Page 13 of Playing Games

“Now, you know that’s not true,” he contests. “Any given theory has many sets of data. I can’t imagine you don’t know that.”

My eyes widen. He’s right. Idoknow that. “Okay. What are some of your other data points?”

“I was born with a congenital heart defect. Had five surgeries before I turned one. I shouldn’t be able to play sports the way I do…my parents never thought I would. But when they checked me at age five, all my function was normal. A miracle is what they said, actually.” He laughs. “My mom took that pretty literally. My dad was tough, though. I mean, not in the horrible way you see some dads being, but he pushed me to be what I am in both life and football. He always expected excellence.”

“And how did that make you feel?”

He shrugs. “Pretty good, honestly. Because he expected a lot, but he had loads of patience and a never-ending willingness to provide the tools. He spent all his time on the weekends coaching my youth team and practicing with me. He sacrificed just as much as he demanded. I can’t think of a better person.”

Something about Blake’s fierce defense of his parents is comforting and humanizing. He seems like an enigma most of the time—like a freak star born of luck. The truth is that he and his parents scraped for every opportunity he has. It’s admirable.

I, in contrast, have never had to work that hard at anything. My intelligence and academic pursuits all came naturally. Myfamily, while unconventional, is loving, wealthy, and privileged, my dreams and possibilities endless.

It’s ironic, almost, that relating to other humans—something that should be basic instinct—is where I struggle the most.

“He sounds a lot like my uncle Remy. He’s given so much for our entire family, especially my mom and me, and yet, somehow, managed to make it seem like he actually enjoyed it.”

“Is he your mom’s brother?”

“Yes. Well, one of her four brothers. Though, I guess, technically, Finn and his brothers Reece, Travis, and Jack are my uncles too. Strictly genetically speaking, now that we know my mom’s bio dad is their bio dad too.”

Blake laughs so hard he almost snorts. “Pretty funny picturing ‘Fighting Finn Hayes’ as your uncle.”

I shake my head, but I also find myself laughing a little too. “I don’t think anyone has any plans to treat it that way. Finn and his siblings are my cousins’ and my generation. Not to mention, there’s no way I’m going to call him Uncle Finn when I’m six years older than him.”

The truth of my relation to Finn—and his siblings—came out shortly before his girlfriend Scottie Bardeaux was in a terrible accident during a cheerleading competition. To say it’s been a whirlwind of information over the past four weeks would be an understatement.

And while it might already seem pretty crazy, the reality of it all when it comes to Finn and my mother’s bio dad is even wilder.The man, Jeff Hayes, is now sitting behind bars for a murder he committed in the eighties.

Honestly, it sounds more like the plot of Ace’s dad Thatch’s favorite soap opera,General Hospital, than real life. Ever since they started streamingGHon Hulu, Thatcher Kelly—billionaire and financial whiz extraordinaire—has been driving my stepdad Wes nuts with phone calls and text messages about every storyline and plot twist.

Funny thing is, if you know Ace’s dad personally, his obsession with a soap opera isn’t a shock. The man is a proud lover of all things romance and drama. I honestly think that’s one of the reasons Ace’s mom Cassie ended up finding her way to writing romance books in her free time when she’s not busy on location for photography shoots.

“So, calling Fighting Finn Hayes your uncle is a no-go, then?” Blake asks, a teasing tone in his voice.

“Definitely a no-go…” I pause, scrunching up my nose. “And do people really call him that? Fighting Finn Hayes?”

“Not yet, really. So far, it’s just me. Hasn’t really caught on yet.”

“I bet he hopes it doesn’t.”

“You have no idea.” Blake grins. “Threatened me with lots of pain.”

My phone buzzes in my pocket, startling me briefly before I realize what it is. Sitting in the cloak of darkness with Blake, eating ice cream, I almost forgot the outside world existed.

I pull it out and swipe up on the screen to read the text message.

Ace Kelly: I know you can normally fend for yourself, but Jules and I have been worrying for two hours. Did you make it out of the stadium unscathed, or do I need to be contacting Wes’s lawyer?

I glance up at Blake, who’s sitting quietly and patiently. He’s not demanding I tell him about the sender, which somehow makes me feel even more like I should.

“It’s Ace. Just checking to make sure I’m not locked up.”

Blake laughs, nodding. “He texted me an hour ago. While you were picking out your ice cream. Wanted to make sure I’d still be eligible to play next year so I didn’t wreck his entire sports betting scheme.”

“You didn’t…tell him we’re together, did you?”

He cocks his head, and my throat feels thick. The last thing I need is Ace Kelly running all over campus telling people I’m dating a twenty-one-year-old quarterback or something.

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