The Game He Plays
- Reads 4,939
- Votes 29
- Parts 30
Complete Wed, Mar 18, 20264h 42m
Some games are meant to be won. Some are meant to break you.
Elara James wasn't looking for love when she started college. She was looking for a fresh start, good grades, and maybe a few friends along the way. She wasn't looking for Cole Ashford.
Cole Ashford was impossible to ignore. The star quarterback with a reputation that preceded him. The playboy who never stayed the same girl twice. The guy who thought the world revolved around him-and honestly, it usually did.
Their first meeting was a disaster. He gave her a stupid nickname. She gave him a piece of her mind. It should have ended there.
It didn't.
What follows is a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance that will take you through every high and every low. The stolen glances. The arguments that aren't really arguments. The kisses that mean nothing to him and everything to her.
The heartbreak. The betrayal. The long, painful road to forgiveness.
This isn't a story about love at first sight. It's about love that's fought for, bled for, and earned over time. It's about two people who have to break before they can finally come together.
How long can you play the game before someone gets hurt?
All Rights Reserved
#25
falsehopes
Join the largest storytelling communityGet personalized story recommendations, save your favourites to your library, and comment and vote to grow your community.
You may also like
Everything Has Changed: Book Two
Tears rush down to my cheeks and splatter on the wood floor of Danny's university apartment. He has an imprint on his face from the creases in his pillow and keeps blinking and rubbing his eyes. I sit on the edge of his bed and his hand rests on my knee. He's crouched in front of me in a pair of basketball shorts. "I don't know why I did it." I hiccup. "I should've just said no!" I take a shaky breath, my chest moving erratically. "And t-they all saw me freak out!" Danny's fingertips skate up and down my thigh and he doesn't say anything. "I mean, who wants to be with somebody like me? I can't even handle a sip! Y-you should just go and find somebody who can handle herself! You deserve better than me!" "Don't say that." He murmurs, raising my hand to his lips. He kisses each one of my knuckles with love and care, and then he looks up at me and smiles softly. "I choose you. No matter what the circumstance, no matter who comes along, I pick you. I'm here for you and I'm here with you. I'm fighting for you and I'm fighting with you. I love you. I don't care if you have to stay up all night to cry. I'll stay up with you. There is nothing you can do to make me love you any less, and there is nothing you can do to make me leave. I'm here, right here, forever." This is the sequel to Everything Has Changed and if you don't read Everything Has Changed first, this book won't make sense ***** WARNING: THIS STORY INCLUDES THE VERY ATTRACTIVE DANIEL GREY WHO REMINDS ME AND EVERYONE WITH OVARIES OF A SOFT GOLDEN RETRIEVER PUPPY THAT IS SLEEPING ON YOUR CHEST SO PLEASE BEWARE THAT YOUR OVARIES WILL EXPLODE WHILE READING THIS STORY! AN: please don't steal this story. I'm working/have worked really hard to create this and develop the characters and story line. This is solely made up out of my mind. The incredible cover is made by @nerdfpiper If you need a cover, I highly recommend her.Complete
Across the Boards
It all went downhill the moment she kissed him in the penalty box. Because apparently, that's not something people do casually - especially not in front of a crowd, through glass, while he's supposed to be serving time for fighting. They were supposed to fake date for PR. Stand close. Look convincing. Don't catch feelings. Simple. Except it stopped being simple somewhere between viral photos, very real-looking kisses, and a friend group that has fully committed to planning their wedding like it's already happening. Now they're stuck in something that was never supposed to feel real - but somehow does. At this point, the only fake thing left... is the original plan.Complete
Bennett Got His Girl
Everly Coleman starts freshman year with three very simple goals: Pass psychology. Make friends. Don't lose her mind sharing a dorm with a random guy. Then Jackson Bennett walks in. Jackson's annoyingly good at football, fully aware of it too, and somehow treats getting on Everly's nerves like it's a competitive sport. He steals her snacks, teases her constantly, and keeps acting like barging into her life is completely normal. Which would already be bad enough on its own. Unfortunately, Everly's older brother Logan absolutely hates him. Now Everly's dealing with football practices, dorm room arguments over popcorn, late-night conversations that are becoming a little too personal, and an entire football team way too invested in her love life. It's fine. Probably.Complete
