It was only half a lie. She hadn’t thought about him at all during practice, but when she woke up this morning, she’d hoped he’d forget about their weekly session. They’d had one stilted and altogether awful conversation after their kiss last week. It was all about how much better they were as friends and how they shouldn’t let one silly kiss change all that. Or at least that’s what Teddy said, and she’d gone along with it, because the truth was she’d rather have him in her life—even just as a friend—than not at all. She loved him. It wasn’t a stupid kiss for her. It was everything she’d wanted for the last four years, even though she knew Teddy didn’t do relationships—ever.
But that didn’t stop her from feeling what she felt, not even after getting firmly rejected. She still wanted him, especially now that she knew what it was like to kiss him, how good he was at it, even in their drunken stupor. It wasn’t hard for her mind to make a leap from that kiss to what else his mouth could do, what the rest of his long, lean body could do.
Except he didn’t want her, not that way at least.
“Right. So, are we going to train?” he asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet, expelling some of the excess energy he always carried around. It seemed like he was willing to move on and ignore the tension that still lingered, if he even felt it at all. Jasmine felt like her body was encased in quicksand,being crushed under the pressure of loving someone who wouldn’t love her back.
Keeping her expression schooled into indifference, Jasmine nodded and moved off the court.
“Hi, Teddy,” Indy said as she followed right behind Jasmine.
“Hey, New Girl,” he said, flashing her a brilliant grin, one that made Jasmine’s stomach flip, even if it wasn’t for her. “How’d you find out my name? You asked around, huh?”
Indy laughed, yanking her long blond hair out of its ponytail and shaking it out. “More like Roy recognized you through the window.”
Teddy laughed and winked. “Sure he did.”
Jasmine stood, gaping. How the hell did Indy know him? She’d been here for like three seconds.
“You two know each other?”
“Yeah,someonewas lost and late this morning, so I showed her the way to Dom’s office.”
“Right, only after I swore—”
“Sorry, Indiana,” Jasmine cut in, “Teddy and I have a training session. See you later.”
Jasmine pushed past her and started down the path to the practice court she and Teddy always used. She heard him mumble a quick goodbye to Indy and then heard the sound of his footsteps as he jogged to catch up.
“That was rude.”
She stopped short and turned to him. He nearly crashed right into her but caught himself in time, taking a quick step back. “Do you always have to do that?”
“Do what?”
“Flirt with every single girl who smiles at you?”
“I was being polite.”
“You were flirting.”
“Jas,” he said, his bright green eyes looking into hers. Jasmine pursed her lips, not impressed that he thought her name and an apologetic expression would be enough.
Running a hand through his short hair and huffing a frustrated breath, he began again. “I’m sorry. I thought we said we were better off as friends.”
The panic was laced through his voice, like he was being backed into a corner.
“We did.”
She tried to pretend she didn’t hear his sigh of relief.
“Then why are you freaking out?”
“I’m not freaking out. I—wait, what were you doing here this morning?”
“I, uh…” His eyes grew wide, and she knew he was fumbling around in his head for an excuse.
“Who?”
