My gaze drops to the floor as I pause. “I thought you were a decent person. I get that you can’t accept me because of who my parents are, but you could have at the very least said goodbye to me.”
The sound of the bathroom door opening behind me drops my tone. “It’s my birthday. I’m at Nova with my family, and they’re waiting to meet you. Goodbye, Liam. Don’t call me back.”
I end the call with tears threatening to fall.
“Seriously?” A vaguely familiar voice asks from behind me. “You’re that flower girl. Don’t tell me that you were just talking to Liam Wolf?”
It can’t be. Please don’t let it be Wren.
“It’s Athena, right?” Her voice gets louder as she nears me. “Audrey told me that you two hung out with her and Jay. What’s going on with you and Wolf?”
I spin around to answer her honestly. “Nothing.”
Her finger circles the air in front of my face. “You’re about to cry. Is it because of him?”
I don’t answer her. I can’t.
“I heard you say that it’s your birthday.” Her gaze drops to the phone in my hand. “You’re waiting for him, aren’t you? He didn’t show.”
I refuse to give her the satisfaction of knowing that Liam dumped me.
“Listen to me.” She steps closer. “This is what he does. He disappears when you need him. I wanted him to meet my folks when they were in town and he had a session and then another. It was one lame excuse after another until he went radio silent.”
I want to ask her if that’s why she refused the flowers he sent her, but I see the answer in her eyes. I also see anger there and concern.
“Don’t let him do this to you.” She shakes her head. “You’re better than this.”
I watch as she adjusts the neckline of the red dress she’s wearing.
“I’m here tonight with a man who appreciates me.” She smiles. “He’s never stood me up. Don’t you deserve the same?”
Damn right, I do.
I march past her and exit the washroom. I’m here to celebrate my birthday with my family and I intend to do just that.
CHAPTER FIFTY
Athena
“Tellme what it’s like being twenty-four.” Leanna drops a cupcake in front of me. “It’s been a decade for me, so I can’t remember.”
I manage a small smile. “It’s only been a day for me, and I’d say so far, not so good.”
I’m not saying that because I still haven’t heard a word from Liam. I didn’t expect to.
I made it very clear in that last voicemail message I left him that I was done.
After I had dinner with my family, I explained to them that Liam and I weren’t going to work out.
I didn’t get into the details of being ghosted.
Jeremy loves me to death, and as much as I appreciate his need to defend me, I didn’t want to hear about how Liam had wronged me.
The details about what happened between us don’t matter. The end result does.
We had fun, and then it was over.
I opened up and shared a part of myself that he couldn’t handle. I may have second-guessed my decision to do that the past few days, but I don’t anymore.
