Page 19 of The Pucking Wrong Date

The moment the heavy courthouse doors swung open, a barrage of piercing flashes assaulted me. Blinding and relentless, they broke through the carefully constructed façade I had worn for the courtroom.

The air was filled with the deafening roar of paparazzi voices. They swarmed like vultures, eager to catch any hint of weakness or vulnerability.

"What did you take this morning, Olivia?" one of them had shouted, a twisted grin on his face as he elbowed past my bodyguard. "Why are you lying?"

“Stop,” I screamed at my reflection, feeling in that moment that maybe I was actually as crazy as everyone thought I was.

I turned away from the mirror in disgust and strode towards the door before I could have second thoughts.

Fuck this. I was going to the game. I was a “has been”. A nobody. With nothing.

One night out wasn’t going to change that.

I didn’t call for my driver. He would tell Jolette and Marco I’d left and then there would be questions.

I walked a few blocks down from my place and waited for Maddie to swing by to pick me up in her Uber.

Maddie's enthusiasm was infectious as she hopped out of the car, her blue eyes sparkling with excitement. Her short blonde bob framed her face perfectly, and she was also wearing Harley's jersey.

"Liv!" Maddie all but screeched, throwing her arms around me. "You ready for the game? Your cousin’s a nervous wreck!"

I glanced anxiously down the sidewalk, like any minute now someone would pop out and come at me.

But of course, no one was paying attention.

Relaxing slightly, I nodded at Maddie and climbed into the car with her as she immediately chatted away on all the latest WAG gossip.

As we drove through the city, I held onto the seat like the nervous wreck I was, glancing at the Uber driver every couple of seconds, sure that he would recognize me.

But he didn't even spare me a second glance…

My nerves only increased as we pulled into the arena’s parking lot and I saw the swarms of people everywhere.

“Hey,” Maddie whispered, putting a hand on top of my shaking one. Her eyes were filled with concern…and pity.

That was what I hated most of all. The fact that the whole world pitied me now.

“We don’t have to do this. Harley will survive. He’ll pout and complain because he’s a big baby, but he loves you. He’ll understand.”

I shook my head. “No. I’m fine. I just…don’t get out much,” I whispered back lamely, sneaking another glance at the driver who still seemed to not be paying attention to me.

For some reason, the offer to leave was enough to settle me so that I could get out of the car and walk with her into the arena.

As we walked, my confidence slowly increased.

I was just one of the masses. No one was giving me a second look. And if they were giving me a second look, it wasn’t one filled with recognition.

Which meant…I could just live. In the moment. Like everyone else.

A grin touched my lips. Because wow…

After grabbing some popcorn, we made our way to our third-row seats, right behind the L.A. Cobras' goalie.

I took it all in.

The electrifying atmosphere. The crowd's excitement. The cheers and roars echoing through the arena. The way the ice glistened under the bright lights. The players doing drills as they warmed up.

And through it all, there was no one screaming my name, no one in my face. I was just one of the crowd.

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