Page 77 of Playing for Keeps
“Only if he feels the same way, and how do I know if he does?” I ask, uncertainty seeping into my voice.
“It’s okay to be scared,” Ash says.
“I’m not scared,” I lie.
“You’reterrified,” Paisley says without missing a beat. “I would be too. But Ivy… the way he looked at you in those photos? That wasn’t for the cameras. That was a man whoseesyou.”
I stare down at my wine glass, fingers tracing the rim. Iwantto believe them. I want to believe that maybe this time it’s different. That maybe someone like him could want someone like me.
But wanting something doesn’t make it true.
“I just don’t think he sees me like that. He’s used to being with models and actresses… I’m not one of them.”
“Maybe that’s exactly why he likes you,” Ash says. “Maybe he wants something real too.”
“Maybe,” I whisper, the word barely making it past my lips.
Ash’s eyes flick to my neck. “Is that the necklace he got you?” she asks, reaching to touch the delicate diamond resting against my skin. “It’s beautiful.”
“Wait, what?” Paisley sits up straighter. “He got you a necklace? For your birthday?”
I nod, my fingers brushing the pendant.
“Not just any necklace,” Ash adds. “It’s Tiffany.”
Taylor shrieks. “No way!”
Her outburst earns glances from nearby tables, but she doesn’t even notice or care.
“You got a Tiffany necklace from him and you’re still trying to convince us this is all fake?” she admonishes. “You’ve got to be kidding?”
“It was just a birthday gift,” I mutter, but the second the words leave my mouth, I hear how lame they sound.
Paisley narrows her eyes. “Since when do friends give each other diamonds? There’s nothing casual about diamonds.”
I wrap my fingers around my glass, trying to keep my face neutral, but it’s no use. Heat creeps up my neck and into my cheeks.
“I just don’t want to get my hopes up. Guys like Wyatt don’t end up with girls like me. This thing between us… whatever it is, it’s not going to last. It’s temporary.”
Ash leans in, her voice gentler. “But what if he feels the same, and he’s just as scared as you are? Maybe he thinks you’re not interested. Like you said, you’ve been friends forever, and it’s always been platonic. He might not know anything’s changed. You should talk to him.”
I shake my head, letting out a breath. “I wouldn’t even know how to start that conversation. Not after I tried with Nico and it blew up in my face.” I pause, my cheeks flushing again. “Therehavebeen a few moments, though. Times where I thought maybe…”
“What kind of moments?” Taylor prompts eagerly.
I hesitate for a second before giving in. “After he took me to the Cardinals stadium, I asked for one of his jerseys. I wore it to watch a movie later and… he just went quiet. Then he said he’d never seen anyone wear his number before, and he didn’t expect it to hit him like it did. He said it looked better on me than it ever did on him.”
Ash grins knowingly. “I wear his shirts, but I’m pretty sure his sister rocking his number doesn’t hit quite the same.”
I blink. “That’s exactly what he said.”
Paisley leans forward, her eyes sparkling. “And the club? That dance wasn’t nothing.”
I nod, the memory warm and vivid. “The music changed and I thought he’d suggest we sit down. But before I even realized what was happening, he pulled me into his arms. He held me like he didn’t want to let go. And the truth is, I didn’t want him to. It felt like it was just us in the room. Like everything else disappeared. I didn’t want it to end.”
For a beat, no one says anything. The table goes quiet, every eye on me.
“See?” Ash says. “You don’t fake moments like that. That kind of connection, you can’tactit. It’s real, Ivy. Even if neither of you has said it yet.”
