Page 51 of The Game She Hates

33

Pearl Davis

“So, Captain, huh?” I muse as Zane and I leisurely walk through the park after an amazing lunch, where he shared with me how the Lord revealed Himself to him.

The sun on my neck rivals the thunderstorm that welcomed Robyn and me this morning. The air carries the sweet scent of blossoming flowers, mixed with the earthy scent of recent rain. Vibrant tulips and daffodils add splashes of pink, yellow, and orange to the landscape, their petals dancing in the soft breeze.

Families are spread out across the park, relishing picnics on checkered blankets, while children’s laughter fill the air and dogs frolic in the grass.

This date feels like something out of a perfect picture.

There have been countless moments in my life when God answered prayers in ways that surpassed my understanding. This is one of those moments. I have no doubt that Zane is the one for me. It may have taken me a while to realize it, but I wouldn’t change a single thing about how God brought us together. Knowing that my role in his faith journey is minimal reassures me that this is genuine.

“Yes, I still can’t wrap my head around it, and I probably should have seen it coming. Tyler is a great captain, and I have big skates to fill.”

“Skates?” I ask, noticing the use of “skates” instead of “shoes.” He grins in response. “Why weren’t Tyler and Carson here? Did you tell them you were getting baptized?”

“No, actually, I didn’t think to invite anyone. I didn’t realize people usually invite friends and family. I’m so glad you showed up. At least you and Robyn were there to witness it.”

“You should tell them now. They’ll be so excited. I can’t imagine a friend of mine getting baptized and me not knowing about it.”

“I will, but first let me get used to this,” he says, glancing down at our intertwined fingers. “I never thought holding hands could feel this way.”

“How does it feel?” I ask, meeting his gaze as he takes my other hand.

“It feels like I never want to let you go, my Sweet P,” he confesses, drawing me in with his eyes. “It’s like your hands were always meant to be in mine.” He steps closer. “It feels right, it feels real, and it feels promising.”

All I manage to say before our faces meet in a kiss is, “I feel all that too.” The kiss is just as magical as the first one, and my heart is content to have no doubts about Zane and me. We deepen the kiss, but all too soon, he pulls away.

“Are you going to keep doing that?” I ask dryly.

“I have to stop before I lose all sense. And with you kissing me so passionately, one of us needs to make sure we’re staying in the safe zone.” His words melt my insides.

“It feels so good to be on the other side of this conversation. I’m used to being the boundary police in my relationships, and honestly, it was exhausting and never worked out well. I desperately needed someone who could take charge.”

“Well, I’m only a man and just human. Please don’t overestimate me.” He gently holds my chin, causing tingles to spread through my face and neck. “But I really want to do this right. You are worth the wait.” He gives me a peck on the nose, and I feel a lump forming in my throat as I struggle to hold back the tears that come with finally hearing those genuine words from a man.

“I won’t overestimate you, but I want you to know that I trust you.” The words slip out.

I don’t even have to try. It’s like I naturally trust him.

“It means so much to hear you say this, Sweet P. I’m sorry if I reminded you so much of your ex,” he says, his brow furrowed. I use my thumb to smooth it out. Earlier at lunch, I told him about Clay and the real reason I kept pushing him away.

“It wasn’t anything you did. I realized I had stopped relying on God in my love life because He didn’t prevent men from hurting me in the past. Just by looking at you, I concluded you might be like the others and did what I thought was best for me and my relationship with Jesus—I ghosted you.

“But yesterday, I was reminded that in this fallen world, people hurt each other, and painful circumstances happen and will keep on happening. Despite this, God remains good and true all the time. Trusting Him doesn’t mean understanding everything, but standing by Him even when we don’t understand our circumstances.”

He gently tugs my hand, gesturing for me to sit on the bench, and I follow him. “Being a devoted Christian is hard.”

I pull my eyebrows together in a frown, not because I believe that carrying your cross daily is a walk in the park—although moments like sitting here with Zane in this beautiful park are erasing all the hardships I’ve been through from my memory—but he talks about it like there’s a specific challenge he’s referring to. “What makes you say that?”

“My dad’s out and he wants to see me.”

My eyes widen and my mouth falls open.

“I keep having this unsettling feeling that God will make me go see him. And I just don’t think he deserves for me to hear him out. That would be like giving him another chance to hurt me. Look at me, it’s taken twenty-eight years for me to finally see life differently. I can’t let him ruin this next chapter of my life.”

“Zane, the Lord never forces us to do anything. That would go against the free will He gave us,” I say gently, opening his palm and intertwining our fingers. “But I also just told you that fear of being hurt again caused me to not give you a chance before, and look at how well we fit.” We both glance down at our joined hands. “Don’t let fear be the lens through which you view your life anymore. I learned this lesson yesterday.”

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