Page 182 of Wanna Play A Game?

The overwhelming feeling of pain hits me in the chest, and there’s no fighting it. I lean over my knees and start sobbing heavily.

“Talk to me.”

I’m beyond talking. I cry and cry until the pain eases enough for mortification to seep through. Miles is rubbing my back. My breaths slow to hiccups.

The men are silent. I don’t think I can raise my head to look at them. I don’t even know what to say. I wanted it to be more? I wanted them to care about me more than the stupid fucking game? God, I’m an idiot. An idiot.

Chapter 91

Sawyer

Iclench my jaw so hard it hurts. Cali won’t talk to us. She looks devastated to be back with us, and that absolutely breaks me.

I wanted to say everything to her that I had rehearsed in the mirror. But when we got in the car, and she sat next to me, breathing and real, a bolt of fear hit me. What if she doesn’t feel the same way? What if she laughs in my face? After my mom, I’ve never let another woman in.

“We have to go,” Ryder says softly.

“Right.” I snap back to business. We have a flight to get on. It gives me something to do other than sit in these uncomfortable feelings. I carry Cali’s things to the plane. Miles walks her to the stairs, and she doesn’t even fight him.

And that hurts. I’d rather her fight than cry her eyes out and give up. Where the hell did this come from?

The plane ride is silent. Cali curls up on one of the seats and doesn’t say anything to us. I run my hand through my hair for the hundredth time.

Did we fuck up? Was she happy without us? God, she looked so excited to see us in the bar. I almost came in my pants seeing the look of fear and lust that ran across her face.

We didn’t come in time. She was already ready to leave us. That thought angers me.

When we finally get close, Ryder pulls me into the back of the plane. “I can’t take this anymore,” he hisses. “The tension in here is thick enough to cut. You need to talk to her.”

“In case you noticed, she won’t talk.”

Ryder crosses his big arms. “And why do you think that is?”

“I don’t know!” My chest constricts.

Ryder raises an eyebrow. “You don’t know?”

“Yes,” I hiss. “If it’s so obvious, why don’t you fill me in, big guy?”

Ryder sighs and runs a hand down his face. “You have to communicate, Sawyer. Tell her how you feel.”

My gut clenches. “How am I supposed to do that?”

“I don’t know! I can’t do it all for you, Sawyer.” Ryder throws his hands in the air. “If you really care about her, you’ll suck it up and apologize.”

He walks back to his seat. Fear floods me. When Miles and I get into fights, I just pretend like nothing happened, and we go back to living as if nothing happened.

I steel myself. I can learn to apologize. Right?

I don’t think I can bear it if I apologize and she runs again. I can’t lose her…again. I don’t think I’d survive it.

Chapter 92

Cali

Iwatch out the window as we descend. The morning sun shines off a thick layer of clouds. I see an island in the middle of the ocean as we descend through them. It’s mostly forest, with a few cliff faces and some rocky beaches. Curiosity fills me. Where are we?

When we touch down, and the plane comes to a halt, Miles holds out his hand.