The Other Game (The Perfect Game 4)

“Tell me,” he said, “what’s up with you two? I saw the way she was looking at you.”

I straightened up in the seat, thankful that I hadn’t been imagining something in her eyes earlier. I’d needed my brother for the last few months to help me navigate whatever the hell was going on between me and Melissa, but he’d had his own shit to worry about. Now that I had Jack’s undivided attention, I needed to take full advantage of that.

Glancing at him, I said, “What way? How was she looking at me?”

“You’re kidding, right? You don’t see the way she looks at you with her eyes all hot like she wants to eat you up? Are you really that clueless?”

I laughed so hard, I snorted. “She doesn’t want me.”

Jack shook his head with dismay. “How are we even related? Dude, she wants you. Trust me on this. I know women.”

The roar of the engine as I accelerated onto the highway was the only sound in the car. I focused intently on the road ahead before glancing at my brother, who was still staring at me.

I released a long sigh. “I tried to kiss her once, okay? I mean, we did kiss once. I thought I’d read all the signs right, but she stopped me,” I admitted, slightly embarrassed that I had to tell him about the failed make-out session.

“Did you ask her why?”

“No. I just apologized.”

He laughed, and I wanted to punch him. “Jesus, Dean. I’d bet a thousand bucks that she wants you.”

“Then why’d she stop the kiss?” I glanced at him again.

“That’s a good question. You should ask her,” he said. “Time to grow a pair, little brother. How are you going to feel if she starts dating someone else?”

I gripped the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles turned white. “I’m not going to be happy.”

“Exactly.”

When I pulled into the hotel parking lot, Jack hopped out of the car before I’d even come to a complete stop. He walked around to my side of the car and I rolled down the window, thinking he had something to say. But he extended his hand through the open window, so I grabbed it and pulled him in for an awkward through-the-window hug. He pulled back after a few seconds, and we slapped each other on the shoulder before sharing a long look.

Jack could get on my last nerve like only brothers can do, but I’d missed him. And I hated like hell that he was leaving again so soon.

“It will all work out. You’ll get her back,” I said, hoping to leave Jack with something positive to look forward to. Plus, I wanted to believe that it could happen.

He shot me a quick smile. “I fucking better, or I don’t know what I’ll do.”

“I’ll help you.”

Smiling, I grinned up at him. If there was something I could do to help get them back together, I’d do it without question. And he knew that.

Jack nodded one last time. “I’ll need it.” He took a step back toward the car and gave me one last pat good-bye. “I’ll call you later.”

“All right. Take care.”

Fighting the Past

I’d finally gotten used to my brother being gone, but Cassie leaving for New York gave me a sense of abandonment all over again. My brain knew that I was being irrational, but my heart hurt because the people I loved most kept leaving me.

Although I knew it wasn’t true—they weren’t truly gone—inside I still felt dismissed, ditched in some way.

I sent a text to Cassie, and she responded almost immediately.

Dean: Did you get to New York okay? How is it?

Cassie: OMG, the city is unbelievable! It feels like magic.

Cassie: You and Melis need to come visit me ASAP. :)