Page 76 of Game Changer
“You’re right,” I admit as Daniel swerves to avoid a patch of black ice. “He’s an idiot.”
Maddie pushes a stray blond curl behind her ear, and I can’t glance away fast enough to avoid catching what I’m assuming is an expression of pity. Her ice-blue eyes are identical to Ethan’s, but that’s what I get for dating my best friend’s brother. I’ll be reminded of him every time I look at her. “I hate seeing you like this,” she whispers. “You’ve never been this down about a guy before.”
“Because I haven’t. Ethan was different. In so many ways.” My vision blurs with tears threatening to spill. “I’m in love with him, Maddie, but there’s nothing I can do to fix it. My life isn’t going to play out like Daniel’s and Theresa’s.” I fling a hand at the laptop in annoyance. “I’m not going to get a happily ever after because it doesn’t happen in the real world.”
“Don’t you dare.” Maddie narrows her eyes into slits. “I hate these movies, but I watch them for you because you always claimed it would be a dream for your love story to play out this way. And itwill, whether it’s with my brother or not.” A pause, and then, “I don’t know why you didn’t tell me about your parents. I could have been there for you.”
“Because I didn’t want you to think badly of them. My parents are kind people, and they’ve always wanted the best for me, like any parent would. It’s just, sometimes I think they replace my dreams with theirs. They want me to have what they never did, but what if that isn’t what I want? If I’m being honest, I’d take the struggle they went through if it meant I could go through it with Ethan.”
“Fuck.” Maddie grabs a tissue from her nightstand and blots her cheeks. “You know I’m a crier. I can’t help it. Have you told your parents that?”
“Well, I tried to, but it resulted in that huge fight. After Ethan left, I wasn’t in the right headspace to talk to my parents, and I didn’t feel like staying. I took the first bus back here and haven’t spoken to them since. Their phones aren’t in service.”
“Maybe you should talk to them again now that everything has cooled down.”
I bite nervously on my lip. “I’ll have to at some point. I can’t stay angry with them forever.”
“Exactly. I’ve never seen two people made for each other like you and Ethan. Yeah, he’s my brother, and you were nervous about telling me at first, but I wasn’t shocked because it just made sense. I think it always has.”
I sniffle and wipe away more tears with the sleeve of my shirt. “Really?”
“Totally. I suspected he had a thing for you growing up. I mean, who pays for someone to go to Disneyland if they’re just friends?”
My entire body stills.
I’m certain I’m not breathing.
There’s nowayI heard her correctly.
“What did you just say?”
Maddie gets flustered, her cheeks reddening by the second. “Wait, didn’t you know? Cameron told me a while ago that it was never a scholarship. Ethan gave the money to their coach since he was a chaperone on the trip. I assumed he told you.”
No, he hadn’t, but I should have known it was him when that random scholarship popped up a week after I vented to him about it in his kitchen. It’s not like this is a revelation or anything about how much he cares for me, because he’s shown it every time he’s with me. This is just another item added to the never-ending list of how perfect he is for me.
He may not be interested in a career that’ll rake in six figures a year, but the more time I spend around Ethan, the more I realize that wealth comes in different forms than money. I wouldn’t mind living in a small house with a tiny picket fence if it meant sharing all my days with him, because he brings everything important to the table. Love, stability, patience, compassion. I could go on for hours.
When a knock sounds at my door, I tell Maddie to hold on and check to see who it is. No one is out in the hallway when I open it, but when I glance down, a smile forms on my lips for the first time today.
It’s a pint of cookies and cream ice cream with a plastic-wrapped spoon on top.
And when I bend down to pick it up, I see a yellow sticky note on the front with handwriting I’d recognize anywhere.
Since I can’t wipe away your tears (thin walls), I figured this would be the next best thing that could.
God, why is he soflawless? The man couldn’t have one thing wrong with him if he tried. We’re both hurting from this breakup, yet he still took the time to grab something to make me feel better. He’s the kind of man who would do anything for me. He’d share his coat so I could stay dry. He’d spend his summer savings so I could go on a trip I’ve always wanted. He’d learn a second language to fit in with my family. He’d share the last bite of cookies and cream ice cream because it’s my favorite flavor. He’d—
“Are you laughing?” Maddie’s voice seeps from my phone into the room. “What happened? Who was it?”
I pick my phone up and shake my head in disbelief. “I’m just now realizing that Ethan is Daniel.”
“What?”
“From the movie,” I say. “The guy who’s an idiot driving in a blizzard to get to the girl because he can’t wait until morning? It’s Ethan. He’d be the type of man to do the same for me.” He’s everything I’ve ever wanted. Everything I’ve been searching for. He’s met all my high standards and then surpassed them, and it’s time someone does the same for him. “But he doesn’t need to drive in the blizzard. For once, I’m turning the rom-com stereotype on its head. The guy doesn’t always have to chase the girl, Maddie. Sometimes, the girl needs to risk her life in a blizzard for the guy, you know?”
“I’m not following.” Maddie seems concerned. “Are you okay? What’s going on?”
A flood of determination enters my system, and rather than wait for it to pass, I’m going to grab the bull by the horns and try this rodeo again.
