Dating

Chapter 120

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I wish I felt better after Liam and I spoke. It was the last day at the Golden Fawn Hotel and I didn’t want this trip to end on a bad note. But it seemed that no matter how I tried to either distract myself or let it go, I couldn’t shake the thought of Olivia’s lie being even remotely true.

The whole situation felt like an ongoing thorn in my side.

I tried to hide it from Liam because my worrying over something like this was not what he needed to focus on. Which also meant that I hadn’t found the right time to tell him about Arthur and his odd offer to meet up.

“You’ll be at the rink later, right?” Liam asked.

I gave him a tender look and nodded my head. “I’m going to repack my bag and make sure I have everything and then I’ll be down to see you all practice.”

Apparently, there were many people who wanted to sit in on the last practice to watch how far the teams have progressed. Did I really want to be surrounded by other shewolves and be gawked at and insulted for my association with Liam? Not really.

But I wasn’t merely going to let that stop me from supporting Liam and the rest of his team. I knew they had all worked tirelessly for days to better themselves and I was eager to see how far they’d come.

It hadn’t taken me long to gather my belongings and make sure everything was properly packed up. I grabbed my cardigan and my phone and headed out of my room. Only thing was…I wasn’t heading toward the hockey rink.

Instead, my feet were taking me in the direction of the indoor garden area where I was able to bask in the quiet, tranquil surroundings. It appeared that a majority of everyone else was far more interested in the final practices down at the rink, giving me the opportunity to be here alone.

Out of all that had happened on this trip, I knew I was going to miss this solarium the most. As the sun was just starting to set, some of the lights were beginning to flicker on, causing the room to possess its usual ethereal glow.

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

I glanced down at my phone to see that Monica was trying to call me. My stomach flipped at the thought of having her question whether or not I’ve spoken to Liam yet about Arthur. Then again, she had every right to pester me about it,

I accepted the call and held the phone up to my ear. “Hey, Monica.”

“Hey, Ella. I just wanted to check in on how things are between you and Liam.”

I bit the inside of my cheek and tried to search for the right words. “Honestly…Things have been rather tense.”

“Oh, God. Wait! Did he not let you fully explain the situation and jump to some stupid conclusion?” she questioned.

“No! No, Liam didn’t say anything…Monica, I didn’t tell him anything, you know, about Arthur,” I confessed.

“Ella!” she chastised. “You need to tell him.”

“I know. Believe me, I know,” I sighed. “It’s just that something unexpected came up and I sort of lost the opportunity to talk to him about it.”

“Well, what was it?”

m

I pressed my hand to the side of my head. “Honestly, I’d rather tell you everything in–person once I get back home.”

“Mmm, you better,” she insisted. “I’m holding you to that.”

I stole a glance at the time on my phone and gaped. Liam’s practice was nearly half over. I had to get to the rink before he’d notice my absence.

“Monica, I gotta go. I’ll give you a call once I’m home.”

I swiftly ended the call and made a mad dash to the hockey rink. It should have come as no surprise that the place was heavily packed with people. I was lucky enough to snag an open spot near the lower end of the stands.

The place was utterly buzzing with manic energy. If they weren’t focused on Liam’s team dashing around the ice, then they were eagerly focused on Olivia’s cheer squad who were running through various routines.

Most of the other girls around me were all taken by Olivia’s compelling positive energy.

“Would you guys just look at Olivia? She’s literally perfect,” one of them gushed.

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11:04 AM

Chapter 120

“Oh my God, can’t you just imagine what a perfect couple she and Liam would make?”

*Please, I wish I knew what the hell he was doing with that silly human.”

Jesus, I should have just stayed in the solarium.

A low voice spoke out from next to me. “Perhaps the group of you ought to be more self–aware of others around you,” Arthur snarled venomously.

Each of the girls wore a look of fumbling shock when they noticed Arthur as well as myself. The group practically scurried out of the rink before anything else could be said.

“You didn’t have to say anything,” I said.

“I know. But, much like you, I know what it’s like to be constantly talked about,” he acknowledged.

I slumped in my seat, letting my head drop a little. “I feel like they were somewhat right.”

Arthur raised a brow. “About what?”

“About Olivia and Liam being a better couple.”

“Maybe they would be,” he noted. He held up his hands while I shot him a bitter glare. “Hey, all I’m saying is that the two come from similar worlds. They’re both used to being the center of attention and leading a greater example for others to follow.”

The final buzzer rang out over the loudspeakers, signaling that the practice had officially come to an end. I made a move to get up from my spot and head toward the exit. Arthur snagged my wrist and led me off toward the side.

“So, have you given my invitation any more thought?”

“Unfortunately, yes.” A slow, devious smile spread across his face. “Arthur, why can’t you just tell me what I need to know?”

“Because I’m determined to show you that I am better than Liam when it comes to you.”

I let out a humorless laugh. “For Christ’s sake, Arthur. I can’t just go out to dinner with you. Whether you like it or not, I am in a relationship with

Liam.”

He gave me a pointed look. “Oh, really?” he asked. “And is Liam aware of that?”

Arthur lightly tipped my chin to the side where I saw Liam trying to make his way off the ice. Standing directly in front of him was Olivia with an exuberant smile on her face. I couldn’t tell what either of them was saying but the smile on Liam’s face was proof that the two were not entirely

strangers.

My heart hammered in my chest when I saw Olivia grab Liam by the neck of his gear and pull him into a heated kiss. What the fuck?!

My bottom lip fell open as all the air was sucked out of my lungs. I scrambled out of Arthur’s hold and fled toward the doors.

“Ella!”

I couldn’t tell who was calling my name. I didn’t care. All I could focus on was the excruciating pain that filled my chest and the rigorous pounding in my head.

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