“True – but you’re still in time to say it.”
“I’m not going to say it.”
“Because you’re too proud to admit it? Or because you don’t want to give me the satisfaction?”
“Have you ever considered the idea that you might just not be my type?”
“No.”
“You’re impossible.”
“That’s not exactly true,” I say. “I’m actually pretty sure already that I’m not your type – but that doesn’t mean that you don’t like me.”
“You’re unravelling your whole argument.”
“I never used to have a type,” I say, babbling freely now. “Despite what everyone thinks of me, I’ve actually never turned up at a woman’s door in the middle of the night and made an idiot of myself after seeing her with someone else.”
“Am I just a challenge for you?”
“No, Jordan. You’re the only thing I think about.”
She drops her arms to her sides, shocked by what I’ve said. I have to admit: I’m pretty shocked, too.
“What are you looking for, Kerry?”
I take a deep breath. “I don’t know, exactly. But I do know that it keeps bringing me back here.”
She lowers her gaze towards her bare feet.
“Seeing as you don’t seem sure of what you want, let me tell you exactly what I’m looking for. I’m not looking for a man.” Her voice is hard – I’m sure it’s hiding a burning sense of disappointment. “I’m not looking for anything.” She lifts her gaze to meet mine. “And I don’t plan to start looking anytime soon.”
I listen to what she’s saying; but that doesn’t mean I don’t plan to fight back.
“Just give me until the end of the tournament,” I repeat. “Then you never have to speak to me again, if that’s what you want.”
“What are you hoping to gain, here?”
“A chance.”
“Why?”
“Because I think we both deserve one. And now I want to work out if we deserve it together.”
She nods slowly, leaning against the door frame.
“You work for me.”
“Until the tournament, we can just be friends. And colleagues.”
“I’m still the headmistress at your daughter’s school, and I’ll continue to be her headmistress after the tournament’s over. This is a small town, you know.”
“Skylar will graduate, sooner or later.”
She can’t help but laugh.
“It might take a while.”
“Let’s just start by winning this tournament.”
