Page 60 of Delay of Game

I take a big sip of my drink and let her comment sink in. “It’s not that I don’t want to move on, I just—I’ve loved him for so long, and then he ditched not just me, but all of us. Twice!” I say, holding up two fingers in front of her face.

Olivia tries not to smile at how dramatic I’m being, but it slips anyway. I deflate a little and say, “You’re right, though. I need to be a mature adult about this. I think I just need to adjust to him being here on my own terms, you know. I can’t just flip a switch and pretend everything is fine.”

“I get that. I’m not asking you to, I just want you to be happy. If that means having a tough conversation with Jordan, you know I have your back. If it means dating someone else, I can also support you there. I just don’t want to see you go back to being mopey old Alice,” she says, twirling a strand of my hair.

I grab her drink and place them both down on the nearest table, enveloping her in a hug. “You’re my best friend, and I love you, you know that?”

“Duh, of course I know. Who else would watch aLord of The Ringsmarathon with you in one day? That’s true love right there.”

“Thanks for the advice,” I say, pulling back.

“Anytime. It gets me free babysitting, so I can’t complain,” Olivia says, and I cackle all the way back to our table.

CHAPTER 22

September

Alice

I managedto avoid Jordan for almost a month and a half, but I’m running out of excuses. I’ve skipped family dinners, claiming I had to put finishing touches on my book. I’ve also skipped visiting training camp, instead volunteering to babysit Valerie so Robbie and Olivia could have an extended kid-free weekend away.

The eight-month-old baby is staring at me with her wide green eyes as I change her diaper, giggling as I tickle her sides. I want one so bad, my ovaries might actually explode. But seeing as I don’t have a serious relationship, and the one person I’ve ever loved is the exact person I’ve been avoiding recently, I’ll stay content babysitting my adorable niece.

“Who’s the best baby in the whole world?” I singsong, and little Val flaps her arms at me to pick her up. I do so and hold her with one arm, snapping a selfie with the other and sending it to the group chat.

Alice

We’re about to have the time of our lives watching Disney movies.

Olivia

Aw, my favorite girls. :)

Robbie

Make sure she eats enough.

Robbie

And make sure she doesn’t pull on Caramel’s tail too much, he scratched her the other day.

I roll my eyes at my overprotective brother. I think out of the two of them, he was the one most reluctant to leave Val alone with me for the weekend. Olivia’s had to make a few trips already for a referee camp this summer, and she’s prepared to be gone during the season too, as her job will take her all over the Midwest.

My brother, however, takes the job of stay-at-home dad very seriously.

Alice

Okay, dad. She’s in good hands, don’t worry. Enjoy your weekend.

My phone pings again, but it’s not the group chat this time. It’s a text from Jordan.

Jordan

I hope you didn’t skip this weekend because of me.

I scowl and leave it on read, just like all the texts he’s sent me since January. For a while there, he got the hint, leaving mealone. But ever since he moved back, he’s started to pester me again. He makes it impossible for me to move on, and I dread the day that I’ll actually have to talk to him again in person.

Jordan

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