The Wrong Game (Love of the Game, #1)

by Kandi Steiner

My dad once told me that he knew the very first time he met my mom that he would marry her one day. He said they were in sixth grade, walking in a single-file line in opposite directions — she was going back to class, his class was heading to the music room. From across the hall, my mom smiled at him. And right then and there, he knew. I always thought it was crazy. Even the romantic in me found that a little far-fetched. When I was in sixth grade, about the only thing that could hold my attention longer than ten seconds was the Crash Bandicoot video game on my PlayStation. But here I was, less than three hours into my first night with Gemma Mancini, and suddenly, I got it. Not that I wanted to marry the girl — I wasn’t that crazy. At least, not admittedly so. But there was just… something about her. I couldn’t take my eyes off her, the way she laughed before taking a long sip of her beer, or the way her little nose scrunched up when she disagreed with a call the referee made. I laughed at her stupid jokes, and her stupid rules and lists for her life. I smiled at the respectful way she spoke to the older couple sitting on the other side of her, and at the way her eyes grew wide, cheeks flushing, any time I touched her. Her hair. Her hand. Her leg. No, I didn’t want to go out and buy a ring, but one thing was certain. I wanted more.

Oh, Zach. <3