Game On the Verge

by Jamie Summer

  “I got plenty to say for the both of us. Please?”

  The last word made her falter, and I saw how she warred with herself. Give in to the curiosity or continue to ignore me.

  “Give the man a few seconds. He looks pathetic,” one of the guys at the bar yelled. I chuckled, at the same time wanting to punch him for calling me pathetic. Sad thing was, I was pretty sure it was accurate.

  She sighed and looked at Ben, the other bartender for the night. “I’m gonna take five.” When he nodded, she threw the towel onto the back counter and motioned for me to follow her.

  We walked into the back and came to a stop in front of the three lockers located back there for employees.

  “Talk,” Jo commanded, crossing her arms.

  “I…I’m sorry.”

  I’m sorry? Seriously? That’s the best I can come up with. Jesus Christ.

  “I am, too, but that doesn’t change the facts. You wanted a fake girlfriend, you got a fake girlfriend, you broke up with said fake girlfriend. End of story.” Jo tried to sound as if she didn’t care, but I’d gotten to know her quite well over the past few weeks. The slight waver in her voice showed she definitely did.

  Maybe my mom wasn't that far off, after all.

  “I was an idiot, Jo. I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did yesterday. It was a knee-jerk decision I never should have made. I was just so…so angry.”

  “Why?” Jo asked.

  “Because I was forced to make a choice I didn’t want to.”

  “Which was what?”

  I lowered my head. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is that I was wrong. I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve that. You deserve so much more.” I glanced up at her, seeing her beautiful eyes fill with tears. The sudden change in her demeanor threw me off.

  “I know. I know what Charly did, Tyler. You shouldn’t be the one apologizing. I should be apologizing for dragging you into this. For being a victim to this asshole and almost losing your spot on the team.”

  I stepped closer. “Whoa. Hold on. None of this is your fault. Charly’s to blame. No one else. You didn’t do anything wrong except be with me. Actually, some would consider that a mistake.” My attempt at a lame joke made her smile, which was all I wanted. I didn’t want to see her cry.

  “Not a mistake. But still fake, right? I mean, that’s why you’re here now, isn’t it? To tell me that while you’re sorry, this whole charade is still over?” Jo bit her lip, the motion undoing me. When I didn’t answer, she cocked her head. “Tyler?”

  I wasn’t good with words, but there was one thing I knew I could do to convince her this wasn’t fake to me.

  I cupped her face in my palms and kissed her. I poured everything I couldn't say into it, hoping she would understand my action the way only women seemed to be able to. I needed her to understand this fake bullshit needed to stop. I was done doing fake. I wanted read.

  I pulled her close, my hands roaming her body while our tongues mingled. I felt her body against mine, fitting perfectly. I had forgotten what it felt like to kiss someone you truly loved. I had forgotten the sensations of holding someone you didn’t want to let go.

  With Jo, those feelings were back.

  The rush of adrenaline in my ears when her arms wrapped around my body, the lightness in my head as her mouth moved against mine… It was all within my grasp.

  When I tasted the salt from a wayward tear running down her face, I pulled back and wiped it away.

  “I don’t want to go back to the way things were before you and me, Jo. I want them to stay the way they are now,” I whispered, still holding her face gently in my hands.

  “Like…as a couple?”

  I nodded. “Exactly. We’ll figure out what to do about Charly together.”

  Jo closed her eyes, and I instantly got suspicious.

  “What? You don’t want us?” I took a deep breath. “If not, I just made a fool of myself.”

  She kissed me sweetly, then pulled back. “No, it’s not that at all. But Charly is my responsibility. I need to deal with him.”

  “You don’t need to do this alone. You got me now.” I softly stroked her cheek, eliciting a small smile from her.

  “In that case, I may have good news,” she said.

  I arched a brow at her sudden change in demeanor. “You do?”

  “I may have threatened Charly that if he ever dared come near you or your family again, I would make sure fame and fortune wouldn’t protect him.”

  I laughed. I couldn’t help it. The attitude I loved was back. “You threatened him? For me?” The prospect did weird things to my inside.

  “Maybe.”

  She didn’t elaborate, but I needed to know what hell she walked into for me without even knowing what we would end up being.

  “Tell me. Please,” I asked.

  “I refused to let that jackass ruin your career for something that wasn’t his in the first place. I hate that jerk, so there was no chance in hell that would I ever marry him.”

