Page 15 of A Game Plan for Love

The four of us pile into Deon’s hotel room, and I’m shoved onto the bed, barely turning before I crush the plastic bin and all of the important things inside. Once I’m positive nothing was broken, I turn to my teammates who stand at the edge, each with a different facial expression.

Henry is wide-eyed, confused, and slightly panting.

Jack is wearing a massive grin as he assesses me.

Deon is slack-jawed, but his gaze is wary and unsure.

Personally, I am floating on cloud nine.

Since I began dating again after my rookie year, a connection with someone has eluded me. I’ve gone on dates and I’ve been clear in my intentions, but I never found what my friends have found. Turns out what I was searching for has been right in front of me, I just didn’t know I needed to look.

“We’re waiting,” Henry says, tapping his foot.

“It happened.”

My heart does a one-eighty flip in my chest as I picture Addie’s tentative smile as she extended the bin in my direction.

“And?”Deon’s voice jumps an octave. “You were down my throat about falling in love and zinging last fall, and all you’re giving us is ‘it happened?’ Details. Now.”

“She gave me this,” I lift the trash can, “and then I felt it. Thezing.” I open the lid, and they lean forward to peer inside. “It’s a care package.”

“How long have you been dating? When do we get to meet her? Is she cool?” Jack reads out the questions from his phone. “Maren is a hard-hitting journalist, but I second her questions.”

He smiles down at his phone when another message dings, but he doesn’t share this one with us.

I blanche when all the attention is back on me.

How do I tell them I zinged with Deon’s favorite nutritionist, who happens to work for the team we play for, which could get weird, especially if she didn’t zing with me?

I’m still in a state of bliss. I haven’t quite made it to the point where I can digest the logistics and reality of the situation.

“You’ve met her,” I say quickly, hoping they miss it, then add, “She’s super cool. The best. Totally awesome.”

Deon’s eyes narrow, and he takes a step forward. “How long have you been dating?”

I don’t miss the undertone of suspicion in his question.

“Well…” My mouth opens and closes a few times, “The thing is—”

“Spit it out, man!” Henry yells.

“It’s Addie!” I scream in response, clutching the trash can.

Why does he need to yell? I was working my way there, just trying to find the words without sounding like a crazy man.

“My Addie?” Deon questions.

“She’s notyourAddie. She’smyzing,” I counter.

“She’s also her own person,” Jack adds, bringing Deon and I back down to Earth. That was going down the wrong path.

Henry flops down onto the bed beside me. “I think I’m missing a few pieces.”

I explain how I stumbled upon her date from Hell and saved her, and the picnic we had after. How we called Deon to mess with him and her intercept after I gave them their boxes. They wince when I tell them why she asked how I was doing.

“I know it wasn’t intentional,” I add, when the quiet becomes suffocating.

“Just because it wasn’t intentional doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt you,” Jack says, laying a hand on my shoulder, “I’m sorry. You should never feel like you’re on the outside looking in.” He peers down at the bin, which I still hold tightly to my chest, as if it will disappear if I let it go. “But it seems like someone recognizes that.”

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