Page 33 of Game on, Love
“They don’t exactly live alone… Rihaan’s teammate and best friend is living there, too,” My voice was barely above a whisper as if saying it too loudly would get me in trouble.
“You mean Oliver?”
I blinked, caught off guard by her response. “Youknow?”
She gave me a tight smile. “Just from what I’ve seen on social media. They all do streams quite a bit, so I’ve just picked up on it.”
I stared at her, unsure how to respond.
Leah tilted her head, her expression softening. “You like him.”
“I barely know him.”
“That doesn’t matter, and especially not to you. I know how much you rely on your gut instincts.”
I shook my head. “This time it’s different.”
“Different, how?”
“Let’s say he’s been… unexpected.” She leaned forward; her interest was clearly piqued. “Not in a bad way, I think. I’m not quite sure yet.”
She didn’t reply as she watched me with a strange expression, and I shifted in my seat. It was then I realised how different I felt when I noticed Leah trying to read me, compared to when Oliver did it.
As though, she could see the words pop up above my head, she said. “You’re scared.”
“What?”
“You’re scared,” she repeated, her tone was calm but firm. “I get it. You’ve been through a lot, and you’ve built up these walls around you, hoping that it’ll deter anyone from getting closer, but now that you’ve seen someone trying to break them down, it’s terrifying. But you’re twenty-two, Raina. You’re young, and you’re so strong. But you’re allowed to have fun, even if, and especially when, it scares you.”
I took a deep breath, taking her words in. “It’s not that simple.”
“And it won’t be. But you’ve got to take a chance and find out. We both know you’ve survived tougher situations, and this is life’s way of testing you, but you’ve got to have fun.”
I didn’t say anything, and luckily, I didn’t have to, as the waiter interrupted us with our food. He placed a plate of fluffy pancakes in front of her and then a plate of egg royale in front of me.
“I know you said you were in the mood for something savoury, and they’re supposed to be the best savoury dish here,” Leah said, and I bit on my lower lip, trying to stop the laugh that was trying to escape me.
“Thanks.”
I sighed as his voice ran through me again. The warmth of his low, teasing voice and the wink that sent a shiver down my spine before he told me he wanted my attention. He didn’t even falter when I brushed it off like it was nothing; he just watched me with curious eyes as I walked away.
But it wasn’t nothing. I had never seen someone be so forward about wanting my time or wanting my attention. It was thrilling, but a part of me couldn’t help but be worried. It felt too easy with him, too natural, and I wondered if instead of bringing out a part of me, it would overwhelm me too much.
“And for what it’s worth,” Leah’s voice cut through my thoughts. “I think you should take the new role, too.”
I blinked, fumbling for a response. “You do?”
“I mean, I’m aware I don’t really know what exactly went down, and you still don’t have to tell me, but I think you’re looking at it the wrong way.”
I stayed quiet, letting her finish.
“You’ve managed to be in F1 and still be away from Vedant, so you can do the same with Rihaan. And I know you don’t take risks unless you know you will completely ace it, but maybe that’s the challenge this time. You have no idea the can of worms that stepping into the world will open up with your career, your family or your love life.
“But, Raina, you have been so unfair to yourself. You’ve been through so much at a young age that now when it’s time to live and make mistakes? You’re holding your cards so close that you’ve completely isolated the game. You won’t even give yourself a chance to play a strong hand. Instead, you stick with what’s safe so you know you won’t lose.”
My heart hammered in my chest violently as her words sunk in.
“And,”she added, her lips turning up in a gentle smile. “If it’s a mistake? So, what? You can restart any time you’d like. Also, if you give it a real shot—I can even promise not to set you up again untilyouask me to.”