Page 178 of Let the Game Begin

I made my way down to the living room after a while to avoid wallowing in my thoughts. I sat down in one of the armchairs while Alyssa and Logan talked to each other.

“I said you should go.”

As I watched, Alyssa started to gesticulate in a way that made it clear she was trying to convince Logan of something while he just shook his head and told her to stop.

“No, because you won’t be there,” she grumbled, touching his face, but her boyfriend responded with a disappointed look and a huff.

“Halloween’s a big celebration. You should go and take Selene with you.” Logan looked at me, and I gave him an understanding smile, but honestly, I still wasn’t tracking the conversation.

“What are you talking about?” I asked, arching a curious eyebrow.

“About the huge Halloween party Bill O’Brien’s having. He’s rented out this actual mansion for a spooky costume party,” Alyssa answered excitedly.

“And who’s Bill O’Brien?” I asked.

“You don’t know? He’s one of the hottest basketball players on campus,” she answered, like we all had a moral duty to keep tabs on the university’s hot dudes. I shrugged and draped my legs over the arm of the chair.

“Okay. So?”

“So every year, he and the rest of the team throw a big rager that everyone goes to and now Alyssa wants to skip it because of me.” Logan gestured to his leg and his girlfriend sighed, rubbing his arm.

I understood Alyssa perfectly. If my boyfriend had been injured in an accident, I wouldn’t have gone to a party, either. I would much rather have spent Halloween with him.

“I don’t know; it just doesn’t seem right,” she murmured, looking down.

“Bring Selene along with you. It’s her first Halloween here in New York,” Logan suggested, as if I’d never seen a pumpkin before in my life.

“Shall I remind you, Logan, that Halloween is celebrated across the United States of America, including in Detroit?” I muttered archly, and he rolled his eyes. Too late, I realized that he was probably just using me to get Alyssa to agree to go.

“It would be better if you came, Selene,” Alyssa agreed with him, clapping her hands in excitement.

How would I improve the circumstances?

“Not a chance. I don’t like parties.” I gave my head a decisive shake.

“But it’s not just any party—it’s Halloween. And if you don’t go, I’m not going, either,” Alyssa insisted like a mischievous child, while Logan smiled and gave me his puppy-dog look, which was impossible to ignore. I glanced back and forth between the pair of them several times before rolling my eyes and giving in.

“Fine,” I huffed.

“It can be your last party before you leave,” Alyssa noted, her expression growing sad. Logan, unaware of my plans, also slowly stopped smiling.

“What?” he asked, and I ducked my head guiltily because I hadn’t yet told the rest of the family about my decision.

“Yeah,” I confirmed, uneasy. “I’m going home. I miss my mom,” I said, though that wasn’t the real reason.

“Are you sure? But you will come back, right?” Logan asked, sounding concerned as he searched my eyes. I nodded at the first question and didn’t answer the second. I worried my upper lip and smiled, trying to defuse some of the tension. I didn’t want to talk about it, so I changed the subject.

“Okay, then, so how about we watch a movie?” I suggested and the other two agreed.

***

We watched an extremely sad two-hour film. At one point, Logan fell asleep. Alyssa cried her eyes out at the ending, while I inhaled an entire bag of high-calorie chips that would probably go straight to my hips.

When Logan opened his eyes and Alyssa leaned into him, looking for cuddles and attention, I wished them both goodnight. Matt and Mia wouldn’t be home until later, so I decided to creep up to my room to give the pair a little privacy.

I took a hot bath to a soundtrack of “The Scientist” by Coldplay, my favorite band. Then I got into my oversized tiger-print pajamas. I slid my feet into fluffy slippers and flopped down on the bed, opening my MacBook. I reflected on how much I truly enjoyed my solitude. Unlike many other people, I’d never experienced it as a negative—far from it. Being on my own gave me time to get back in touch with myself and think about my choices, weighing what was right or wrong for me. The silence became meditative—a total peace that calmed my nerves and allowed me to relax.

Just then, my phone vibrated with an incoming text message alert. I jolted at the sudden buzzing sound and grabbed the phone with an annoyed exhalation.