31. Liam
Chapter 31
Liam
A week later.
I had been avoiding Margo for days. I knew sooner or later I would have to face her. I had started this big plan of maybe getting a little bit injured during that last game, so that I could hang out with her a little more in the physical therapy room.
I wasn’t exactly hoping for a tear in my ACL. This plan completely backfired because, ever since I finished with surgery… I had done some thinking; I wanted to stay away from Margo.
I had realized that I had turned into a complete mad man for this girl. I got her different flowers every day. I memorized all the fucking states.
Yet I knew that if she asked me to get on my fucking knees, I would be a goner.
I’m not saying that it’s a bad thing to do anything for a woman you love. I thrive to do that for my future wife, but the issue was that I’m acting like this for a girl, that is to be married to another man.
I’m doing this for a girl that I’m not even with.
Which gets to be really embarrassing when I think about it.
But here I was, I stood outside of the physical therapy office. Before I knocked, Margo opened the door. She looked like she had just seen a ghost.
That wasn’t a far comparison, I hadn’t seen her since I woke up and asked her to hold my hand after surgery.
I hadn’t texted her back. I hadn’t called her back.
I had pretended like she didn’t exist.
The first thing I wanted to tell her was how beautiful she looked but the only thing I was able to spew out was…
“Weather looks nice today, doesn’t it?” I laughed cooly, while I scratched the back of my head.
“It looks miserable outside.” Margo stared at me with a confused face.
Margo wore loose, low-rise jeans with her Manolo pumps. She had a tight long sleeve shirt that accentuated her slim waist and sharp collar bones.
Since her jeans were low, my eyes caught on to her tan lines from summer. I would’ve thought that they would’ve faded by now, but it was like they would stay on her forever.
“I think the sky looks nice when gloomy.” I struggled to find more words.
Margo turned her head to look out the window as a bolt of lightning struck the thundering sound roared through the building.
“You hate thunder and lightning.” She said plainly.
The look on her face said it all, like for our type of relationship right now, my fear of thunder and lightning wasn’t a fact she was supposed to know about me.
But she did, because she listened to everything I said.
Margo shook her head lightly, brushing off the entire conversation prior.
“So, at least you’re standing.” She averted her gaze down to my knee.
“I can walk too, just a little bit wobbly.” I commented while I walked into her office.
Margo stayed silent.
This was definitely the most uncomfortable interaction we have had.
“Okay so, I think we should start with stretches.” She nervously suggested.
I had noticed that Margo started to walk around the office like she owned the place, like she was now so comfortable she did things with ease. Whether it was getting ice to make an ice pack, wrapping someone up or clicking the dials on the telephone.
She pulled out a book, quickly scanned over it, before she suggested for me to start with stabilization exercises.
She poured a bunch of resistance bands on the floor.
“Okay so you are going to hook the band on the bar right there,” She pointed, “While facing the bar you will loop your ankle on the resistant band and try to––”
“I got it.” I interrupted as she widened her gaze.
“If you need help, I will be just right here.” She stated before she hopped on the top of her desk, next to the bowl of grapes.
“How many times do you want me to do this?” I asked as she tilted her head.
“Until failure, then you rest for two minutes, then you can start again.” She voiced.
“This is going to be a long fucking day.” I whisper under my breath as she rolled her eyes. Margo pulled out a remote and turned on the television.
“Okay I’ll turn something on, to pass the time then.” She sneered at me while she opened the Netflix tab on the television.
Margo was on her way to click on the movie, A Walk to Remember. I rolled my eyes, for her to visibly notice.
“Come on, you liked it when we were in the hotel.” She jabbered as I couldn’t help but laugh.
“The movie is bullshit. She deserved better.” I defensively coughed out while I continued on my exercises.
Margo threw me an ugly look.
“I don’t want to hear it; I wasn’t the one bawling the whole ending of Titanic. ” I claimed as she stood up.
“If you didn’t cry during the Titanic, you are a complete psycho!” She yelled back.
“All I’m saying is if Rose didn’t move her lazy ass over just a little bit, then Jack could’ve definitely made it. She’s selfish and she’s the reason he died. They could’ve definitely fit on that wooden plank.” I went off while I fixed my knee’s form.
Margo face looked baffled.
