Page 83 of All Signs Point to Malibu

Liam reaches out to steady me, his expression intense as it searches mine. My heart pounds and the mood around us has shifted.

“It’s been really great seeing you again, Hails,” Liam says, his voice deep and gruff, revealing far more than the actual words do.

Panic fills my chest.

How long was I in there? And what the hell was happening out here? What doeshethink is happening? “Liam...” What? What do I say? Dancing was a bad idea. Very bad idea.

Inside the bedroom, we hear Sonia make a beeline for the toilet, followed by the sound of vomiting. I pull away from him abruptly and I’ve never been so grateful for the sound of retching. “Maid of honor duty calls,” I say, heading toward Sonia, struggling with my balance from the lingering aftermath of a glimpse that now, somehow, involves me.

Shit, shit, shit.

This complete shitstorm I’ve created is like a tornado of shit spiraling around me.

I’d needed another glimpse.

The only reason I insisted Liam show me his dance skills was for an excuse to connect our lifelines. It wasn’t because I wanted to dance with him or have him hold me or look at me the way he did.

Shit.

And what I saw was... Oh shit, shit, shit.

The lingering blinding light and loud blasting effects of having seen myself in Liam’s future have me feeling dizzy and nauseated as I walk away from the resort toward the taxi stand.

I’mthe reason Liam is heartbroken a year from now.

When our lifelines connected, I’d expected to see Sonia’s number on his call display like in the previous glimpse...

Instead, it was mine.

I’d wanted to prevent Liam from making the mistake of a lifetime, but I may have led him into a different one.

I’ve fucked with fate one too many times.

Thank God Operation Breakup is officially over.

FIFTEEN

HAILEY’S DAILY RULE FOR SUCCESS:

Letting things play out as they will sometimes leads to unexpected joy.

Without Marcus on the field, it’s like the rest of the team have forgotten how to play. I always knew he was my strongest player, but I didn’t realize just how much he carried the team and held everyone together.

Frustrated, I stand at the edge of the football field and fight for patience as play after play gets fumbled.

“Take five!” I yell.

Scouts are coming in two weeks. This year’s championship trophy was well within our grasp, and now the whole season is at risk. The others looked up to Marcus. They had confidence in the team because they had confidence in him and his leadership qualities. I’m not sure how to get the team back on track and my own disappointment over cutting Marcus is definitely affecting my ability to coach.

I take a swig of Gatorade from my bottle and rotate my shoulders.

Head in the game. Focus on the kids out on the field.

Easier said than done as I see Hailey crossing the field toward me. She’s dressed in a beautiful pale pink sundress that shows off her tan. Remembering her lack of tan lines makes me instantly hard. Her hair is curled and loose around her shoulders and it blows in the light summer breeze. Time stills and theNotting Hillsoundtrack seems to play as she walks toward me. All I can see is her.

She stops next to me with a slightly nervous expression. “Thought you might need this,” she says, extending the tuxedo. In my dazed state, I hadn’t even noticed she was carrying it.

“Thanks. Totally forgot about picking it up.” The wedding is tomorrow and it appears to be going ahead.

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