Page 31 of Game on, Love
She jumped slightly at the sound of my voice, her brown eyes connecting with mine for a second before she gave her outfit a once over and turned back to her phone. “Not particularly, just going out for brunch.”
When I didn’t look away or reply, she looked back at me, her gaze settling on my face, and my heart raced.
Winning her attention sent a small rush through me, the feeling tasting like a victory. So when my heart wanted to say something, I didn’t hold back. “You are gorgeous.”
It was momentary, but I saw how, for a second, she held her breath as she searched my eyes. She must’ve noticed my sincerity because her own gaze softened. “Thank you.”
I held her gaze for a moment longer, enjoying the hum of calmness that ran through me before giving her a wink. “Hope they have the kind of eggs you like,”
She quirked an eyebrow, letting out a half-laugh, “Shame I didn’t try yours. I could’ve given you pointers when I came back.”
“I’ll take pointers if it means I get to feed you and have your undivided attention,” I shrugged, trying to test a theory.
Her lips parted, clearly caught off guard. Before she could speak, her phone buzzed, and just like the other morning, she gave me a small look before she grabbed her bag and disappeared through the doorway. Moments later, the front door unlocked and clicked behind her as she left me in the same spot. But today, she left me with something other than just confused thoughts.
It was subtle, but I caught it. The glint in her eyes that she’d let me see before she locked it again.
There was a certain rhythm to being a cricketer. You learned to trust your instincts but to read the game as it unfolded in front of you. It wasn’t just about the strength or the technique—it was about patience, timing, reading the environment and knowing when to hold back or push forward. A single misstep, a moment of overconfidence and the game is over for you.
Players spent years building that skill, but it was one I was gifted with. Because it didn’t just help me on the field; it helped me with people, too. As I stood there in the kitchen, watching the spot she once stood in—I realised that I’d been too direct with her.
Because in that snap of second, I’d seen the fragility in her eyes, the one that told me that she wasn’t used to letting people in, and while the pull I felt toward her was something unique and strong, I needed to take into account the weight she carried, that is, if I wanted to make sure I didn’t overwhelm herand ultimately push her to retreat further and build walls even higher before I even had the chance to find my footing.
Raina
I WAS RUNNING LATEwhen I arrived at the café, and the blame was all on the new resident who was living in my head rent-free. I’d been so caught up in going over our interaction before I left the house that I had missed my station, and didn’t realise until the doors were closing.
I could count the number of times that has happened before: once.
And to my defence, that wasn’t my fault either.
But as I entered the café, it took me a second before I spotted Leah, who was, of course, on her phone typing furiously. When I got closer to the table she’d picked for us, her head turned in my direction, and though her lips were pressed in a faint line, her eyes softened. “You’re late,” she said as I shrugged off my coat and slid into the booth.
“Nice to see you too,” I quipped, and she rolled her eyes before waving down a waiter.
“You said you left on time,” She narrowed her eyes, but I could hear the warmth in her voice, and I hesitated.
I’d known Leah for about two years now after I met her at NexGen when we were filming for our Women in Motorsport mini-series. But when we met last year at the after-party to celebrate Vedant’s first championship, that was when our friendship truly began, although sometimes it felt like we’d known each other for years.
She had this ability to ground me in a way I didn’t feel around most people. My first impressions of Leah were that she was the kind of person who had her whole life together in a wayI only aspired to. Methodical and assertive, she knew basically what the next ten years of life looked like, and when it came to getting what she wanted, she was ruthless. She was three years older than me but always carried herself with such grace of someone who’d live twice as long.
But since I’ve known her, I’ve learnt that she had this surprising softness underneath it all, and the people who were let into her world saw the genuine care she had for them. And to her, that’s all that mattered.
Before I could reply to her, the waiter came round the table, and as it was Leah who had suggested this place, I let her order.
“So? What’s been going on with you? You’ve been avoiding me for the last week, and if I hadn’t seen you in Singapore, I would’ve thought you’d been kidnapped.” She said matter-of-factly.
I winced, deciding between if it was better to just rip the bandage off or not.
“Also, I saw you at the motor hub, coming out of Vedant’s driver room, and if this is not part of the explanation, feel free to touch on that too.”
I sighed, feeling the gears turning in her head. “I honestly don’t even know where to start.”
She arched a brow but kept quiet, waiting for me to continue. But I meant it; I had no idea where to begin and unwind this chaos. Leah knew I had a difficult relationship with my family, but I’d never really explained in detail what actually went down, and it wasn’t out of distrust. I just hated that look of pity. I’ve seen it in person before, and I knew I never wanted to feel that way ever again.
“Well, for starters, I had to move in with my brothers.”
“What? What happened?”