Page 59 of Enemy Games

“What do you mean?” He could not be encouraging this. Not after his hour-long lecture after we’d gotten home from Green Lake.

“I know what I said, and I still don't think that this is a good idea. But maybe you just need to get her out of your system. Like, if you guys give it a shot and it doesn't work out, then you'll know for sure, and the what-ifs won’t drive you crazy. You’ll move on and––”

“You don’t think it’d work out?”

He sighed. “I know you. I know how you feel about dating and women. You don't think love is real. So what's the point of this?”

I didn’t know what to say. He was right. I didn't believe in love. I thought dating was usually a waste of time. So what was happening to me now? Was this feeling I had for Presley just curiosity, or was there something more to it?

Could I possibly be wrong? I didn't want to admit to that. Especially after all the crap I’d given the guys over the years.

“Maybe it's just attraction,” I finally said.

“If it was just attraction, you would have moved on by now. I've seen you have the hots for girls over the years, and it's never kept you up. It's never driven you out of bed into the gym in the middle of the night, day after day.”

So he knew about that.

“I can't shake her. It's different than anything I've ever experienced before.”

His lips quirked up. “Like there might be some emotion there instead of just a chemical response.”

He was throwing my words back in my face, and I didn't want to admit that he was right. But he was.

“Yeah. Something like that.”

His teasing expression was gone, and he looked at me with a wisdom beyond what I was used to. “Then you have to do something about it. You should ask her out. Spend more time with her. Get to know her as the woman she is now rather than the child you knew.”

“Yeah, that's what I was thinking, but I'm not sure she would agree.”

“Well, you won't know until you ask.”

Valid point. If I did nothing about this, then nothing would change. It was the definition of insanity. Repeating the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result. I couldn't continue losing sleep. Staying up all night and freaking out over what could be. I needed to take action.

“What if she says no?” I hated how quiet my voice was. Admitting one of my biggest fears.

“Then you have your answer, and you'll be able to move on.”

“What if she says yes?” That option was nearly as daunting.

He started laughing. “Then you better figure out how to go on a date.”

“You don't have any pointers for me?”

He shook his head. “Dude, I haven't been on a date since I was sixteen, when my mom forced me to go to a dance with her best friend's daughter.”

“Great, so you’re zero help.”

“You'll have to ask Reid and Ethan if you want any tips.”

That sounded like a horrible idea. They’d never let me live it down after all the crap I'd given them about losing their minds over their now girlfriends. Then again, I'd seen the way avoiding their feelings affected them.

Not only were they miserable, but it trickled over to the ice. It impacted their ability to play, and it hurt the team. We all suffered when one of us was going through heartbreak. But then again, they never played better than when they were happy with their girlfriends, so maybe it could end up being a good thing for me.

If I was willing to take the risk.

I would have to swallow my pride and ask my two best friends for help.

With plans for the one thing I swore I’d never do settled, I fell back on my bed, closed my eyes, and heard the click of Benjamin turning off his lamp.