Page 91 of The Tape Job
“Thanks,” I say.
“Are you alright?” he asks, turning back towards me. But I throw my arms around him and squeeze.
“What’s going on?” he says, returning the hug. I’ll admit, it’s rare that I offer him a hug, but I feel like I could do with the comfort. “Is this about Liam? Because I’ll kill him.”
“No, it’s nothing. I just wanted to give you a hug,” I say, pulling away quickly, hoping that he can’t see the tears forming in my eyes. I don’t wait for him to answer before I step on the coach behind Jen but my eyes lock with Matt’s from where he’s sitting. He smiles at me, making my skin crawl with disgust.
Sitting down, I put my earphones in, shutting out the world. I feel sick and anxious because there’s no way I can avoid Matt permanently. He’s going to be around for the rest of the season at a minimum. My mind reels, and I only notice Liam boarding when he waves his hand in front of my face.
“You okay, Vic?” he asks. But when I don’t answer, he slides into the seat next to me and puts his arm around me. “What’s going on?” he presses, but I feel no shame in laying my head on his shoulder and lacing my fingers with his as we set off.
“I’m just really tried,” I say, popping an earbud out.
I’m replaying my encounter with Matt, and I know I can’t ever tell Liam what he said to me because I’d likely end up trying to bail him out of jail or something. Snuggling into Liam, I think of what could have been for us. Our baby. Our future.
“Hey, are you going to tell me?”
“I told you, I’m just tired,” I say. “You’ve still got my apartment key, right?”
“Want me to keep you warm again later?” he whispers, taking the earbud from me.
I nod.
“I may need to wait until Ryan’s gone to bed,” he says. “I’ll explain later.”
And instead of giving me back my earbud, he puts it in his own ear. And it’s like we’re kids again, sharing the same moment with music we both love.
He chuckles. “I love this one.”
And I love you, Liam.
Chapter 24
Liam
I climb into the back of Ryan’s Jeep and pretend to play on my phone as he drives Jen and me home from the rink. Johnny and Vicky are in the car behind us, and I can see Ryan’s eyes flicking between the rear-view mirror and me.
“You and Vicky looked cosy on the coach,” he says, his face hardening.
“Yeah, well, she was upset,” I say defensively.
“Right. And she wanted comfort from you specifically, did she?”
“Ry, come on. You’re being ridiculous.” Jen turns in her seat and gives me a warm smile before continuing to address Ryan. “She was upset. I’m not sure what happened, but she wasn’t herself when I found her outside the dressing room after the game. Liam was just helping a friend out.”
Ryan’s grunt suggests he’ll remain sour with me for a few days before the haze lifts but at least he says goodnight to me before we part ways. I have to head up to theeighth floor with Johnny and Danny, pretending to head home like everyone else. But deep down, I’m desperate to rush over to Vicky’s and warm her up again. Completely innocently, of course. Because lots of people, I assume, keep their ex-girlfriend warm whenever she asks. Besides, Jen confirmed that she really was upset, so it’d be a dick move for me not to comfort her.
“Lee, mind if I come in for a moment?” Johnny asks as Danny unlocks the door. I’m too tired to have a serious conversation with Johnny right now, and I’m desperate to get away. But I think we’re at the point where we need to clear the air, so I nod and he follows me inside. We loiter near the front door while Danny heads straight to his room. He doesn’t even bother to shut his bedroom door behind him as he falls face first onto his mattress.
“I won’t keep you long,” Johnny says. For a moment, I expect him to have the same complaint about me sitting with Vicky on the coach but he doesn’t mention it. “I just wanted to apologise for letting you down.”
He looks at me with genuine sorrow in his eyes. Something that Johnny rarely has reason to show, if I’m honest. I don’t want to argue with him or have an ongoing feud any more than he does, so I accept his apology so we can both get on with our lives.
“Thanks, I appreciate it.”
“I should have asked Vicky to tell you herself,” he says. “I get why she didn’t want to share, but secrets rarely end well, and I should know.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
