37. Margo
Chapter 37
Margo
“ T his is absolutely insane!” I yelled as Verina as she put her pointer finger in front of her lips to quiet me down.
Verina had dragged me all the way back to campus, in a storage closet, nevertheless. The two duffle bags that the two guards were carrying were two hockey uniforms that two members of the team owned.
Cole Smith and Toni Santiago.
Verina’s brilliant plan was to put on the hockey uniform and disguise ourselves as players so we could eavesdrop on the guys in the locker room.
While I admired Verina’s dedication to the role, I was seriously rethinking it due to the fact that the uniform and the locker room smelled absolutely rancid.
“You’re the goalie.” She threw me a bigger stick, “I’ll be right defense.” She smiled as the helmet shield fell in front of her face.
“Make sure that your helmet is on at all times.” She instructed as I could hardly move in the uniform.
“Why don’t you just ask Chris?” I looked at her as she gave me a dramatic look.
“You really think he’s going to tell me? And besides don’t you want to hear what Liam and these boys talk about?” She probed, whilst walking towards me.
It would be intriguing to hear what the others would talk about. Technically, I was doing it for Verina, it had nothing to do with me.
“If Adrianna and Juliette find out we did this, we will not hear the end of it.” I expressed as she pulled my helmet down, which covered my face even more.
“Which is why they won’t find out.” Verina shrugged before she opened the door.
Verina shoved me out of the closet, my eyes easily grazed by a handful of chiseled men. She walked out behind me, with a grin on her face.
All the guys barely paid attention to us as the room was filled with conversations about many different topics.
Two of Verina’s bodyguards had taken Cole Smith and Toni Santiago in a vehicle so we wouldn’t run into them.
Verina spotted Chris and the rest of the group, by their lockers quickly, she pulled me over like her life depended on it.
Liam had his whole uniform on, except this shirt. All the guys had everything on except their helmets. They sure did look larger in person.
Verina paused the moment Chris pulled off his practice jersey and his shoulder pads, his abdomen was adorned with bruises.
For a person that worked in a bar, mall and did hockey he was surely beat up. I knew those bruises all too well, they were from inflicted pain, they were meant by the person that caused them.
“Where the hell, did he get those bruises?” Verina asked me, concern filled her eyes.
“You sure you’re still good to fight tonight?” Liam asked Chris as he didn’t even answer.
“The question is, are you good to fight tonight, you just got healed. I wouldn’t want to set back your progress.” Chris asked with a sense of guilt.
“I’m fine, besides I think I’ll win tonight.” He said with excitement.
“Why are you in such a happy mood?” Grayson laughed while he put his helmet on.
“He has a hot date tomorrow with Sabrina.” Neil patted Liam on the back.
I felt like I slightly lost my balance, Verina’s eyes sought mine, filled with comfort.
“Are you sure you didn’t double check with Margo to see if your new girlfriend is good enough?” Chris asked as Liam rolled his eyes.
“Margo has nothing to do with my love life from now on. I’m pressing the off button on that light. I’m moved on, and if she isn’t moved on by now then that’s not my fault.” She trailed off as he pulled a jersey on his body.
“That sounds a bit harsh.” Grayson said.
“She’s engaged for God’s sake. You guys tend to forget that. Fuck, I think she tends to forget it, I can’t do anything about it now.” Liam looked impatient as Chris’s lips thinned.
“I’m looking at my future and she’s not a part of it. I’m putting all my eggs in Sabrina’s basket. I can’t be bothered with Margo anymore.” He glanced up at his friends who stayed quiet.
“Aye aye, Brookshire.” Neil saluted, followed with a laugh.
“Don’t get me wrong,” Liam breathed out, “I still care about her, but I don’t love her anymore.”
I’m quite sure I hadn’t breathed out since Liam began to speak. My heart ached more than ever; my body physically hurt more than any type of pain that Ben would inflict on me.
“I’m sorry babe.” Verina whispered as I smiled through a tear that fell from my face.
“It’s fine. That’s not the reason we’re here anyways.” I pulled away from Verina’s warm embrace.
I brushed off the words that Liam said from my mind. Because in reality, he was right. I wasn’t a part of his love life anymore. I shouldn’t be upset, I shouldn’t be mad, or sad for that matter.
This was the end of Liam and I’s chapter and that was okay.
I snapped out of it, my eyes moved away from Liam and back to Verina’s. Her eyes have not left Chris’s body, the moment we stepped foot out of the storage closet.
Chris had mentioned something about a fight, no one dropped the location, yet which was a tad bit annoying.
“Chris why don’t you invite Verina?” Neil asked.
Verina looked eager for his answer.
“Why would, I?” He shrugged.
“Well, you guys have been spending a whole lot of time together, call me crazy but maybe she can be a lucky charm during your fight, kind of like how Adrianna was Grayson’s lucky charm.” Liam teased Grayson by shoving him over.
“Yeah. Now he plays like shit, because they’re broken up.” Neil laughed as Grayson threw his water bottle at his friend.
“Verina is nothing more to me than just a friend. You know I don’t have time for a relationship, there’s no way I could balance it with Finn and work.” Chris muttered.
Verina swallowed a lump in her throat.
“Besides, I wouldn’t date a girl like Verina anyways. I need someone with dreams, passion. She doesn’t really care for much other than herself and the clothes she wears.” Chris lamely mentions.
“We haven’t been hanging around. She’s been following me around, I know she has a crush okay, I can’t just tell her to fuck off.” He finished.
“Why not? You’ve told other girls to fuck off before.” Grayson asked.
“Well as much as I don’t see Verina as a girl I would romantically be interested in, I would consider her a close friend.” He answered.
Verina looked at him no longer with awe in her eyes but betrayal and disappointment.
“Why does this fight have to be in the middle of a shady place in Brooklyn?” Grayson asked while he picked up his stick.
“Brownsville isn’t that bad.” Liam muttered.
“It’s literally known for its high murder rate. It has a high risk for violence and gang activity. Thus, it being called The Kill Zone .” Neil mentioned as the group quieted down.
They all picked up their hockey sticks and started to walk towards the exit. Grayson rammed into Verina for a second.
“Yo, sorry Cole, I didn’t see you there.” He laughed, “You kind of look like you got smaller, you need to start bulking more.” He finished before he left the locker room.
Verina turned and faced me, “Okay, Brownsville in Brooklyn tonight.” She informed as I laughed.
“There’s no way we are actually following them there still after what they just said about us right?!” I shook Verina by her shoulders as she breathed out.
“I know what they said was awful, Margo.” She paced, “But even if Chris practically friend zoned me, I still care about him whether he accepts it or not, I care if he gets hurt.”
“You’re going to go after them tonight aren’t you.” I asked her but it was a rhetorical question.
“You are either coming with me for back up, or I go alone. It’s your choice, I’m not forcing you to go with me if you don’t want to.” Verina smiled at me.
She knew there was absolutely no way I would’ve let her go by herself. I was only going for her, and not for Liam.
As far as I’m concerned, William Brookshire was just someone I formally knew.