For the Game by Amber Garza Page A

usual, and that’s saying something.”
    “That’s because I’m so happy.”
    “You love this, huh? Decorating the tree and everything?”
    I nodded. “It’s been my favorite part of the holidays since I was a little girl. But with you being here, it’s even better.”
    Cooper moved his hand forward, clinking our mugs together. “Here’s to many more years of decorating trees together.”
    “Cheers.” I clinked his mug back, a broad smile sweeping my face. It may have just been a silly ritual, but I snatched it in my hand and tucked it in my heart, praying it was true. I wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of my life having days like today. Days full of promise, hope and joy.

CHAPTER 12
    Cooper
     
     
    After reading the last page, I set the paper next to my thigh and picked up my cell phone. Leaning my head back against the soft leather material of the couch, I dialed quickly. The house was quiet and dimly lit since my grandparents were already asleep. They were definitely morning people, in bed by nine, but up before the sun. Unlike me, who loved to stay up late, and had no interest in waking before the sun was out. Of course my baseball schedule didn’t always allow me the luxury of sleeping in.
    “I loved it,” I said when London answered her phone.
    “Really? It was just my first attempt. More of a practice story then anything. I’m sure my writing will get better.”
    “If it does, you’re going to be a bestselling author in no time.”
    “You really think so?”
    “I know so.” I shuffled the stack of papers, aligning them into a neat row.
    A sigh of relief filled the line. “I was so nervous about giving it to you. You’re the first person who’s read my work. But I figured since you gave me the laptop and you inspired the story, that you deserved the first peek.”
    “First peek. I like the sound of that. What other things are you planning to let me peek at?” I teased.
    “Oh, seriously, get your mind out of the gutter.” She sounded exasperated, but I could hear the amusement in her voice.
    After shaking the image of London allowing me a peek at things, my mind honed in on something she’d just said. “So, I inspired the story, huh? Does this mean that I was the handsome savior?”
    “Of course,” she said, like it should have been obvious. “Who else would it be?”
    When I read the story I hadn’t put myself in it at all. London’s characters seemed real to me. I pictured them as real people, as if they lived outside of London’s imagination. But now that I knew she had actually thought of me when penning the hero, emotion welled in my throat making it difficult to respond. My relationship with London had taken me completely by surprise. She showed up out of nowhere, tearing into my life at a time when I hadn’t even been looking for anyone. At a time when I was actively pushing girls away. And yet, I couldn’t push her away. As hard as I tried, I couldn’t stop myself from feeling things for her. It didn’t make sense to me. She wasn’t the type of girl I usually went for.
    But she was exactly what I needed.
    I was grateful for our relationship every single day, but never as much as I was at this moment. Most people thought London was lucky to have me. When I was still in high school I heard the whispers in the hall. I knew what people thought about us dating. And when I gave her the bone marrow that saved her life, the rumors ramped up even further. I was the only one who knew how wrong they were.
    I was the lucky one.
    My whole life I’d kept people at a distance. And even though I was always surrounded by people, the truth was that I was lonely. There were times when I even worried that I’d be lonely the rest of my life. Like maybe I was destined to have a lifetime of superficial relationships that went nowhere. At times I even worried that the death of my parents had done irrevocable damage. That I was unable to connect to anyone at a deep level.
    London