She's Got Game by Laura Heffernan

Author:Laura Heffernan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Published: 2019-05-04T16:14:51+00:00

Chapter 12

Cody’s words stuck with me as I surveyed my home-for-the-weekend, unpacked, took pictures, and posted a quick blog about the deal site where I booked this reservation. Despite my cracks about the armchair psychology, it bugged me that an almost-stranger understood me so well. Losing my mother did hurt, and it absolutely affected my worldview. For a long time, I’d been avoiding romantic entanglements. Dad had been so hurt when she left, and I never wanted to feel that kind of pain. Then there was the deep down fear that maybe I wasn’t good enough, so she left. Despite what my friends said, despite the self-help articles I’d read online, shaking those feelings took time.

Now, I’d met someone who claimed to care about me. Who enjoyed spending time with me, but claimed to want more. Who liked playing games with me and my friends. Who seemed like a genuinely nice person. Part of me wanted to set aside all my fears and go for it, especially after our kiss in the taxi. We had a connection, both physical and emotional. I wasn’t looking for it, but ignoring my feelings wasn’t making them go away. Unfortunately.

I hated knowing he was upstairs, a couple of flights away. I loved not knowing what room he was in. After all, it wasn’t like I could go knocking on doors looking for him. Not that I wanted to.

This was stupid. Cold shower, early to bed, and stop thinking about Cody, I told myself firmly. Great plan.

An hour later I’d devoured takeout from a place down the street and spent roughly twenty minutes staring at the ceiling, pretending to think about anything but him. Not the competition or how I’d beat him, which would almost be acceptable. No, I kept thinking about the way his mouth felt on mine and the taste and smell of him. Why couldn’t I feel this way about a nice, normal chef or accountant or airport worker? Why did it have to be another gamer? Not any gamer, but the gamer to beat. Ugh.

With a growl, I threw the covers back and pulled on a pair of yoga pants. Since sleep wasn’t happening, I might as well go check out the rooftop deck that inspired me to rent this room in the first place. Grabbing a beer out of the fridge and slipping into a pair of flip-flops, I took the stairs. Maybe physical exertion would make me tired, if nothing else.

The gust of fresh air pouring through the rooftop door when I opened it made me feel slightly better. I’d been expecting stars to pepper the night sky, stretching endlessly in every direction. Instead, thick storm clouds hovered on the horizon. In the distance, lightning danced on the surface of Lake Michigan. A breeze ruffled my hair, moving toward the storm, pushing the clouds. Below me, the lights of Chicago spread across the landscape in an imitation of the unseen stars.

Someone put a lot of love into this deck, carting up dirt and stones and flowers to create a glorious garden.

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