Page 90 of Perfect Score

But I’ll never fuck with her happiness.

I love her and loving her is watching her be with the man she wants, no matter how much it hurts that the man she loves isn’t me.

I stare at them for a moment. She is still standing there in front of him, but I can’t watch anymore. I can let her be with someone else, but I can’t stand by and watch it.

I turn around and head for the elevator. My flight is in a couple of hours. And with Phoebe and David leaving for their red-eye, it’s time for me to head home.

I did what I came to do.

I stood with my friend on the biggest day of his life, and the added bonus of getting Zoey to stop hating me.

And I finally got a taste of her. Though knowing I'll never wake up again with her asleep in my arms, will probably haunt me for the rest of my life.

I pass by the reception hall and my Gran comes out.

“Did you find Zoey?” she asks.

“Yeah, I did. She’s with Liam.”

Her eyebrows stitch together in confusion.

“What happened at prom, Brent? You told me that Liam showed up to take her. Why didn’t you tell me that he never showed up? And why didn’t you take her yourself?”

“Liam told me that he made a mistake. He was coming home that night to take her to prom. He told me that our friendship was over if I took her to prom. He didn’t show up that night after he told me he was going to so that Zoey would hate me.”

“You idiot,” she says, shaking her head. “I knew it was something stupid like that.”

“Gran, she picked him. It’s over. I’m done. I have to grab my flight home to see Tessa.”

“Tell her, Brent,” she says, but I shake my head and walk past, heading for the elevator.

I head up to my room, change quickly into a T-shirt and athletic sweats, pack my small bag with all my belongings, and then head down to the lobby.

I shoot a quick text to David, telling him that I’m going to head to the airport for my flight.

He already knows my flight is before his, so it won’t surprise him.

I take the elevator, relieved and disappointed that I did not see Zoey one last time. I can’t see that fucking ring on her hand one more time. I spent years seeing it sparkle and taunt me at every get-together our friends would have. And Liam’s smug smirk when he knew he had what I wanted.

I can’t take any of that tonight.

My rideshare app says that my ride is here. I left the rental for Zoey. She needs it more than I do with all of her things.

I climb into the rideshare, and I don’t look back as I leave Zoey and what happened between us in the past.

Right where all of us belong.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Zoey

I walk back into the reception, only to see it half full. People have started filing out as David and Phoebe walk around, giving goodbye hugs to everyone.

Their flight to Jamaica leaves in a few hours, and they still need to pack everything up.

I scour the area for Brent, but I don’t see him anywhere.

“There you are!” Phoebe says, walking quickly over to me, her dress swishing around her feet. “Where have you been?”

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