Page 51 of The Games We Play

His bright, blue eyes are never not smiling and his shaggy, dirty blonde hair has never changed. Actually, I think he cuts it himself when he’s bored.

The basic white T-shirt and cargo shorts he currently has on pair well with his beige flip flops and backwards cap, even though I doubt he had any thought of what he was wearing when he got dressed this morning.

You’d never know it by looking at him, but he never has to work again due to selling off not only the platform he created,but also, the rights to the code behind it to one of the most prominent tech companies in the world.

He’s an unpredictable jokester with a genius IQ, and half the time none of us know what country he is in or where he’s living.

“Dane, man. What have you been up to?” We finally pull apart in a brotherly hug as he kicks off his flip flops, and it reminds me of how Mimi does it before she steps onto her mat. Actually, come to think of it, they are almost identical in many personality traits.

I haven’t seen her practice this week and that…Well, frankly, it pisses me off. Not only have I come to rely on my dailyyogasessions, but I hate not knowing what she is doing,howshe is doing.

“I just got back from Italy, spent some time in Rome. The hostels there are wild, man. Wild.”

“Out of all the places you can stay. Hostels, really? Why don’t you at least get yourself a short term flat or something?” I ask as I pad my way to the kitchen where Hudson is holding a beer out to me.

“Because it’s fucking crazy fun. You can meet people in bars and some of the nightclubs, but hostels, hostels are where it’s at. You guys have to come with me sometime.” He wiggles his eyebrows, and all I can do is shake my head and laugh as I tap the neck of my beer with Hudson’s and take a swig.

Hudson is married now and would never look at another woman sideways, much less join Dane on one of histrips.

Me? Fucking kill me before I sign up to backpack through Europe, staying in shared rooms with random ass people.

“Never, not happening. Ever,” I reply, taking another swig of the excessively hoppy, bitter beer.

I don’t drink often, but whenever the guys get together, I let loose a bit. Especially with Hudson around, because I trust him and know he’s always got my back.

“So, how’s the obsession with your neighbor going?” Hudson asks.

I retract my previous statement.

Prick.

“You’re obsessed with your neighbor?” Dane echoes back in the form of a surprised question.

“No,” I lie.

An awkward beat passes, as we all take a sip, then another.

Dane glances between Hudson and I like there’s a secret we’re not telling him.

There is, but Hudson doesn’t even know about the history, either.

I’ve been in love with her since I was seventeen-years-old.

“Okay, come on, Shay,” Hudson finally says, his tone pleading, yet forceful.

He doesn’t usually push too much, but it’s been too long that he’s questioned the situation with Mimi, and I know I can’t hold him off any longer.

“Do you remember that camp my mom put me in the summer before senior year?”

Hudson looks up to the ceiling, his eyes bouncing around for a moment. “Oh yeah, that two week sleepaway camp you went to. The one you told me to ask my parents to sign me up for, but I couldn’t do it because I had baseball.”

“Yeah, well…I met her there.” I glance out the kitchen window, in another attempt to see if she’s walking by or if I can steal another look at her. I know she left this morning and don’t think she’s back yet, but the knowledge doesn’t help my brain searching for her, even when I know she’s not there.

“Wait a minute,” Dane jumps in. “You moved here, bought a house, and it just so happened to be next door to a girl you went to camp with?”

Hudson smiles. “No, he saw her at Afterburn months ago, stalked her, then scared off her neighbors with a shit ton ofmoney, buying their house so he could place himself next door to her.”

“That’s not…” I trail off…Well, I guess thatissort of how it happened.

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