Safe in His Arms
After fleeing her abusive ex in the middle of the night, Chloe Dawson arrives in a small coastal town with nothing but a duffel bag, a crying six-month-old baby, and the last of her savings. She rents a tiny apartment where the walls are paper-thin. Next door lives Sergeant Mason Kane, disciplined, exhausted, emotionally closed off, and currently on leave between military assignments. After years in the army, silence is the only thing that helps him sleep. Then the baby starts crying every night. At first, Mason is irritated. Chloe is terrified of him. Every knock on the door reminds her of the man she escaped.Complete
Denying Dylan | ✔️
Bea Blake is a twenty five year old, law school drop out with little to no direction on what she wants from life. Her best friend Dylan Archer has been a sound support and shoulder to lean on since the pair were in high school. Never admitting how deeply he truly cares for her. Now faced with the impending decline in her mothers health, the pressure to go back to college from her father and the confusing feelings she's having for her best friend, who's now engaged, she must make decisions that will change her life, forever. Will an endless chain of casual dating and aimless wandering lead her to a destination that can satisfy this free spirit. Or will the pressure of life prove to be too much? Copyright. ©️ Cover by @ashley_mariexComplete
You will forever be my always
She never met someone that is so cold and soft at the same time, that is mean to everyone, and not to mention he is super hot. He never met someone so shy, that only minds her own business, and is a total darling and makes his cold heart melt. Liliana Smith is a total angel, she is shy, and the girl that had no friends and her parents are workaholic, she just finished high school and is about to go to college. Greyson Carter is the opposite of Liliana he is cold, has lots of friends, is a hockey player, and has the perfect family. He is on his second year of college. As everyone says, opposites attract each other.Complete
Offside
Offside In football, being offside means you're out of play. In life, it means you're caught somewhere you shouldn't be. Lara Jacobs never expected one night to change everything. Rafael Dubois is used to scoring-on and off the pitch. But the game has changed. And neither of them are ready for the whistle to blow.Complete
Heer~THE UNWANTED DAUGHTER
✧༺ 𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐕𝐈𝐊 𝐱 𝐇𝐄𝐄𝐑 ༻✧ Some stories begin with love. This one begins with finding a family. When Heer's world shatters overnight, she is thrown into a life she never imagined-a life filled with strangers who are suddenly her family, brothers she never knew existed, and a home that doesn't quite feel like hers. Lost, heartbroken, and carrying the weight of her mother's absence, Heer struggles to find her place among the powerful Raichands. But while she fears being unwanted, the truth is far different. Because somewhere between Rakshit's silent care, Rihaan's endless teasing, Kanishk's chaos, Priyansh's unwavering support, Arhaan's warmth, and Shaurya's fierce protection, Heer slowly discovers what it means to belong. And then there is Rutvik. The boy who falls first, The boy who waits. The boy who looks at her as if she is every beautiful thing the world forgot to name. What begins as friendship blossoms into a love story filled with stolen glances, soft confessions, inside jokes, forehead kisses, and a boy who never lets her doubt her worth. But life isn't only made of happy moments. Secrets surface. Hearts break. Fears return. Relationships are tested. And Heer must learn that family isn't always the one you're born into-sometimes it's the people who choose you every single day. Filled with sibling chaos, unconditional love, emotional healing, unforgettable friendships, heart-fluttering romance, and a heroine who finds her voice amidst the noise, Heer is a story about grief, belonging, and the kind of love that turns strangers into home. "THIS IS THE STORY OF HEER-THE GIRL WHO WAS LOVED SO FIERCELY THAT EVEN HER BROKEN PIECES LEARNED HOW TO SHINE AGAIN." ❀TROPES❀ High school romance 6 Protective Half brothers Bad boy x good girl Best friend's sister x Brother's best friend He fell first and harder No bullying 12th x 11th Rom-com Bold girl
Fracture line
