Playing Games
Page 50

Tesla wasn't speaking to me or Liam. Brodie gave me a quick hug of congratulations and then disappeared into the crowd again.
We hadn't had a minute to ourselves since the race had ended. By the time the interviews and the wrap party were over, it was extremely late at night, and the crew had assigned us separate hotel rooms. I collapsed into mine and fell instantly asleep, exhausted from endless days of globetrotting and worry. As I fell into bed, I briefly wondered that Liam hadn't come to find me. Or were we over now that the race was?
It's reality TV, but it's not reality. Abby's warning rang in my mind over and over again.
She'd been right all along. Maybe Liam figured that now that we were done with the race, me and him were done as well. It did seem like a natural place to break, I thought wistfully, if one wanted to break things off.
I didn't, but I wasn't the only one in this relationship, of course.
 
 
~~ * * * ~~
 
 
"Katy Short?" Someone pounded at my door. "Are you awake?"
I sat up, pushing my messy hair out of my eyes, disoriented. I'd been dragged from an incredible dream about Liam and Egypt and the hours we'd spent in the hotel room exploring each other. Waking up and finding myself in my lonely bed? Not the best way to start the day.
I went to the door and opened it, staring blearily at the production assistant there. "Yes?"
"Your ride to the airport leaves in twenty minutes. I'm here to make sure you get there."
"Oh. Okay. Give me a few to shower and get ready." I shut the door again when I saw her nod, and then dragged myself to the shower, trying to wake up. I still felt hung over from the race.
When I wiped the foggy mirror and stared at my reflection, I considered my wet blonde hair. This was the first day in a while that I wouldn't have to wear my hair in pigtails because the race had mandated it. Running my fingers through it, I grabbed a clip and just twisted it into that. No fuss, no muss. Back to normal Katy all over again. Race Katy was going to be a memory soon enough.
And I thought of Liam again. Would I have time to say goodbye? I dressed quickly, shoving my things into my bag. We'd had to travel light for the race, so luckily I didn't have much to pack.
When I opened the door to my room, though, I was surprised to see Brodie there. "Hey, sis," he said cheerfully. "You up?"
"I am," I said in a wary voice. This cheerfulness after losing the race? That wasn't like Brodie. My brother was known to sulk for days on end. "You going to the airport with me?"
"Well, I was supposed to, but I came to say goodbye."
"Goodbye?"
He grinned again, unable to contain his excitement. "The producers met with me last night. They liked me so much on The World Races that they want me to be on Endurance Island, which starts taping in two days. So I'm flying from here directly out to the filming location. Isn't that awesome?"
"Wow, that is. I'm surprised, honestly."
He laughed. "Because I played like a dick? Apparently the production crew loved that. They don't have nearly enough villains for good TV so they're throwing me onto Endurance Island in the hopes that I can stir things up there, too. And they even mentioned the show House Guests."
"House Guests?"
"You know, the one where they stick a bunch of strangers in a house together? Apparently they're about to do an all-star version in a few months, and they're considering casting me." He gave me an excited hug. "Isn't this amazing?"
"It is," I murmured, still dazed. "Wow. I'm really happy for you, Brodie. Things are looking up. You're not mad that I won?"
"Oh, I'm annoyed I didn't win," Brodie admitted, and gave me another brotherly noogie that I barely escaped. "But Tesla totally fell apart in that last challenge and she drove me crazy. As soon as she started whining about going up the stairs, I knew we'd lost it."
I said nothing, ignoring Brodie's revisionist history. Tesla's whining hadn't lost the challenge for them - their lack of puzzle skills had. But whatever got my brother through the day. "Speaking of Tesla, how's she taking the loss?"
Brodie shrugged. "Don't know. I heard they flew all the other teams out about two hours ago."
My jaw dropped. "They…what?"
"Yeah. I didn't get to say goodbye, but that's fine." He grinned. "I knew it was just for the show anyhow."
But I was still reeling in shock. All the other teams were…gone? Liam hadn't come to say goodbye? Had we just been for the show, too?
I feel like I've already won, Liam had told me in that last cab ride. I blinked rapidly, fighting back tears. "Oh."
"Sorry you didn't get asked to go on Endurance Island, Katy. They told me they only had room for one person." My brother gave me a mock-sad look that told me he was trying really hard not to be excited, but failing.
I waved a hand idly at that, my chest still aching at the thought of Liam flying out without even bothering to say goodbye to me. "I don't want to be on Endurance Island anyhow. I just wanted enough money to give my business a boost."
"Well, you've got it," he said cheerfully.
I did. I had the money and the win. I just didn't have the guy. I should have been thrilled.
But instead, I just ached.
 
 
~~ * * * ~~
 
 
A half hour later, the cab dropped me off at the airport and I headed inside, ticket in hand. Being in the airport again after all the running around of the past few weeks made me instantly tired, and I couldn't seem to muster any enthusiasm as I headed to my gate. It felt weird to sit down at a gate and not have a cameraman hovering to tape my every movement. I slumped in my chair and tried not to think about how weirdly lonely it felt to be on my own for the first time in weeks.
Maybe the loneliness was because I'd been discarded romantically? I kept telling myself that it wasn't important. My brother had been callously dumped by Tesla and wasn't upset because he'd known it was short-term. I told my brain that I shouldn't be upset, too. But I couldn't help it.
I had stupidly fallen for a guy that hadn't even wanted to be my partner in the beginning. Unhappy, I stared off into space, resisting the urge to tap my fingers on the bag like Liam had, always with a melody in his head.
Whispers and giggles drove me out of my reverie. "You think that's really him?" someone said nearby.
I glanced up.
Two girls were giggling, and one had her phone out and was videotaping something in the distance.
"Go ask him for his autograph," another girl whispered, and more giggling followed.
I craned my head, trying to see what they were staring at. To my surprise, Liam Brogan, lead guitarist of Finding Threnody, was heading my way, a backpack slung over one deliciously tattooed shoulder, his shaggy hair falling over his brow, piercings gleaming in the sunlight streaming through the airport windows.
And he was heading directly for me.
I got up from my seat as if in slow motion, staring at him, drinking in his tall, delicious form, the dark eyes, the wicked glint in his gaze, the sensual mouth that I loved to kiss.