Page 35 of The Game She Hates

“I don’t know what else to call it. The guy is clearly into you. He’s not like some of the other guys on his team, always chasing after women. And you, I’m not blind. I know you are avoiding him because you don’t want to let on that you’re into him too.”

“He’s just a man used to girls falling at his feet, and he finally found someone who doesn’t find his game and everything he stands for that impressive.”

Robyn settles back into her seat, locking eyes with me. “Come to the game with me on Thursday. If you still think he’s unimpressive after that, I’ll never tell anyone you hate hockey. I’ll just keep it to myself that my bestie is deranged.”

I laugh. “You’re joking, right? I’m already not talking to him, and now you want me to go cheer him on? Do you realize what kind of mixed signals that sends? He’ll definitely think I’m into him.”

“But you totally are,” she winces. “But seriously, we won’t sit in VIP; he can’t see everyone in the stands. We’ll leave right after the game.”

“Why should I agree to this?” I’m so confused that we’re even having this conversation. Robyn has never invited me to a game before. She knows I won’t even watch it on TV. Although I did once at Kate’s, but she doesn’t know that. Maybe she’s asking because she’s certain a part of me wants to go see Zane in his element. She wouldn’t be wrong.

“You’re not as apprehensive as I thought you’d be,” she quickly adds. “So it’s a done deal. I’ll even get you a ticket. You don’t have to worry about a single thing.” She flashes one of her signature big grins, knowing she’s gotten her way.

How did I agree to this?

24

Zane Ortiz

It’s just me and Tyler left in the gym. With everyone else having gone home after our lifting session, I seize the chance to ask him to stick around and join me on the stationary bike.

I’ve been wanting to pick his brain about my recent thoughts, but I haven’t found the perfect moment to broach the subject. Every time I’ve tried to bring it up, someone has interrupted us during our workout.

“What did you want to ask earlier?” Tyler asks, pedaling slowly. The goal isn’t to raise our heart rates, that’s for sure.

A feeling of timidity floods over me for a few seconds, but I remind myself that Tyler is the best person to ask about this. He’s been a friend when I wanted to know nothing about his faith, and he’ll walk me through my roadblocks without judgment.

“I don’t understand why God became a man to come to this world to die for our sins. Couldn’t he have maybe come to eradicate all the suffering instead?” I finally say, feeling a bit vulnerable.

A curve forms on Tyler’s mouth, his smile lines betraying the few years he has on us. “I know suffering seems like the world’s worst problem to us. But not to God. Sin is his biggest concern. It’s what brought suffering into the world back in Eden, and it’s what continues to perpetuate it. Sin is the one thing that separates God from human beings because He can’t coexist with it. That’s why He sent Adam and Eve out of Eden. After creating them and seeing that it was good, it must have broken His heart not to have a relationship with them. The only way to bridge that gap was through the sacrifice Jesus made on Calvary.”

I blink twice, trying to absorb this new information.

Dying for a relationship with us?

“What does a relationship with God actually mean?”

Tyler leans back slightly. “It means that after believing that Jesus is your Lord and Savior—acknowledging that He died for your sins—you can have fellowship with God,” he explains thoughtfully.

I widen my eyes. “In layman’s terms, please.”

“When you have a relationship with God, He is with you all the time.” He clears his throat. “When you’re suffering, He’s there to comfort and ease your pain, granting you peace amid life’s storms. When doubt creeps in, He strengthens your faith. When you’re lost, He guides you. You never have to face anything alone when you have a relationship with God.”

I feel a lump form in my throat as I’m about to share a piece of my pain with him. “Sometimes, I feel like no one can comfort the suffering I’ve endured. Never knowing my mom, and feeling responsible for her death in some way... It’s a burden no one I’ve ever met can understand. No one knows what it’s like to walk that path. It’s made me question if this life is worth...” I trail off, noticing his expression softening. “It didn’t help that I grew up with a dad who liked to remind me of the pain I brought into this world when I was born.”

Tyler extends his hand to rest on my shoulder. “I’m sorry. I can’t even begin to imagine how hard it’s been for you all these years. And I understand wanting someone else to fully understand your pain, but that doesn’t guarantee healing. Only Jesus heals.” He continues. “The Bible calls Him a man acquainted with sorrow. He faced suffering of all kinds, and I know for sure grief was one of them, having lost His earthly father and later a close friend whom He resurrected.”

He then dismounts from the bike, reaches into his pocket for his phone, and continues. “There’s a Bible verse my family and I always turn to in hard and painful seasons that reminds us to go to Jesus. It’s from Hebrews 4:15-16: ‘For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things just as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let’s approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need.’”

I’m amazed at how Tyler and Pearl have these Bible verses memorized. The Bible seems like a dense book and full of history, but when I hear these quotes, they’re exactly what I need at that precise moment.

“Thanks for sharing that,” I say. “Do you really think anyone can have a relationship with God? I mean, I’ve been unkind to people who didn’t deserve it—all in the name of trying to get even with the hand I’ve been dealt. I’ve pushed away people in my life who tried to care. Do you think I deserve this Christian life too?”

Tyler shakes his head, “You don’t deserve it, but neither do I. Nobody deserves the love God showed us on Calvary. He had His son suffer in our place. What we all deserved was to be on that cross. And I’m grateful God doesn’t give us what we deserve; that’s why salvation is a gift. We can’t earn His love, so neither of us can boast about doing something right.”

“How do I start this relationship with God?” I ask.

“You ask Him to come into your heart as soon as you believe in what He did. When you truly believe and invite Him in, He will come into your life. Then, you’ll need to exercise faith to believe it—it’s a continuous process of trusting and relying on Him. Building a relationship with God happens when you engage with His Word; it’s the primary way to know His nature and His will for us.

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