Page 124 of The Wrong Game

Still, I couldn’t stop trembling.

But maybe part of that was more fear-induced.

Belle had finally talked sense into me last week. She knew me better than I knew myself, it seemed, and once she’d opened my eyes to what I was walking away from, I’d wanted to smack myself for being so stupid.

It’d taken me a few days to get myself together, to figure out what I wanted to say and how. I debated calling him, texting him, but every thought in me kept coming back to how we met — to how it all started.

It was just supposed to be a game.

It was just supposed to be me, stepping out and “dating” a little, finding some human connection. It was just supposed to be him, helping me break into it all, serving as a “practice round.”

Now, it was hard to even remember what it was like, back when I saw Zach as a nuisance, as someone I needed to avoid, as my trial run. I was so scared of him… and part of me still was. But, the difference now was that I was ready to face that fear with him. I was ready to try, to risk everything — because even though I said I didn’t, I trusted him.

I just hoped he trusted me, too.

When I knocked on his door last night, I wasn’t sure he’d let me in. Thankfully, it was Pamela who got to decide if I could enter or not. It’d been all I could take, seeing him in that bed with his family, watchingSilver Linings Playbook, his eyes underlined with the same dark circles as mine. He looked as miserable as I felt, and it took everything in me not to ask his family to leave, not to crawl into that bed with him and have him hold me as I cried and begged him to take me back.

But that wasn’t what I wanted.

I didn’t want to just show up and beg for a second chance. I wanted him to want this, too. I wanted him to take his time, take the night to think on it, to think onus.

If he showed up, I’d know.

And if he didn’t…

“And so, we meet again,” Janet said, scooting close to me as she rubbed her hands together. Roy took the seat next to her, a small nod his only gesture of acknowledgement.

I smiled, but confusion soared through me. “You guys are sitting here today?”

“Your friend gave these tickets back to us, said he couldn’t come to any more of the games this season,” Janet answered, her brows pulling together. “I thought he would have told you.”

A chill swept over me, but not from the wind. Of course, he’d sell his tickets. He didn’t show up at the last game. Why would he want to ever come to a game and sit next to me?

Butwhendid he give them back? Was he going to use the one I sent him… or was this it?

“Oh,” I said, smiling again. “Yeah, of course. He told me. I just didn’t realize he gave the tickets back to you guys. This is perfect, though! I need someone to boo with when the Packers score.”

Janet chuckled. “Well, you know I’ll cheer and boo right along with you.” She nodded back to Roy. “Don’t count on much from this one, though. It’s down to the wire for playoffs, you’ll be lucky if you see him blink the entire game.”

I laughed, casting a glance at Roy before my eyes met Janet’s again. Her gaze was soft, and she gave me a knowing smile, reaching over to squeeze the puffy arm of my jacket with her mitten-covered hand.

“Hey,” she said, voice low. “I don’t know what’s going on, but whatever it is, it’s going to be okay. One step at a time, that’s what my mom always told me.” She shrugged. “Even when it was hard to hear, it always seemed to ring true.”

I swallowed, the saying reminding me of advice my grandfather would have given. Janet didn’t even know about me and Zach, or about my past, but she knew in that moment that I needed to hear her words.

And I never could have thanked her enough.

The game started, and Zach still wasn’t there. I kept casually scanning the crowd behind us between plays, hoping I’d see him jogging down the stairs — but I never did. When the first quarter ended, the Packers were up seven to zero, and my stomach was a mess of knots for both my team and myself.

The energy in the stadium was palpable as the second quarter started, our defense getting the crowd on their feet every time we were trying to fight off another score. Our offense picked up the pace, and when halftime rolled around, we’d tied up the game. Seven to seven.

Zach still hadn’t shown.

“Do you want anything from the stands?” Janet asked. “I’m going to get us a couple of hot chocolates.”

I shook my head. “No, I’m okay. Thank you, though.”

My gaze was fixed on the field, where the halftime entertainment was, though I wasn’t actually watching any of it at all. Janet just gave me another small smile, squeezing my shoulder before she made her way up the benches.