“Rose was going to kill herself in the beginning! Who stopped her?” Margo threw me the stronger resistant band.
Probably a sign to go a bit harder on my exercise since she observed that I was cruising through the easier resistant band.
“Jack saved her! In the end, Jack died for Rose… while Rose lived for Jack.” She folded her arms together.
“It’s a phenomenal story.” She threw me a dirty look.
“Aside from a girl who died from her leukemia treatments.” I looked back at her.
I couldn’t help but spot a smile appear in Margo’s lips.
I, myself had a grin plastered on my face.
“Fine then what do you want to watch?” She huffed as I looked back at the television.
“Little Mermaid, who could go wrong with the queen of the sea.” I shrugged as she fixed my posture.
“Ariel is not the queen of the sea, Moana is.” She debated.
“Uhm, how?” I probed.
“Moana left her village, to save the ocean and to return the heart of Tefiti. Meanwhile your queen of the sea left her entire kingdom and her family for some guy she didn’t even know!” Margo snapped back.
“Whatever, everyone knows that the first queen of the sea is better.” I protested as Margo’s face visibly looked more red.
“That’s not true.” She said angrily.
“Okay, then tell me, who the second guy who walked on the moon was, without looking it up.” I snobbed as she crossed her legs.
“This is a really good time to have Juliette’s brain.” She gave me an irritated look.
“Did I just win the argument?” I asked Margo with a look on disbelief on my face.
Margo looked up at me slowly and threw me another thicker resistant band.
She was going to make this harder for me, wasn’t she?
“No.” She remarked, with a gloomy sigh.
I think… just maybe… I had a plan.
As I sat on the bench all of practice I started getting FOMO.
If I skated to the other side of the rink and back, maybe coach would let me join in on some drills.
The smell of the hockey locker room was obviously never ideal but the feeling of being around the team and the mist of the shaved ice that gets blown towards me whenever someone made a complete halt.
“If you even think of getting up and skating at full speed I’m going to tell Margo.” The daunting yell from Grayson’s direction made me pause.
God they are so annoying.
Grayson, Neil, and Chris skated over to me with disapproving looks.
“Are you guys more friends with her of with me?” I placed my eyes over to all of them as they rolled their eyes in unison.
“Quit acting like a baby, we want you back on the ice more than anyone, but we can’t let you get on here when you aren’t ready.” Neil said before shooting water all over his face.
“How do you know I’m not ready?” I folded my arms together.
Grayson laughed.
“Because of Margo’s logs.” Chris popped in.
“Logs?” I say in a questioning manor.
I knew Margo was always taking notes on her stupid little iPad, but I never paid much attention to the things she would write.
“I want to see these logs.” I stood up, rather shakily.
“No.” Grayson plainly uttered.
“Why not?” I challenged with a pinched expression.
“It’s your progress, and her inner thought on how you’ve been improving. Margo mentioned that if you asked to see them, you aren’t permitted to because it might affect your own idea of your pace.” Grayson finally let out with an exaggerated sigh.
What could Margo possibly be writing about me, that I didn’t already know. It would’ve had to be something bad or else Grayson would’ve one thousand percent told me… right?
“I’m fine.” I smiled before I tapped my knee.
Everyone ignored my little proclamation.
“So, is everyone available to come at… what time did Adrianna say again?” Neil asked.
“I think, Dove said six.” He said it so proudly.
Grayson Prince was inevitably whipped by Adrianna Cassian, and I definitely saw it all coming.
“I have work until seven, but I could still swing by, we might end early because it’s a weeknight.” Chris added.
The rest of the team disbanded; Coach Livingston made sure to pat my back before heading out as well.
“Do we have to attend this?” I couldn’t help but ask this rather jarring question because at the end of the day I knew what the answer was.
“Come on, it’s just a movie.” Grayson threw on his very convincing smile.
“What movie are we even watching?” Neil asked.
Grayson shrugged as well as Chris and I.
It had now been a weekly tradition that the girls had started, they would watch chick flicks together and eat ice cream like everything was right with the world.
Recently, we found ourselves attending as well, not by choice but because these girls are manipulative and have easily tricked us into going.
I don’t think the boys and I would ever actually admit that we somewhat enjoyed coming over, having to stuff our faces with snacks and watching another movie that’s starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere.
