Page 24 of Going All In

Not the money. I don’t give a shit about that. But the idea that she could actually fall in love with someone else.

I don’t make bets without weighing the odds and likely outcomes, but this one I threw out without really thinking, which is way out of character for me. I’m starting to wonder if this was a good bet after all.

When it comes to Holly, suddenly I’m doing lots of things that are out of character for me.

When we FaceTimed last night, she was so vulnerable, honest. My heart broke for the baby that was surrendered. I can’t imagine what it’s like to see the seedy underbelly of society, day in and day out. To take care of children who are neglected, abandoned, or even those who are desperately wanted but whose parents can’t take care of them.

It’s clear just how much of herself Holly pours into her job. It was a side of her I hadn’t seen before, and fuck, I might have already fallen a little bit in love with her.

I take another sip of my whiskey. I need to clear my head, figure out my next move. The tournament will start up again tomorrow evening, but it’s three in the morning, and I doubt she’s awake. I send a text, both to cover my morning text and to see if she’s up.

Holly

Good morning, beautiful. It’s been a long night of poker, but I just wanted to let you know I’m thinking of you. Looking forward to seeing you in a few days. Dinner Tuesday?

“Texting your girl?” Cam lifts his glass of cola as a smile plays at his lips.

I scowl, jamming the phone back in my pocket. “None of your business. When you assholes find the one, you’ll be distracted, too.”

Blake chuckles. “Yeah, that’ll be the day.”

Cam clinks glasses with him. Ellie must have broken up with Cam again. We’ll see how long that lasts this time.

I don’t know what it is about Ellie. To me, she seems like a calculating bitch, but maybe I’m projecting my own past relationship onto her. I honestly don’t know why he keeps going back to her, other than some deep-rooted fear of failure. Like if he gets back together with her, maybe it’ll work this go round and they can ignore the fact that they’ve broken up twenty times.

We spend a while sipping our drinks. The danger of casinos is that they give you free alcohol as long as you’re playing, so you have to pace yourself. And even more dangerous are the railbirds, the girls who hang out at casinos just hoping for a chance with the poker players.

On a weekend like this, they swarm to us like moths to a light.

None of the guys I hang out with have ever really been into the scene of casino girls and railbirds, thank goodness. They’re a recipe for disaster.

I take a sip of my whiskey and let out a sigh.

“What’s wrong?” Blake clinks the ice in his glass as he frowns at me. “Don’t tell me you’re replaying your hands in your head. You had a great day.”

I shake my head. “Nah. It’s the girl. She wants to be friends. I’m playing the long game here. I just wonder if it’s going to pay off.”

Cam tips back the last of his soda. “Is she worth it?”

I sit upright, looking him dead in the eye. “Yeah, man. One hundred percent.”

He meets my gaze. “Then you have to believe it’s going to pay off. Don’t give up.”

A deep thought from a guy who breaks up with his girl every couple of weeks, but maybe he’s on to something.

I nod, deep in thought. “I’m going to head to bed. I want to get some sleep and be up in time to talk to Holly before we start up again tomorrow.” I down the last of my drink and place the glass on the table with a heavy thud.

Blake and Cam exchange glances.

I’m not in the mood for their judgment. I just want to get back to my room, take off my pants, and jerk off while I picture Holly’s body.

“You sure you’re in a good spot with all of this?” Cam finally breaks the silence.

Cam and Blake are as close to me as brothers. We’ve been supporting one another through tournament wins and losses, girlfriends that have come and gone. We’re family. But we’ve always prioritized one another over girls.

Until now.

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