Chapter Twenty-One

Brent

"Where did they go?" Phoebe asks.

Her head shifts from side to side, looking on both sides of me while I chat with her dad.

This is the first time he's looked me in the eye without growling at me since I didn't pick his daughter up for prom a decade ago.

The man can hold a grudge, but hopefully I can win him over because I have no intentions of going anywhere this time around.

I lost out on fourteen years with Zoey, but I won't give up another minute if she'll give me a chance.

"Where did who go?" I ask.

"Zoey and Liam."

My stomach lodges in my throat.

They're missing? Fuck, I should have figured he'd do this.

I start looking around frantically, without any sign of either of them.

"Shelby's gone. He broke it off with her to get Zoey back," I tell Phoebe, still scanning the room looking for her.

"Goddammit," she says, pulling her arms off mine to get a better look around the room. "That little prick."

"What's going on?" Zoey's mom asks.

"Liam's being a dickhead again," Phoebe says and then turns to me.

"Do you love my sister?" Phoebe asks, her eyes tearing into me.

It's a lot to ask of a man to admit something he's barely admitted to himself, but I know the answer the second she asks. I've known it since the day Mrs. Sharp's husband sent a clown to our classroom, and Zoey jumped into my arms for safety.

I knew I wanted to be her safe place forever, and that's never changed.

"Yes," I say simply.

"Then go find her!"

As I make my way toward the hallway, panic pushes me faster with each step, and I hear someone call out my name.

"Brent!" Zoey's dad's voice stops me in my tracks.

I turn around and see Mr. Kloss standing there, his eyes narrowed in a way that instantly makes my chest tighten. For a second, I think he's going to give me hell again—like he's done every time we've crossed paths since I stood Zoey up for prom. But I don't have time to wait for him to say whatever it is he's about to. I need to find Zoey. I need her to know how I feel, and I can't wait another second.

Before he can speak, I blurt out, "Mr. Kloss… I know you don't like me. And even more so, I know you don't trust me because of what I did to Zoey all those years ago, and if I were in your shoes, I wouldn't like me either. But I love Zoey," I tell him. He doesn't look surprised by my admission in the least. He just stands there listening, stepping closer as I explain. "I've loved her since the moment I met her, and I had no idea that the decisions I made to trust Liam with her would haunt me for the last ten years. I screwed up back then—more than once—but I'm not going to let that happen again. I'm going to spend the rest of my life making it up to her, proving to her that she can count on me, that I'll always be there for her. No more running away. No more excuses."

His expression doesn't change for a beat, but then something shifts in his eyes. He crosses his arms over his chest and lets out a deep breath, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.

"Good," he says gruffly, nodding his head toward me. "Because that fucker Liam's been watching her all weekend, and I never liked that asshole."

I let out a chuckle, not prepared for his response in the least, but relief floods my body as Mr. Kloss steps closer, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"This weekend plugged a lot of holes in the story I knew. Now it all makes sense why you called it off. I now know why."

"You do? Who told you?"

I know I didn't but maybe gran said something? I doubt that Liam offered up the information.

"I'm a dad, Brent. I'm always watching, and if you ever have a baby girl, you'll understand," he says, uncrossing his arms over his chest and tucks his hands into his pockets. "Now," His voice comes in low and serious, "Go find my daughter."

I nod, my throat tight as I turn back toward the hallway. There's no time to waste.

I break into a jog, scanning the rooms as I pass them. This ends today—Liam isn't going to take Zoey away from me—not again. I'll fight for her with everything I have.

I look side to side down the hall, not sure where to go, but I take off to my left. I race down the hallway until something catches in the corner of my eye.

Liam's down on one knee with a ring in his hand.

He's proposing and she's standing there.

I watch for just a second, waiting for her to deny him, and then I see her nod.

She just said yes.

I feel like I just got a slapshot to the dick. The searing pain is impossible to describe.

I want to throw open the doors and out Liam for the shit friend and boyfriend he's been to both of us. I want to remind her that he dumped her for the women in college and then again for a woman three weeks before their wedding.

I want to tell her that he's been using her as a prize—a trophy to hold over my head, proving that the one thing I'd give up everything for is the only thing I can't have.

But I'll never fuck with her happiness.

I love her and loving her is watching her be with the man she wants, no matter how much it hurts that the man she loves isn't me.

I stare at them for a moment. She is still standing there in front of him, but I can't watch anymore. I can let her be with someone else, but I can't stand by and watch it.

I turn around and head for the elevator. My flight is in a couple of hours. And with Phoebe and David leaving for their red-eye, it's time for me to head home.

I did what I came to do.

I stood with my friend on the biggest day of his life, and the added bonus of getting Zoey to stop hating me.

And I finally got a taste of her. Though knowing I'll never wake up again with her asleep in my arms, will probably haunt me for the rest of my life.

I pass by the reception hall and my Gran comes out.

"Did you find Zoey?" she asks.

"Yeah, I did. She's with Liam."

Her eyebrows stitch together in confusion.

"What happened at prom, Brent? You told me that Liam showed up to take her. Why didn't you tell me that he never showed up? And why didn't you take her yourself?"

"Liam told me that he made a mistake. He was coming home that night to take her to prom. He told me that our friendship was over if I took her to prom. He didn't show up that night after he told me he was going to so that Zoey would hate me."

"You idiot," she says, shaking her head. "I knew it was something stupid like that."

"Gran, she picked him. It's over. I'm done. I have to grab my flight home to see Tessa."

"Tell her, Brent," she says, but I shake my head and walk past, heading for the elevator.

I head up to my room, change quickly into a T-shirt and athletic sweats, pack my small bag with all my belongings, and then head down to the lobby.

I shoot a quick text to David, telling him that I'm going to head to the airport for my flight.

He already knows my flight is before his, so it won't surprise him.

I take the elevator, relieved and disappointed that I did not see Zoey one last time. I can't see that fucking ring on her hand one more time. I spent years seeing it sparkle and taunt me at every get-together our friends would have. And Liam's smug smirk when he knew he had what I wanted.

I can't take any of that tonight.

My rideshare app says that my ride is here. I left the rental for Zoey. She needs it more than I do with all of her things.

I climb into the rideshare, and I don't look back as I leave Zoey and what happened between us in the past.

Right where all of us belong.