down from the chair. She walks in front of Chase with a small smile.
I had no idea where on earth this was going, I can’t lie and say I wasn’t interested.
“You don’t have to say sorry to me Chase, just know that karma will get you!” She blows him a kiss before walking out of the office door.
Chase looks at both Liam and I, looking absolutely gob smacked.
“She’s cute, isn’t she?” He places a huge smile on his face before exiting through the door as well.
“I can’t believe that just happened.” I turned around to Liam who was also laughing.
“I can understand why you like working here so much.” He remarks, while taking a seat where Alexa previously sat.
I grin, walking over in between his legs.
“What can I help you with today, Charming?” I look at him while tilting my head.
“Careful, you should word that differently.” He winks at me; I couldn’t help but roll my eyes.
“You’re just a natural flirt, aren’t you?” I back away from him as he laughs.
“No comment.” He slurs.
Liam takes off his sweatshirt, revealing a big bruise on the side of his abdomen. My eyes widen in horror, my body felt winded just looking at it.
Seeing Liam hurt in any way makes my heart drop to my stomach, even if I knew I shouldn’t care.
It’s hard to turn off feelings just like it never happened, but I can’t erase the wonderful memories that I got with Liam. I’m sure that it’s hard for him to forget as well.
“So, you’re wearing your ring.” He coughs out as I swallow.
“Well, if you were my fiancé, would you want me to hide the fact that I am engaged to you?” I question while grabbing more ice from the ice maker.
“If you were my fiancé, you’re ring would be your dream ring, that you couldn’t hide from anyone.” He glowers.
Liam knew what my dream ring was. A beautiful white gold band, blessed with diamonds throughout and of course a radiant 5 carat diamond.
“Doesn’t he know you like radiant cut?” Liam says with a condescending tone.
I walk back closer to Liam, my eyes meet his again, “Like you were ever going to commit and buy me a ring.”
He smiles.
He smiles at me like a damn fool.
“Well, it doesn’t matter, it’s a cute ring. It’ll have to do.” He whispers.
I shake my head, “I’m sorry, are you the one that’s engaged?” I laugh with a sarcastic tone.
He rolls his eyes.
“How did you even get this bruise, Liam?” I ask, while placing the ice on it, which makes him tense up.
“Motorcycle accident.” He cringes as I twitch, dropping the ice on the floor.
I slap his leg, “Are you kidding me William? Be careful.” I sigh as I catch a smirk on his face.
“You still care about me, Raine?” He looks at me painfully as I roll my eyes.
“I care about all my friends.” I counter.
He put his hand on his chest, pretending that I just shot him with a gun.
“You’re breaking my heart, Raine.” He says.
I get up, pulling him up by his collar, “Will you shut up and get going. I have a date in half an hour and I’m already running late.”
Liam’s hands wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer to him, “Or you can stay here with me.”
I knew what Liam was doing. He was flirting with me like he would with any other girl. Because if he wasn’t, it was like he was giving me special treatment. He wanted to treat me like he was treating every other girl.
I was the only girl that Liam ever took seriously in a way. At least that’s what I assumed. I can’t really see him with anyone else other than me.
Which sounds very selfish. I know that one day Liam would get over me, not because he has to, but because I know he eventually would meet someone that was destined to be with him.
It wouldn’t be hard; it would be easy.
Liam finally stood up, smiling like he had a plan, yet nothing happened.
He put his sweatshirt back on, “I’ll see you tonight, Raine.”
I stare at him, “Goodluck, Charming.”
He turn his head back at me, “I don’t need luck, I just need you.”
LIAM
I had been sitting outside of the parking lot for about three hours.
Margo sat by the big window, drinking champagne and had been pulling out pieces of bread from the dish that is originally offered for the table.
She had mentioned to everyone this morning that she was getting dinner with Ben, which is very understandable since he is her fiancé.
But what isn’t understandable is the fact that she has been sitting alone for three hours.
No fiancé was in sight.
It was like she was waiting for someone, yet at the same time it looked like she didn’t want anyone to show up.
Which Ben was doing a really great job at.
I knew that the hockey game starts at 8:30 p.m. and it was 7:37 p.m. I was supposed to be at the arena by 7:30 p.m. but I couldn’t leave Margo alone knowing that she was being stood up.
I finally couldn’t stand it, and I made my way over to Margo’s table.
Her eyes had been set in front of her glass of champagne. Margo had not paid any mind to anyone else around her, that is, until I sat down on the empty seat in front of her.
