Page 84 of The Dating Game

“Seems like maybe you’re not fine,” I accuse. “Which is funny, since I sort of thought you’d be jumping up and down and spinning in circles chanting, ‘I told you so’.”

“Ha-ha-ha,” she titters, but there’s no real humor in the words. She looks…mad. But why?

That’s it. Turns out I’m not the only one with tells, and right now Sydney’s odd behavior is telling me she’s hiding something. “What are you not saying right now, Sydney?” I demand.

Sydney’s eyes widen, darting glances between me and my sisters.

“You’re right, Brooke,” Jill declares. “She’s definitely hiding something.”

“Yeah, look at the way her leg is jiggling,” Hannah points out.

I cross my arms over my chest and stare Sydney down. Next thing I know Hannah is next to me, standing shoulder-to-shoulder, her arms also crossed over her chest. Jill joins our trio not long after. We’re basically Charlie’s Angels staring her down and it totally works.

“Fine!” she cries, throwing her hands up in the air. “I am hiding something, okay?” She sucks in a breath then with a burst of speed blurts out, “Corbin accidentally let it slip that Will knew about the bet from the beginning and has been purposefully trying to scare youaway because of it. Which just makes me so mad— not to mention I feel like the worst friend for pushing you two together. Corbinbeggedme to let Will tell you, but then I saw his smarmy face and how happy you are, and I just couldn’t do it!”

There’s a whooshing in my ears. A barrage of images play in my mind like a slideshow set to triple speed: Will wearing neon and short shorts, Will honking his horn at me, Will not being interested in talking on our first date, Will’s disgusting car, Will correcting every little thing on the golf course, Will inviting Corbin on our date…oh my goodness.

“Wait, the bet is still going on?” Hannah asks in confusion. And wait, she knew too? “I thought you lost because Grant broke things off with you.”

“What bet?” Jill is lost. “There was a bet?”

I barely hear her. A second montage of images has started playing in my mind: Will salsa dancing with me, late night conversations with him, Will bringing me my favorite drink, Will doing Mad Libs with me, Will teaching me how to serve, Willkissingme.

A gasp of pain shudders through me.

It doesn’t make sense. If he’s been trying to scare me away how could he do all of those wonderful things with me? How could he kiss me like that?

Has it all been a lie? Did the game switch for him? When he couldn’t scare me away he decided to break my heart instead? Be as wonderful as possible then walk away from me?

“Brooke, honey, are you okay?” Sydney’s voice is small but full of concern. Unbeknownst to her, the question only increases my pain.Honey. Will calls me that.

“I need to get some air,” I say. Then, without waiting for an answer, I hurry past them, picking up my pace to a jog as soonas I’m through the bathroom door. I hear them call after me, but I don’t stop. I’m through the back exit of the aquarium in seconds, but I still don’t stop.

Pressure is building behind my eyes, and I don’t want anyone to see me cry.

I run until I reach the otter habitat, then I sink down onto a bench outside of it and bury my head in my hands.

The worst part of all of this is that it’s not like I can blame him for turning our relationship into a game. Not when I’m the one who started the game in the first place.

No, scratch that. The worst part is that I’ve fallen in love with a man who doesn’t love me back.

***

Will

“There you are.” Corbin steps up next to me. I just finished brushing my teeth with one of the toiletry kits they brought and was scanning the group for Brooke without luck.

“Corbin, hey.” I force myself to stop my searching and focus on him. He did fly all the way out here to check on me, after all.

Or possibly just to spend some more time with his new girlfriend.

It’s a toss up.

“Hey.” Corbin has this sheepish expression on his face as he faces me. Odd. “Look, I got interrupted trying to tell you this earlier, but I really need to let you know something.”

“What’s up?” I ask, my curiosity piqued.

Corbin scrubs the back of his neck then coughs. “Okay, here’s the thing,” he begins, “you know I haven’t dated much, or really at all, since Amy’s death.”

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