By admin Fake Dating My Ex’s Favourite Hockey Player Novel CH 38
And maybe the worst part–the part that sits, heavy and unspoken in my chest–is that my first instinct was to lie to her about it. To act like I was fine. Like it hadn’t happened at all.
I only told her the truth when I realised I couldn’t keep it in anymore.
But by then, it was too late.
The cruise ship is massive–less like a boat, more like a floating palace. It’s so polished and grand that, for the first time, I wonder how much Zane and Becca spent to make it theirs for thirty days.
I expect to feel nervous, to panic now that I’m so close to seeing him again. But all I feel is disgust.
I remember the way his nails dragged against my skin. The way he shoved me so hard I hit the floor, how the knife nearby sliced my palm.
My skin heats with anger.
The way he spoke to me like I was nothing. Like I didn’t deserve to stand beside Liam.
Like I wasn’t good enough for him–so I couldn’t possibly be good enough for anyone else.
But here I am. And Liam is the one holding my hand, steady and sure.
Fake or not, I’m the one at his side. The one who’s here with him.
Zane can fume all he wants. But his obsession with Liam got him
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nowhere, and at the end of the cruise, it’s Becca who’s going to be waiting for him at the altar, not the hockey player he adores so much.
The thought makes me smile.
We step onto the deck. A waiter in a white uniform offers us champagne. I shake my head. Liam takes a glass but doesn’t drink, his eyes take a sweep around, scanning through the crowd.
The hostility in his eyes bleeds some of the tension out of my shoulders and I hold onto his hand tighter. He finally looks at me, there’s a soft look in his eyes. “Still okay?”
“As okay as I can be.”
“Good enough.”
We really are late.
There are about thirty guests on board already–some celebrities, a few guys from Zane’s team, and familiar faces from our past.
Over half of them know about Zane and me.
Maybe they even know exactly how little he thinks of me.
Well, it doesn’t matter anymore.
Our arrival doesn’t go unnoticed. A few guests make their way over to greet Liam, and by extension, me. I do my best to be polite, but my mind is elsewhere.
Liam must sense it because he effortlessly takes over the conversations, flashing that signature smile of his.
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“It’s really great to see you, Calloway,” says Stone, a player for the Chicago Blizzards and one of Zane’s closest friends. He grins ear–to–ear at Liam, barely sparing me a glance.
I try not to let the blatant rudeness get to me.
“I’m a huge fan,” Stone adds.
Liam doesn’t return the smile. Instead, he narrows his eyes slightly, clicking his tongue. “Of course you are.”
Stone’s grin falters for half a second before he masks it, but not before throwing me a quick glare.
I almost laugh. What did I do?
“You’ve probably already seen Zane and Becca?” Stone continues, trying to recover. “Zane’s gonna be so starstruck when he sees-”
“Of course he will be,” Liam smoothly cuts him off. He lets go of my hand, sliding his arm around my waist instead, pulling me in close. Then, loud enough for Stone to hear, he leans in and murmurs, “Should we go greet the future newlyweds, love?”
I tilt my head, pretending to think about it, biting back a smile at the dumbstruck look on Stone’s face. “Do we have to?”
Liam chuckles, the sound low and warm. “If you don’t want to? Of course not.”
Then, without hesitation, he presses a soft kiss to my forehead.
Heat floods my cheeks.
I can feel Stone’s eyes burning into us, but I don’t care.
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All I can focus on is the way Liam holds me like I’m the only person
that matters.
It’s fake, Emilia.
Fake.
Fake.
Fake.
Somehow, it feels more like I’m trying to convince myself that it’s the truth.
Cam’s words ring in my head over and over: “Pro tip: he’s great at pretending. Absolutely top–tier boyfriend material. He’ll even text you good morning like he means it.”
I barely have time to worry about it when in my peripheral vision, someone familiar catches my eye.
So familiar I barely have to look to know.
It’s the groom.
I plaster a fake smile on my face.
EMILIA
He’s standing near the entrance, laughing at something one of his friends said. Becca is tucked into his side, she’s practically glowing with happiness. Her smile is so breathtaking it knocks the breath out of my lungs.
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