Page 79 of Game Point
From Now On – The Features
My fingers stretched out along the cotton duvet, searching for him. My eyes barely open, the sunlight that trickled through the curtains blinding me. The morning glow served as a reminder that my time with him like this was almost over. The last of the sand in the hourglass had trickled down to the remaining grains.
When my hand only found more empty bed, I bolted up, all signs of sleepiness disappearing. He was gone. His side of the bed empty.
I looked around, searching for any sign of him. His shirt I’d clawed off, the shorts I’d thrown across the room. All gone, leaving me with only the scent of him on the pillowcase.
I launched myself out of the bed, grabbing a dressing gown and wrapping the material around my body as I stormed through to the guest bedroom.
The air mattress bed made up perfectly, no trace of him anywhere.
I ran down the stairs, feet almost stumbling over every second step. I crashed down to the ground floor, scrambling into the kitchen, looking out the windows into the driveway trying to see if I could find anyevidence he’d ever been here,if he’d left me without even saying goodbye.
There was nothing but his trophy still standing on the shelf, almost mocking me with his absence.
I kept trying to convince myself he wouldn’t have left. Not without saying goodbye. Not after the shit he’d given me. But the clamminess of my palms, the pounding race of my heart was left unconvinced.
I looked at the clock on the bookcase, seeing that I’d slept into the late morning. Maybe he’d caught his flight after all, last night was too much for him.Maybe he’d gotten what he wanted and left.I couldn’t handle the possibility, my knees weak under my weight, haunted by the memories of his kisses, his touch.
I’d have to burn this house down to escape the ghost of him. Maybe that would repair the tear I could feel in my heart, the pain in my chest that was so painful to breathe I wasn’t sure if I’d refractured my ribs.
How was I supposed to do this without him?I felt stupid and weak and disappointing all over again, too reliant on another person. He was my friend,my best friend, and without him, I had no hope.
I could live without more of last night. I’d survive on the memories. But without him around, his friendship and that stupid little smile.What would I do now?
‘Oh, you’re up.’ I span around, Oliver stepping in through the sliding back door from the yard. My heart fell into my stomach as his brows furrowed, his eyes looking me up and down. ‘Why aren’t you dressed yet?’
‘You’re … here,’ I managed, trying to organize thejumble of emotions, the dread turning into a relief that crashed into me like a wave.
His expression didn’t change as he said, in a firm voice, ‘I said I’d stay.’
I could hear the unsaid words. ‘I said I’d stay if last night was the only night.’
‘I know but …’ I tried to swallow down my desperation, willing him to believe I could separate what had happened from the rest of our friendship. After all, that had been the point. To work it out of our systems. We could be friendly and professional andnotdistracted by how his muscled thighs looked in the tiny shorts he was wearing.
I continued, ‘Without you around I’d probably end up starting another fire trying to make myself a meal.’
‘That’s not true.’ A light smile curled onto his lips. ‘Even with me around, the chance of a fire is still extremely likely.’
‘Two idiots are better than one.’
He nodded towards the kitchen. ‘Anyway, are you hungry?’
I thought of my stomach, still in knots over the possibility that he had left. If I ate anything, I was pretty sure I wouldn’t keep it down. ‘No.’
‘Okay,’ he said. ‘I’ll see you out on the court in five?’
‘The court?’
He chuckled slowly. ‘While some of us were sleeping away the morning, the rest of us were being productive. I cleared up the tennis court round the corner. You said it’s communal but it doesn’t look like it’s been used in a while.’
I tried to mentally catalogue the sporting goods I had in the house. I knew I had a few good rackets, but mostof my things were probably quite old, maybe even still at my parents’ house. ‘We don’t have that much equipment.’
Oliver shifted on his feet, looking down at the floor. ‘I might have been stocking up.’
‘When?’
He looked out the window at the front of the house, avoiding my gaze. ‘All those deliveries that were for me and I told you it was just clothes or books … it was basic equipment I was storing for when you changed your mind.’
