Page 57 of The Games We Play
But no matter how much I wanted to lean in, to let the past go and fall again with abandon, I couldn’t. Not yet.
The hurt was still there, curled in the corners of my heart, waiting. And if I gave in too easily, if I folded now because of a few flirtatious words and a bouquet of my favorite flowers… what message would that send?
No. He needed to earn it.
Because this time, I wasn’t giving myself away so freely.
16
MAC
Thursday morning had arrived, which meant one thing: my penciled-in appointment with Aspen at the bar.
I’d been doing my homework—literally. The stack of romance novels Penny had helped me check out from the library sat in a neat pile upstairs on my little dining table, their spines already worn from how often I flipped through them. I had to admit, they weren’t half bad. Actually… they were kind of addictive.
Some of them were funny as hell, and even though I wouldn’t say it out loud, I’d caught myself lying in bed last night, laughing like a damn fool. I never thought I’d relate to a guy in a romance novel, working to win back the girl, but here we were.
Aspen had insisted I use little sticky tabs to mark the parts that stood out—lines I liked, things I could maybe steal and adapt for my own version to use on Penny.
I went overboard, of course. There were tabs everywhere. Bright neon slivers stuck out like confetti from every edge of the pages. Dialogue that made me smirk. Scenes that sparked ideas.
I hadn’t expectedsomuch sex. These sweet little covers with pastel colors and sun-dappled fields? They were hiding a lot of heat.
It made me wonder—if these were Penny’s favorites, did that mean she’d fantasized about all this? About being wanted like that?
My chest tightened, pulse picking up. The thought of her reading those pages, biting her lip, cheeks flushed—it was enough to scramble my focus.
The book was still open on the bar top, one arm propped beneath me as I hunched forward to keep reading while I waited for Aspen. I brought the cigarette I held in my fingers to my mouth, taking a long drag and then exhaling. My eyes scanned the paragraph again, but I wasn’t really processing the words anymore.
Before I could make it past the next page, the front door opened with a familiar chime. Aspen strolled in like she owned the place. Her blond hair was clipped up in a messy twist, and she wore a cap-sleeved dress with worn-in sneakers that somehow made her look effortlessly put together.
I straightened to my full height, closed the book, and placed both hands on the bar.
“I see you’re already getting to work,” she teased, sliding onto a stool and tossing her tote onto the seat next to her.
“Already finished two,” I said, holding up the book I’d just been reading like a trophy. “This is number three.”
Aspen let out a low whistle. “And?”
I tilted my head, rolling it side to side in a noncommittal shrug. “First of all, I wasn’t expecting that much sex,” I said with a laugh. “But hey, I’m not complaining.”
The bell above the door chimed again, and before I even glanced up, instinct took over. I grabbed the book and tucked itunder the bar like it was contraband. The last thing I needed was anyone catching me readingthatand trying to figure out why.
When I did look up, adjusting myself like I hadn’t just been hiding something, I saw Theo walking toward us.
My brows pulled together in confusion. I turned to Aspen, expecting her to glance behind her to see who it was—but she didn’t. She was already looking at me, that pained, guilty smile written all over her face.
“You knew she was coming,” I whispered, my voice low and tense.
Aspen didn’t deny it. “I had to tell her, Mac. She’s my best friend.”
I groaned. “You gossip.”
“I had my fingers crossed!” she said, trying to sound innocent.
Theo slid onto the stool beside Aspen, propping her chin up with her hand and sighing dramatically. “Oh, Mac… you’re in someserioustrouble, I hear.”
I dropped my head forward, groaning again as my shoulders sagged.
