Page 48 of The Game She Hates

His genuine interest in knowing the Lord reassured me, and I was happy to be part of his testimony. My dream of getting married way before thirty was on the verge of becoming a reality. So when he shattered my heart, I was left utterly bewildered.

Why hadn’t God intervened? Why had He even allowed me to meet Clay? All I wanted was a Christ-centered relationship, so it didn’t make sense that I had been deceived. And now, with Zane, I’ve been fighting my own battle rather than allowing God to shield me because I doubted whether He could prevent a heartbreak, since He hadn’t in the past.

May the trials in my life draw me closer to Jesus, not drive me further away. Help me to fully trust you again, Lord.

I hear a thud at my door, and Robyn bursts in. She sees the tears on my face and wraps her arms around me. “Don’t worry, I’m not sad. Beatrice gave me some food for thought.”

“Great. I came to show you this,” she says, holding her phone up to my face, displaying Zane’s social media profile.

“What? I don’t think I need to see his pictures to remind myself of him,” I scoff. If she thinks I haven’t already stalked his profile since the wedding, she really overestimates me.

“Read the bio, P,” she insists, her voice pitched with excitement.

I reluctantly glance at the screen and read aloud, “2 Corinthians 5:17.” A rush of warmth fills my insides as I recite the verse silently to myself.

‘Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come’

It’s one of my favorite verses.

“Did he tell you anything about this?” Robyn asks, her eyes wide.

“No, nothing. I mean, I haven’t exactly given him the chance to tell me anything, but this...has he always had this in his bio?” I’m now sitting up.

“Negative. I don’t check his profile often because he rarely posts anything, but the last time I looked, it was just his team and position on there.”

“I just prayed for clarity about him. It’s the first time I’ve truly asked for God’s will in this situation.”

“Well, consider this your sign. Next time I need prayers answered quickly, I’ll know who to turn to!” She tosses her hair.

Biting my lip, I say, “But this could also mean nothing. Lots of people walk around with verses tattooed on their bodies and they aren’t devoted Christians. Maybe he thought it was a nice verse. I’ve shared many verses with him before, and he’s never asked me to stop.”

“If this were a verse from the book of Proverbs, Psalms, or even Ecclesiastes, I’d be tempted to follow that train of thought,” she holds my gaze, “but, P, let’s be honest, that doesn’t sound like a verse anyone would willy-nilly put on their bio. Especially not someone like Zane who admitted to not believing in God over a month ago.”

“You’re right. I just hate tooting my own horn for nothing. But I must admit, I’m intrigued.”

“I think you should talk to him. Not just about reliving that magical kiss, but also to find out what he’s been up to these past few weeks.”

I shove a pillow in her face.

After the wedding, I told Robyn how I felt like Cinderella when Zane kissed me. I still picture his crestfallen expression when I referred to it as a mistake, and it breaks my heart. It didn’t feel wrong, but labeling it as such made avoiding him and his out-of-this-world charm seem easier.

“You know all about hockey. Do you think hockey players who bump into other people all day can really want salvation? Especially someone as popular as Zane?”

“Pearl!” Now she’s the one who hits me hard with the pillow. “You know Jesus came to save everyone. Anyone who calls on His name will be saved. And Zane Ortiz? I can easily picture him as a devoted Christian,” she says, closing her eyes as if having faith has a certain look. “In fact, he’s super close to the team’s captain, Tyler Collymore, who is unashamedly Christian. And I think Carson Adler is a believer too.”

It always surprises me how she still refers to them by their first and last names, especially since she’s already met Zane.

“I know. I sound awful. I just really don’t want to get my hopes up. I’ll text him,” I say, picking up my phone. It’s too late, he probably won’t see it until tomorrow.

“All right. We need to get some sleep if we’re planning to make it to the baptism tomorrow,” Robyn says, rising from my bed. I almost forgot about tomorrow.

Robyn and I like to attend every baptism. Some people come without their families to celebrate, and the church invites anyone who wants to join in welcoming their new life with them. Baptism Sunday is my favorite. It always reminds me of how my life changed when I sank into that water and rose back up. That’s when the verse in Zane’s bio became a truth in my life.

“Right. Good night, Robs. Love you.” I blow her a kiss.

“Love you too, P. I’m rooting for you two,” she says, holding up two fingers like a peace sign, slightly tilted for effect.

“Of course you are,” I reply with a grin as she closes the door.

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