The Hockey Captain’s Unwanted Wife (Blair and Grayson) novel Chapter 180

Chapter 180

HARLOTTE-

We had been invited to Roman and Olivia’s wedding, and guests kept looking at us because I was sitting next to Luca Vescari.

Famous. Fast. The biggest reputation ever. I could already count the girls he would give his number to before the cake was cut. A different one in his room for every night of this week, just from this wedding

alone.

Fathers watched him closely and pulled their daughters as far away as possible.

I inwardly sighed.

At least those girls were not serious. Unlike what he had felt for Olivia. She was marrying Roman tonight and Luca had never had a chance.

Her heart had been taken a long time ago. I had seen his feelings for her in the hotel before he even admitted he liked her. I had seen it again at the track when Roman shouted that he loved her, and Luca realized he didn’t stand a chance against that confession.

I walked over to the drinks and tried to drown the frustration.

There had been so many times I wanted to confess. It was never the right time. Deep down I also knew he would reject me, and then the easy feeling between us would get uncomfortable, and I was not up for that.

I would always be his best friend. One of the boys. I could live with that. I had been living with that.

When I came back, a girl was already on his lap.

I felt sick.

I took another drink.

Then Olivia was beside me in her reception dress, flushed and glowing and married, red hair up. ring catching the light like it had always been inevitable.

“Thank you for coming.”

I smiled. “Thanks for the invitation.”

Roman’s

She followed my eyes to Luca and leaned in. “You know, sometimes taking a risk is worth it in the end.”

“Excuse me?”

She winked. “You know what I’m talking about.”

Before I could answer, Blair pulled her toward the dance floor. Both of them had ended up with the loves of their lives.

Pregnant. Chosen. Lucky.

T45 Mon, Sep 21 1 M J

The Mockey Captain’s Unwanted Wife

I watched them go and told myself I was happy for them, which was true, but not the whole truth.

ughed again when Luca appeared and tugged me onto the floor anyway.

He was trying to look happy. He was hurting. No one knew him as well as I did. The smile was too bright. The jokes were too easy. He held me like a friend. He never pushed it further.

The song was slow. His hand sat polite at my waist. Mine sat polite on his shoulder. We had danced like this a hundred times at after-parties and hotel bars, and it had never felt this bad in my chest.

He did not look down at my dress. He looked past my ear at Olivia spinning with Roman, then at the exit, then at nothing.

“You are stepping on my foot,” I said.

“You are lying.”

“I am trying to distract you.”

He huffed a laugh that did not last. “Keep dancing with me. If I stand still I will do something stupid.”

“Stupider than a girl on your lap before the cake?”

“That was not stupid. I got her number.”

I hated how well I understood him.

I grabbed his hand and pulled him outside before the next song could make me say something I could not take back.

I turned to face him.

“You don’t have to pretend to be happy with me,” I said.

He smiled. “I am happy.”

I rolled my eyes. “No, you’re not. You really liked Olivia, and you have to stand in there and watch her marry another man.”

He sighed. The smile dropped the rest of the way. “You really can read me like an open book.”

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