  I grinned. “I like it. Thank you.” She nodded. “I mean it. Thank you for doing this for me.”

  “It was the least I could do.”

  I pulled her to my chest again, kissing her temple.

  “Jo, are you working tonight or what?”

  I sighed at the voice coming from the front of the bar. “I guess playtime is over.” Jo laughed.

  “Well, if you play your cards right, playtime may just come around again.” Her finger glided over my chest, and I felt myself inhale sharply. “I’ll see you later,” she added, then left me in the back all by myself.

  Jo

  People say love changes you.

  Made you a better person. Made you feel more complete.

  While all that was true, I would have never thought I’d find love the way I did. When I agreed to be Tyler’s fake girlfriend, I had no intention of falling in love. But the heart tended to do what it wanted.

  I didn’t mind.

  We told his parents what had happened. While his mom already knew, his dad was shocked, then pleased at our happiness.

  My own dad was happy to hear everything worked out between us. I had told him everything we went through. Same as Tyler had with his mom. Unlike my mom, who still still had a hard time accepting the new circumstances of my life, my dad was excited I ended up with a player from his favorite team. It helped that Tyler was a guy who was easy to like.

  No other negative stories ran of Tyler, and after a few surfaced of him helping others around town, the good publicity made up for the bad. I may have helped a little.

  When we went to the next function, a benefit concert the football team threw, we walked in there as an actual couple. The kind that joked, kissed, hugged. It was incredible.

  Life might have given me a fake boyfriend, but what I ended up with was so much more. It was love, compassion, someone I could see myself sharing the rest of my life with.

  It didn’t matter how we come to be what we are now. What mattered was we lived in the present. And the present was pretty perfect right now.

  I honestly don’t know where to start. I can’t believe I’m writing yet another one of those. Acknowledgements are always the hardest for me, because I am sure I forget people and all of that.

  Sam - you never cease to amaze me. The strength you possess, the ability to make it through even the hardest times, and yet still manage to cheer others on when life throws you yet another curve ball. I’m so happy I get to keep you in my life.

  Kim and Tammy - you two made this book what it is. Thank you will never be enough to convey just how much I love you guys and how much I appreciate everything you’ve done for me.

  Lucy - you rock. I am so grateful Sam introduced us way back then. I couldn’t do any of this without you.

  Audrey and the people of the ATA - joining your group a year ago was one of the best decisions I ever made. Thank you for taking me in, for supporting me, for providing help when I needed it. THANK YOU.

 
To Josephine Raven, Sam Destiny (again) and everyone else who sprinted with me and got this book done. Thank you!!

  To bloggers, authors and friends who shared, liked and reviewed my books. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

  To you - the one holding this book in your hand. I couldn’t do any of this without you. None of this would be possible without someone reading the words I put on paper. It means more to me than you could ever know so thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

  Jamie is an author, wife, mother, reader and coffee lover who loves to take you on an emotional ride with her books.

  When she was younger, it was her best friend who got her into writing in the first place. School was boring? Afternoon off? Fanfic writing was what they would do for hours to no end. Publishing, though, hadn't been anything on Jamie's radar until she woke up one day from a very vivid dream. It was one of those you can't get rid of, so she ended up writing it down. And writing some more on it. Until a full story started to emerge. It was her best friend who ended up pushing her to take the next step and put the book out there.

  Ever since then, Jamie has been writing all kinds of different stories, all centering around women or girls fighting against their inner (or sometimes outer) demons. The stories range from Young Adult fantasy, to women's fiction or contemporary romance. Whatever idea comes to Jamie's mind.

  When she's not writing, Jamie can be found spending time with her friends and family, sitting on her deck enjoying an Iced Latte, watching one of her million TV shows or simply sleeping (cause let's be honest, sleep is hard to come by with small children). She lives in beautiful Germany where she's currently conjuring up her next book.

  Want to stay connected? Sign up for Jamie’s newsletter here. You can also join Jamie’s Wave Riders, her reader group all about books that take you on an emotional ride.

  Contemporary Romance:

  Game On The Line (Game On Series #1)

  Restless Storm

  Urban Fantasy Romance:

  The Last Keyholder (Keyholder #1)

  Young Adult Fantasy:

  Dalysian Hope (Dalysia #1)

  Dalysian Struggle (Dalysia #2)

  Women’s Fiction/Young Adult Mystery

  Broken Jar of Memories