Page 67 of Full Court Love
“You parent-trapped me?”
CHAPTER 28
JORDAN
I’m going to take a swing at Tyler at practice tomorrow. It’s like he’s a sadist who wants to see me suffer. That’s the only possible explanation for bringing me to karaoke–one of my top worst fears–while Lucy sits across the bar looking like…that.
Looking like a damn fantasy. My fantasy. That’s all it is because she’s not my reality anymore. Now, thanks to my “friend,” I get to have that fact shoved down my throat.
My gaze trails up her legs to the curve of her hips in that skirt, and the lace draped across her collarbone. She must feel my eyes on her–I wouldn’t be surprised if she could actually sense the heat coming off me right now–because for a brief moment, our eyes lock across the crowded room.
I’m taken back to the first time I saw her. Different location, same story. In a crowd, I will always search for her eyes first. In shorts and a jersey or in this heart-stopping, sexy look, her effect on me is the same.
I slide into the booth by Tyler and punch his arm slightly harder than necessary.
He rubs the spot, not questioning why I did it. That’s all the proof I need that this was planned. I knew he’d beentalking to Britt. As if I’m psychic, he takes one sip of his Coke and stands up. “I’m going to go see who I know here.”
I slump back against the booth with a chuckle. “Dude, just go find Britt. I’m the only one here. You don’t need to pretend.”
The room is dark, but the discoloration on his neck is evident as he beelines for Britt without another word. I obviously can’t go with him. Lucy’s sitting over there, chatting with a guy I think is on the baseball team or something. My jealousy is aflame in my stomach.
What did these people think was going to happen tonight? I would see Lucy and realize I made a huge mistake? I already know that. I know how beautiful, talented, and funny she is. The reminder is unnecessary.
The only potential result of this evening will be me beating up the ten guys gravitating toward Lucy, waiting for their chance to shoot their shot. Shaking my head, I feel myself smirk. None of them are good enough for her. She knows it. I know it. I may be insecure that my place is being taken, but they are merely placeholders until she finds someone who knows her like I do.
Someone who treats her like I did.
Someone who will do anything and everything to make her happy.
Someone who will gladly live behind the scenes so she can shine the way she’s meant to.
Like I wanted to do. For her.
Her eyes find me again, and she catches my smirk as she chats with a golfer. Dang, these guys are relentless. I see a smile play at the edge of her lips as she turns her attention back to him. She caught me, and it’s clear she knows I’m still watching.
It’s also clear that she’s enjoying what this is doing to me.
She’s gotten a little more animated, laughing at whatever dumb jokes are being thrown out to impress her. And eventhough I can tell she’s not genuinely interested, seeing her laugh with someone else is eating away at me.
The magnetic pull I feel toward her is getting uncomfortably powerful. The longer I sit here, the harder it is to resist striding over there, sliding in next to her, wrapping my arm around her shoulder, and pulling her face to mine.
For a while, she was my girl.
I never wanted her to be anything but that.
As if to save me from this misery, my phone buzzes with an incoming call. I don’t care if it's my bank or someone selling diet pills—I’m using this call to get out of this little bar of horrors. Thankfully, the caller is a welcome one.
I step into the chilly night.
“Hey, Mom. Were your spidey senses tingling? Your timing couldn’t have been better.”
I hear the sounds of the nurses’ station in the background. Beeps and voices and inconsistent footsteps. My mom laughs.
“A mother’s intuition. How are you? And how’s Lucy holding up? I watched her game and saw the injury. The commentators said her recovery shouldn’t be too bad–you’d better be taking good care of her.”
I let out a deep breath. “Lucy and I broke up.”
All I hear is beeps and clicking for a few moments. When she finally speaks, my mom’s tone is thick with worry. “What happened?”