At twenty-six, Clara Whitmore has built a life she can control. Her days are precise, her work as a dentist meticulous, and her heart... carefully protected. After everything she's faced, she's learned to rely only on herself. Luke Matthews, also twenty-six, is everything the world admires: talented, charming, and seemingly untouchable. A professional ice hockey star with a smile that could light up a city, he carries a weight that no one sees-a vulnerability behind the fame and the effortless confidence. Two years ago, their lives intersected for a fleeting, unforgettable night-one filled with laughter, warmth, and a spark neither of them could explain. But life pulled them apart, leaving memories that linger like shadows. Now, fate brings them together again. A chance meeting in Clara's clinic sets off a slow, teasing, and irresistible pull. Friendships are tested, walls are challenged, and hearts are pushed toward a possibility neither thought they could risk. Fracture Line is a slow-burn, friends-to-lovers romance about love that sneaks up when you least expect it, the fragility of trust, and the invisible cracks in our lives that sometimes lead us to the people who can make us whole.Complete
𝐑𝐮𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐤𝐚 - 𝓡𝓪𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓻𝓮'𝓼 𝓕𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓭 𝓢𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓷𝓲
.·:*¨༺ "𝓢𝓱𝓮 𝔀𝓪𝓼𝓷'𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓲𝓻 𝓵𝓸𝓼𝓽 𝓹𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓬𝓮𝓼𝓼 𝓫𝓾𝓽 𝓫𝓮𝓬𝓪𝓶𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓲𝓻 𝓽𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓾𝓻𝓮𝓭 𝓛𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓮𝓼𝓼" ༻¨*:·. ┏━━°❀•°:🎀:°•❀°━━━━━┓ 𝗥𝘂𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗸𝗮 ┗━━°❀•°:🎀:°•❀°━━━━━┛ The innocent, selfless girl endured constant neglect and cruel taunts, always hearing words. "𝘉𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘯," "𝘜𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴," "𝘜𝘯𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥." For the first fourteen years of her life, the people she called as family abandon her at an orphanage, severing all ties with her. She bore the pain with a smile, accepting the harshness, but when they finally left her behind, it broke her. Shattered, yet not defeated, she found strength in her faith, trusting in God to guide her through the pain. Just when it seemed like she had reached her breaking point, her life took a sudden turn. She was adopted by a towering, intimidating man. Shivendra Rathore, a ruthless businessman, once the feared Mafia King known as SR, was a force to be reckoned with. A man who was the father of five boys, each one intimidating, cold, and aggressive. Will Ruhanika be able to change their hearts? Will she be the one to melt the tough exterior of these devils? Will she ever find the true family she's longed for? Follow Ruhanika's journey as she learns that family isn't defined by blood, but by the heart. A story of love, transformation, and finding where you truly belong. "𝓐 𝓽𝓪𝓵𝓮 𝓸𝓯 𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓯𝓲𝓷𝓭𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓯𝓪𝓶𝓲𝓵𝔂 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓲𝓷 𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓽 𝔀𝓱𝓲𝓬𝓱 𝓭𝓸𝓮𝓼𝓷'𝓽 𝓹𝓾𝓶𝓹 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓪𝓶𝓮 𝓫𝓵𝓸𝓸𝓭 𝓪𝓼 𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓮" - 𝐑𝐮𝐡𝐚𝐧
Tears rush down to my cheeks and splatter on the wood floor of Danny's university apartment. He has an imprint on his face from the creases in his pillow and keeps blinking and rubbing his eyes. I sit on the edge of his bed and his hand rests on my knee. He's crouched in front of me in a pair of basketball shorts. "I don't know why I did it." I hiccup. "I should've just said no!" I take a shaky breath, my chest moving erratically. "And t-they all saw me freak out!" Danny's fingertips skate up and down my thigh and he doesn't say anything. "I mean, who wants to be with somebody like me? I can't even handle a sip! Y-you should just go and find somebody who can handle herself! You deserve better than me!" "Don't say that." He murmurs, raising my hand to his lips. He kisses each one of my knuckles with love and care, and then he looks up at me and smiles softly. "I choose you. No matter what the circumstance, no matter who comes along, I pick you. I'm here for you and I'm here with you. I'm fighting for you and I'm fighting with you. I love you. I don't care if you have to stay up all night to cry. I'll stay up with you. There is nothing you can do to make me love you any less, and there is nothing you can do to make me leave. I'm here, right here, forever." This is the sequel to Everything Has Changed and if you don't read Everything Has Changed first, this book won't make sense ***** WARNING: THIS STORY INCLUDES THE VERY ATTRACTIVE DANIEL GREY WHO REMINDS ME AND EVERYONE WITH OVARIES OF A SOFT GOLDEN RETRIEVER PUPPY THAT IS SLEEPING ON YOUR CHEST SO PLEASE BEWARE THAT YOUR OVARIES WILL EXPLODE WHILE READING THIS STORY! AN: please don't steal this story. I'm working/have worked really hard to create this and develop the characters and story line. This is solely made up out of my mind. The incredible cover is made by @nerdfpiper If you need a cover, I highly recommend her.
More detailsContent Guidelines