“What are you doing here?” She whispered with aggression.
I only smiled, “The question is why have you been sitting here for three hours alone, when you said you had a dinner?”
Margo stayed quiet.
“He’s coming.” She says out of nowhere.
“What else is more important than being here with you?” I remarked.
Margo averted her gaze towards my eyes, which she used to avoid.
“You are as sharp as a circle Liam.” She grumbled.
“How?”
“There are some things more important in life than just being with your loved one. Other people have responsibilities, things that are asked of them to do. Which you have no idea about.” Margo said with persistence.
“Men like Ben, are providers. They don’t have to be on time, they don’t always have to be there for me, but I expect them to take care of me and my family.” She continued on.
I’ve never seen Margo so full of annoyance and emotion. She was right, I was immature in that way. I didn’t have anyone else to take care of except for myself.
I tend to think of the other things in life, other than being stable, because I’ve never been unstable.
“How much is he worth.” I asked.
“100 million.” She replied, her eyes down casted as she fiddled with her nails.
“Margo, even your family is worth more than that. You don’t need someone to provide for you.” I advised as she flinched.
She stayed silent.
I had no clue what went on in her mind.
“I’m worth 500 million.” I grumbled with a smirk.
Margo’s eyes found mind once more but this time she wasn’t serious, she had a smile plastered on her face.
“You’re very irritating, you know that?” She chuckled.
“No actually, I’m pretty sure when I walk in a room, people are in awe,” I muttered while I took a sip of her champagne, “It’s a gift.” I bragged.
Margo’s eyebrow raised, “I think it’s a gift when you leave the room.”
I couldn’t help but laugh, she always knew how to banter with me.
“Why don’t I give you a ride back to the arena, for the game.” I wiggled my eyebrow which made her let out a small giggle.
“You know just in case I get injured; I wouldn’t want anyone else to treat me other than you.”
Margo started to gather her things, “I’m telling Ronni you said that.” She said in a threatening tone.
Before we started to walk out of the front doors, Ben’s face decided to greet us.
“Ben!” Margo screeched.
“And where does my lovely fiancé think she’s heading off to?” He snaked his arm around her small waist.
Margo tensed up.
A fit of rage filled me in a quick second, “Maybe you shouldn’t hold her like that, she looks uncomfortable.”
Ben dismissed my words by just ignoring me.
“How about I handle my fiancé any fucking way I want, and you run along,” He hissed while grabbing Margo by her wrist so tight that she yelped.
I swear my eyes filled with fury before I ripped Ben’s grip away from Margo’s wrist.
I held on to Ben’s hand, squeezing tighter and tighter until he started to struggle.
“How about you think about the next time you grab your fiancé like that, how bad it would feel if my fist rammed in your fucking skull.” I shook him away from me.
“Let’s ask Margo who she would like to leave with then.” Ben laughed.
I swallowed a lump in my throat, because I knew the answer. Margo was going to pick Ben, she’s picked him before, and she would pick him again.
She took a deep breath, scared of her own answer.
“I’m sorry Liam. I’ll see you at the game.” She muttered softly before she walked out of the door with Ben.
Ben took a moment to look behind him before he left with Margo, his eyes locked on to mine.
I had no idea why I felt like all of this was a fucking game. It was my fault really; Margo came here alone, and Ben came here to get his fiancé.
The only person that shouldn’t be here was fucking me. The only person that was way out of line was me. I only stood up for Margo because I thought she was in danger.
Yet again she made it clear she didn’t need my help. She didn’t want me at all.
I agreed to her terms before but I’m so fucking stubborn to accept it. But it was time for me to accept it.
If she wanted Ben, then it was her decision. I had to start looking out for myself again, just myself.
LIAM
I ’ve recently been hitting the gym way more often than I should, and I knew that my legs were feeling weak and swollen throughout the week, but nothing would make me sit out this game.
Grayson being my best friend and all, won’t stay quiet about the fact that he’s noticed my weaker right side.
“You might need to get that checked out.” He hinted at me.
I stood up, straightening my helmet, “Nah, coach might not let me play. I need to play this game.”
Grayson looked away from me, but only a second passed where he wasn’t up my ass.
He skated towards me, “I will not let you play if you are genuinely injured.”
I knew that Grayson was going to keep his eyes on me the rest of the night now. But all I could really do was lie, I didn’t want him to bench me.
“I’m fine.” I taunted as he nodded.