Last week’s Pretty Woman changed my life for the better. I am also quite deeply upset that Julia Robert’s smile hasn’t cured world hunger yet.
“I thought I saw Adrianna looking up movies earlier during class, maybe it’s that one with the guy and the girl.” I mumbled.
Neil didn’t take a moment before he smacked the back of my head.
“No shit, there’s a guy and a girl. You are so incredibly dense.” He hung his head.
“Can we make them watch Fight Club or something?” Grayson yawned as I opened a bag of chips that I pulled out of Chris’s bag.
“No!” Neil said with urgency.
He quieted down quickly, “It seems to me like, you have been enjoying the movies the girls are making us watch.” Grayson probed.
Neil only rolled his eyes as I skated back towards Chris who slipped a look at his bag of chips.
“Okay I might’ve enjoyed the last one we watched.” He confessed.
“I enjoyed it too.” I said with a defeated look.
Grayson and Chris laughed.
They always thought they were better than us, more masculine might I add. Even though, I knew they enjoyed watching Notting Hill more than anyone.
A moment of silence passed as all the boys sat down next to me. This felt like it was a forced intervention.
“Is there any reason why you all look like your parents died or something?” I laughed.
In the contrary actually, if their parents passed away, there would been smiles galore that filled the arena.
“We’re worried about you.” Grayson put his hand on my back as I stood up in confusion.
“For what?”
“Well for starters you’ve been hanging around Margo and we’ve discussed that this might not be a good idea since she is getting married, and you are supposed to be getting over her.” Chris reasoned.
I looked at all of them with a look of demise and a bit of annoyance.
They were telling me something that I’ve tried to tell myself. As if I hadn’t heard it enough.
“I’m hanging around with Margo because news flash. I am injured.” I threw an irritated look.
“We could see if Ronni could help you out instead.” Neil added.
I shook my head, “This is sounding ridiculous. You guys don’t think that I can control myself around Margo? I’m not an animal; I know that she’s getting married. I know that she rejected me more times than I could even count.” I was pacing around like a damn teacher giving a lecture.
“You don’t think I know that I have to stay away from her?” I ended.
“I just think that––” Grayson opened his mouth.
“––No, you don’t get to talk.” I disrupt him.
“You don’t get it, Prince. You got your girl. You have hockey, despite you hating your family, you choose to ignore the fact that they would do anything for you.” I started.
“Adrianna loves you like she loves to breathe. You and her look at each other like you guys were made for each other’s gaze.” I kept going.
“Margo and I look at each other like that too. And I know I’m not the only one who sees it because, I only have to look at her to get my heart to relax. You know how much of a privilege it is to look at someone you love and for them to return the favor with nothing in the way?” I finally lost my breath.
They all stared at me, defeated.
“I was just trying to help.” Grayson stood up with an angry look in his eyes.
A look I had only seen when he was truly upset with someone.
“Guys it’s not that serious.” Neil stood in between us.
“Of course you would say that, for you nothing is ever serious.” I mouthed off.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Neil’s posture had turned rigid.
“What else do you really have to worry about Neil, aside from the fact that yes, your parents are up your ass about an internship with the Mayor?” I snapped.
“Oh yeah? Let’s face it Will, you never would’ve lost Margo if you weren’t acting like a fucking dickhead in the first place.” Neil walked toward me.
He was right of course.
“We all need to calm down.” Chris stood up, again always being the sensible one.
“I was calm before, Will brought up my family.” Grayson muttered.
“Then stop discussing my life like I’m a science experiment, I can handle my fucking life with Margo. We aren’t fucking, we weren’t really friends in the first place so why be nice to her?” I rasped.
“That’s not what we’re trying to tell you––”
“If you want the old Liam that just fucked any girl in sight before summer then good job. You fucking got him back. Lay off my back about what I should do with Margo because frankly, how I run my life is none of your business.” I turned and walked away from my friends.
We had never gotten in a fight like this. The last time we fought was in grade school, I had broken Grayson’s favorite hockey stick and hid it.
We had fought because he thought I couldn’t handle myself around Margo.
I got mad because in the bottom of my heart, they were right.
This fight was not about some lousy hockey stick that I had broken. It was about Margo, which to me is so much more important.