For The Win (Gamer Girls, #6) - Auryn Hadley Page 0,80

felt like false stars that she should wish upon.

Then her eyes closed. Hours later, she opened them to see the blue sky of late morning through those large windows and a smile touched Rhaven's lips. Today, she didn't have to pretend to be a man. She didn't have to lie to anyone - not even herself. Kate was right and this was the start of the rest of her life. No, the start of her real life.

Gone were the shackles that had held her back: the confusion of others, the fear of being honest, and the terror of rejection. She was Rhaven Moore. She hadn't even picked a middle name for herself yet, but that didn't matter. Ethan could finally die. She was a woman. A real one, and it kinda felt good.

It also reminded her that she needed to take her hormone pill!

With the chalky taste of that in her mouth, she headed into the main room to start her day, not surprised at all to find Kate sitting there. The girls shared a lazy breakfast with too many pancakes, took well over an hour to do their makeup, and then it was time. Kate had handled everything for Rhaven's big makeover, from arranging the car to picking the salon.

Best of all, it was fun! When Rhaven admitted that she'd never had her hair or nails done before, Kate jumped in to explain that small-town Montana didn't have a lot of options. It was a lie, but the stylists didn't know. They just walked her through the process, loving the hairstyle she'd picked, offering other services she might like, and Kate encouraged them.

Three hours later, she was a whole new woman. Rhaven's punk hair was perfect, yet beautiful. Dark curls fell to almost her shoulders, and the front was cut to frame her face. The shaved part above her ears and around the back felt fun and rebellious. Her black nails had glitter in them that reminded her of those false stars through the window. They were short but beautiful, and best of all, wouldn't cause problems while gaming.

After that came shopping - which Rhaven hadn't expected, but Kate was adamant. New bras. New panties. New shoes with heels and buckles and all the things Rhaven had always wanted. Best of all were the dresses! This time, she didn't just get things in black. From shirts to skirts, the two of them created an entire wardrobe that Rhaven could be proud of. In the car on the way back, Rhaven had to send Adam a message to thank him.

Rhaven: Kate has spoiled me all day, and I don't even know how much we spent, but thank you!

Adam: When I get there tomorrow, I know how you can pay me back :P

Rhaven: How? Anything!

Adam: Let me buy you dinner tomorrow night. Being the man with two beautiful women on his arm? Yep, worth it.

Rhaven: Aw! Now don't make me cry because this mascara isn't waterproof.

Adam: Then smile instead. You deserve it.

She turned her phone to show Kate, and the pair giggled over his cuteness. It was all these little things that made her feel like she could keep going. Every so often, Rhaven remembered that her old life had been destroyed and a rush of anxiety hit, but Kate and Adam made it easy to keep pushing that back down. At least until her phone vibrated in her hands and the screen showed it was her father again.

They'd just pulled up in front of the hotel, but seeing that name made her freeze. Kate got out on her side, but Rhaven was stuck staring at the screen, trying to convince herself that she should answer it. Her eyes were locked on the screen when the door beside her opened and Kate leaned in.

"Rhae?"

"My dad's calling." The words were barely out before the screen turned dark again, the call going to her voicemail.

"That's a good thing, right?" Kate asked, offering her hand to help Rhaven out. "I mean, you're a whole new woman, with an armload of bags, so you can use that as an excuse."

Bags which the driver was pulling out of the trunk. Kate took some, Rhaven took the others, and then they headed to the lobby. The problem was that Rhaven couldn't quite put her phone back into her pocket, so when it vibrated again, she noticed. This time, the name on the screen was her brother's.

"They wouldn't call if they wanted to cut you out of their