She rolled her eyes, pulling her hand free. “Jack, chill, I’m trying to make a point.”
He studied her carefully but nodded. “Okay, I’ll play, what’s your point?”
“Do you know how old my mom was when she met my dad?”
“No, I don’t.”
“She was eighteen years old.”
“Okay.”
“Yep. She was eighteen years old and they’ve been together for almost twenty years now. Kind of nice, right? That they’ve been together so long?”
“I guess so.”
“You know how old my dad was at the time?”
Jack narrowed his eyes at her, obviously finally figuring out her point. “I’m guessing not eighteen?”
“Nope. More like twenty-two.”
“Did Indiana send you to talk to me?”
Jasmine snorted. “What? God no. She’d kill me if she knew, unless she died of embarrassment first. Then she’d probably haunt me for the rest of my life.”
“Then I don’t get it. I distinctly recall having to literally hold you back from beating her to a pulp. Why are you doing this?”
Jasmine shrugged.
“And this has nothing to do with my brother?”
“Teddy?” she asked, tilting her head. “What would he have to do with this?”
“If I were with Indiana, then my very easily distracted little brother would be less distracted.”
Jasmine ignored the implication that literallyeveryone, even Jack, knew how she felt about Teddy and focused on the matter at hand.
Was that the actual problem? That made a lot more sense to Jasmine than the age thing. Jack was, above all else, a great brother and would sacrifice anything for his family, like a career in corporate law to manage his sister, so yeah, he might not go after a girl he liked because his brother saw her first.
Jasmine shook her head. “Teddy’s my friend. If I thought he’d be hurt by you and Indy getting together, I wouldn’t be here talking to you.”
Jack raised a skeptical eyebrow, but Jasmine pressed on.
“And as far as the age thing goes, I think you’re making excuses. Indy’s twenty, not twelve. I’m not saying you guys have to get married or whatever, but seriously, for two people like you, a few years are not a big deal.”
He didn’t answer. She stood and walked away, leaving him to his thoughts. As she left the stadium, her phone buzzed. The screen lit up with Teddy’s picture, but she ignored the call and kept walking.
FOR INDY, THE DAY BETWEEN THEIR WALKOVER AND SECOND-round match flew by faster than one of her serves. She had a good practice session with Jasmine, watched Penny win, even if it was by the skin of her teeth, and then it was straight to dinner and bed, avoiding all contact with both Caroline and her dad.
They were staying at the same hotel, but whenever she’d seen them in the distance, she’d done a quick about-face and even once hid behind a column in the lobby until they passed. She hadn’t had to avoid Jack, because it seemed he was avoiding her. She figured he was freaked out enough to stay away from her for good.
Now, she was back in the players’ lounge, dressed in the match outfit she and Jasmine had picked out together, a traditional white pleated tennis skirt paired with a brightturquoise tank. The color looked good on both of them, a rare thing for two people whose features were so opposite.
If only the color of her outfit were her biggest worry. She wished Lutrova and Grishina hadn’t dropped out. Then these nerves would already be gone and she wouldn’t have to think about going out onto the court for the first time. Maybe the Kapur sisters would drop out, too. Maybe they would wake up with a mysterious virus and withdraw from the tournament.
Her throat tightened and her stomach lurched.
Why was this happening again? When had she become this player who wanted to throw up before a match or hoped her opponents forfeited? That wasn’t who she wanted to be. She had to get over this and get over it now. She felt like she had before the final of the Classic, jittery and ready to burst out of her own skin. What had she done to calm down then?
