Page 129 of The Games We Play
No one had everlistenedwith such intent.
The groceries in my fridge.
The fresh roses.
My favorite books lined up neatly on his shelf.
And those damn blueberry waffles in his freezer.
Every single thing screamed,I see you.
And it was… too much.
Not in a bad way. But in the kind of way that made it hard to breathe through the swell of emotion gathering in my chest. I needed time. I needed space. I needed my best friends to help me make sense of this.
The pop of the toaster made both of us flinch. Mac turned toward the sound, pausing as he exhaled a shaky breath.
He didn’t say anything, just focused on the waffles.
It was the perfect move because if he’d come any closer, if he’d touched me or looked at me with those warm brown eyes, I might have crumbled.
Right here in this tiny kitchen, I felt it happening.
I was falling in love with Mac Ridley. Again.
And I wasn’t sure my heart was ready.
38
PENNY
Mac: Get the hell over here now
Penny: What? Omg is everything okay? I’m getting ready to go to Aspen’s
Penny: Do you need me to swing by before?
Penny: Mac?
Mac: If you said any other plans besides going to Aspen’s, I would’ve taken you up on that
Penny: So it isn’t an emergency?
Mac: I’m starving… and I’m craving you
Mac and I were back at it—full steam ahead. We couldn’t seem to keep our hands off each other. Ever since that night, my body craved him like a drug, my skin humming with the memory of his touch.
I wanted to imprint myself on him, sew us together so I could carry that feeling with me twenty-four-seven.
But real life didn’t allow for that kind of constant closeness.
So tonight, I did the next best thing—I sought out my people. Not for the kind of soft, sugar-coated advice Sandy would give, but the raunchy, real talk I knew I’d get from my girls.
Ellie, Theo, and I were holed up at Aspen’s cabin for a much-needed girls’ night. The plan was simple: face masks, at-home spa treatments, too much wine, and board games we never finished because we talked too much. Right now, Theo and I were stretched out on the floor, heads resting in the laps of Ellie and Aspen while they brushed our hair like we were thirteen again.
Each of us wore a charcoal face mask, hoping it would bring our skin back to life. I silently wished mine could erase the sleepless nights I’d had—nights where Mac filled every dream, every toss and turn.
“This is my first full night leaving Frankie with just Rhodes,” Theo sighed, her voice soft but laced with guilt.
