Page 39 of Fake As Puck
“I’m Hurley,” the blond guy says, extending his hand. “The good-looking one.”
“I’m Liv,” I say, shaking his hand. “The one with good judgment.”
The room erupts in laughter and “ooohs,” and I feel some of the tension leave my shoulders.
“I like her already,” says a guy with dark hair and kind eyes. “I’m Marcus. The girls are getting ready with Chelsea.”
“Guys,” Hurley says, raising his beer bottle. “To the groom. May he survive his wedding day and the hangover that follows.”
“To Reed!” everyone choruses, raising their bottles.
West hands me a beer, and I raise it with everyone else, feeling like I’m being welcomed into some kind of brotherhood family. They have smiling faces and a warmth with each other that makes me happy. I glance at West, enjoying the fact that he’s part of this.
“To Reed,” I say, and West smiles, drinking with me.
The guys launch into conversation, and I steal a glance at West.
He’s watching me with something that looks dangerously like pride.
Like he’s genuinely happy I’m here.
Like this isn’t fake at all.
9
The beer is cold, the guys are loud, and Liv is laughing at something Hurley said that’s probably inappropriate but harmless.
I should be relaxed. This is exactly what I wanted.
Instead, I’m standing here with a death grip on my beer bottle, watching Liv fit seamlessly into my world like she’s always belonged here.
Which is a problem.
Because she doesn’t belong here. She’s not actually my girlfriend. She’s doing me a favor, and in two days she’ll be back in LA until the next wedding.
But watching her now, the way she throws her head back when she laughs, the way she’s already memorized everyone’s names, the way Marcus is showing her pictures of Gabby on his phone like she’s family, I can’t shake the feeling that I don’t want it to be over.
“Yo, West,” Hurley says, appearing at my elbow. “Your girl’s got a mouth on her.”
“What?”
“I was telling her about the time you got stuck in that revolving door in Toronto, and she said it explains a lot about your hockey career.”
“She said what?”
“Something about how you approach problems by just pushing harder instead of thinking them through.”
I look over at Liv, who’s now deep in conversation with Reed about something that’s making them both laugh.
“She’s not wrong,” I say.
“Nah, she’s not. But she’s funny as hell. Where’d you find her?”
“She’s Tessa’s best friend. We’ve known each other forever.”
“And you just decided to make a move?”
“Something like that.”