I could tell by Grayson’s face that he knew something was wrong, he’s my best friend after all.
The one person I would trust with anything in my life.
I didn’t want him to worry about me, I knew I could handle myself. He had to focus on playing well since Adrianna was finally in attendance. I’ve never really seen him smile like he did when he sees her.
Leave it up to Mr. and Mrs. Perfect to be together and break the hearts of most girls and boys here in Hawthorne University.
I had skated to the goalie, only to spot my mother’s face.
Why was she here?
She’s never watched my games before.
She of course came in, modeling the look of a mother who just ransacked the Hawthorne Hockey merchandise store.
When did she have time to get a customized jersey?
I rolled my eyes at my own mother who made her way over to sit in the VIP section up front, my eyes scanned further through the crowd and made eye contact with a girl.
I quickly looked away from her. If I wanted to truly get over Margo, I needed to make sure that I was focusing on nothing but the game, nothing else.
Nothing good ever comes when women were stuck in my head. This reminded me that I had to learn how to let Margo go, it’s not like she was available anyways.
W e were losing and I felt more aggravated each passing second of the game.
Grayson and I had been getting absolutely slaughtered throughout the whole time.
The screamed of excitement and school spirit didn’t even help as I felt like every moment I got the puck, two players kept coming for me.
And if I wanted to pass, they were surrounding all my teammates.
I knew I wasn’t focused on hockey like how Grayson was. Don’t get me wrong, I love the sport, but I wasn’t obsessed with it to a point where I would sweat blood and tears for it.
Maybe that was the problem with me, I needed to focus on something else other than many of the other things in my life that’s been going on.
I felt my vision starting to tunnel, like I could only see maybe a few feet away from me.
I knew we were losing.
I felt the chill of the ice as more of the players around me skated, it stung my face.
The atmosphere of the arena had me on the edge, the crowd roared like there was no tomorrow. I spotted the puck on the ice, my vision finally settled.
I noticed an opening, one of the players from the other team had been distracted by Neil coming at him with full speed. I had an inkling that this player didn’t have good defense.
I speed up with my full capacity and caught up to him by surprise, I capture the puck with my stick and passed it over to Chris who was trying to make it across the arena.
My eyes narrowed to one of the players who was on their way to attack Chris, Neil skated behind us for another layer of protecting but instead of going for any of us he changed his direction to Grayson.
Grayson looked like he had been struggling getting guys off his back. They had been targeting him from the first period of the game.
I rammed my body to push one of the many guys who skated towards Grayson. But to my luck another opposing play had cross checked me.
My body slammed so hard on the ground I felt my energy drain. The guy’s body weight continued to crush my body, until I had been held in such an uncomfortable position, I couldn’t help but scream in pain when he put pressure on my knee.
I felt nothing but a rip, as everyone in the crowd stopped cheering, my teammates looked like they were filled with rage. It only took a second before they started to fight the opposing team.
My ears started to ring and felt my eyes drift in, and out of the world. I later heard the referee’s whistle. I opened my eyes back up to see medics coming to place me in a stretcher.
It only took one second before Grayson skated over to me.
I knew exactly what he was going to say, and it was that he shouldn’t have let me play because he had a bad feeling.
“I shouldn’t have let you play.” He blamed himself; I could see it in his eyes.
I couldn’t help but just laugh off the immense pain I received.
I attempted to look around, “It’s better to be me than anyone else on the team, Prince.” I inclined.
It was true, Grayson lived and breathed hockey, Chris needed to get scouted, so he had a brighter future, and I knew that Neil didn’t want to go into politics for the rest of his life and found love within the game.
Grayson looked far too upset to keep the game going.
But I explained the reason why I was okay with the injury happening to me.
“I don’t want you doing shit on the ice one you get taken care of.” He said in a sternly voice.
I couldn’t help but grin back.
He looked irritated, “I’m fucking serious.” He warned.
I rolled my eyes at my best friend, as our coach approached us, “Coach wouldn’t let me anyways.” I glowered.
I saw Ronni approaching near as the medics started to get me off the rink.
“Is Margo here?” I quickly asked Grayson.
“No, I don’t think so Brookshire.”
I shook my head, I laid back down, “With her fiancé, isn’t she?”
Grayson looked at me with sorry eyes, “I’m not sure.”
I sigh, “You don’t have to lie to me.”
I think I bickered more than I wanted because of my state of injury. Grayson had to leave and continue on with the game as I got rolled away with Ronni.