Page 98 of Game Point
Oliver didn’t say a word, he sat there in silence, his expression unreadable. After a beat, I moved the conversation along, ‘Will I order pizza?’
He looked at me, the reluctance clear across his face. At first, I was sure he was going to say no, tell me we could eat a salad or something shitty we had planned for tomorrow’s lunch. But surprisingly, a grin broke through the hesitancy. ‘Yes, but on one condition.’
‘What?’ I asked, his smile increasing in wattage.
‘Don’t tell your coach.’
I lay awake in my bed, staring at the opposite wall knowing Oliver was on the other side. I didn’t know what I’d been thinking the past few days. There was the embarrassment in the living room when I’d come too close to telling him how I felt, exactly how much I appreciated him.
Then there was the goddamn kiss.What was I thinking?
Why was I seemingly intent on acting like such an obvious love-sick idiot? I had to pull it together before I made the wrong move, and pushed him away.
Promising myself to do better, I turned over, wishing for the sweet relief of sleep to find me. But it was then the hallway light shining under the bedroom door caught my eye. I pushed up, sure that I had turned it off. Carefully I got out of bed, limping to the bedroom door.
I opened the door to find Oliver standing suspiciouslyin the hallway, a pillow tucked under his arm, his duvet thrown over his shoulder.
‘Where are you going? Was there another spider?’ I teased sleepily.
His panicked expression melted. He looked so good in just a thin cotton T-Shirt and a pair of shorts. ‘I’m going downstairs for a drink.’
‘With half your bed?’
His arms tightened around the items, holding them close to his body. ‘I like to be cozy.’
I looked at him flatly, trying to figure out what was going on. Realization hit me. ‘Are you sleeping on the couch?’
‘Um …’
‘Oh my God, are you sneaking downstairs to sleep on the sofa?’ I shrieked, horror dawning on me. ‘How long has this been going on for?’
He raised his hand, palm face down to calm me. ‘Not long.’
‘Since we got back from Brisbane?’ I questioned, watching as his face gave his answer away. ‘Longer?’ My voice grew louder and higher in pitch.
His hand rubbed at the back of his neck. ‘It’s been a few weeks.’
‘Why?’ I hated that he’d kept this from me, instead creeping around the house at all hours of the night.
‘The airbed was doing a murder on my back and we were focusing on your training, I didn’t want to be a distraction.’
‘Oliver, you’re my guest,’ I cried.
‘Uninvited guest.’
‘You let me believe the air mattress was fine.’
‘I didn’t want to complain.’
‘Because younevercomplain.’ I shook my head, thinking of that sofa downstairs. It was comfy enough to sit on, but to sleep on for weeks? My brows pressed together in question, ‘Is it even big enough to sleep on?’
He grimaced, muttering under his breath, ‘I curl up.’
‘Youcurl up?’ I tried to imagine him squished into the foetal position, or even worse, his legs sticking out of the end of the sofa. I bet he’d look pretty cute like that. I shook my head. ‘No, I can’t stand it. Come on.’
He partially followed me as I limped back into my bedroom, pausing at the doorway. Oliver looked at me strangely as I pulled my own cover up off the bed.
‘What are you doing?’ he asked.
