He interrupts me before I tick off any more reasons. “I know all of that already. What aren’t you telling me? Has something happened between the two of you?”
“Why would you ask that question?” I swallow audibly, wondering if we’ve been obvious lately and I just hadn’t realized it.
“Oh, because of the way you’re worried eyes just darting around. The way you swallowed just then. That tells me that I’m on to something,” he says, smirking at me.
“You might be,” I say, shrugging.
“Are you going to keep being vague? Or are you just not in the mood to share?”
I stare at him for a moment, trying to think of how much I should actually tell him. And what he might think of me whenhe finds out. Because I do a damn good job of making it look like I hate the man. Thinking back on all the times that Jase has been there when I fired a nasty comment in August’s direction. Or how I have adamantly stated how much I despise August Cromwell. Lately, I just despise it when his hands are not on me. I had forgotten just how good he was at fucking me or coercing an orgasm out of me.
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, Hendrix. I just want to help if I can.” His voice is soft and sincere.
Jase has been a great coach but also a great friend to me. He listens to me when I complain about a bad game or gripe about how all my friends have mastered the art of pairing off.
I sigh. “I appreciate that. Just, no judgment, okay?” I ask him, crossing my arms over my chest.
He holds his hands up, as if he’s surrendering. “Absolutely, no judgment from me. You were a great friend to me when things were happening with Cassie; there was no judgment there even when I got her fired,” he reminds me.
“I know, I know.”
“Oh, come on, Hendrix, what are you so worried about? What, are you two sleeping together or something?” He chuckles as he says it.
I grin and shake my head. “Well, you hit the nail on the proverbial head.” I watch him and wait for his reaction.
“Wait, you seriously are!!” Jase’s voice is so loud that I look over at the team to see if anyone is watching us. It looks like a head or two turn in our direction.
“Please say it louder, I don’t think that everyone heard you over there,” I say, shaking my head. “Damn, we don’t want everyone to know.”
“Oh, so you two are a we?” he asks.
I shake my head. “August and I are not we. I was referring to our conversation. I don’t want the whole team finding out.”
“Sorry.” He moves a step closer so that he’s standing right in front of me. “Care to share what is going on?”
I nod. “We’ve hooked up twice,” I admit.
“I thought you hated him.”
“Turns out there are some things about him that I don’t actually hate,” I confess, shrugging.
“Are you just lonely or is this something? Because I gotta tell you, Hendrix, for as much of a front as August likes to put on, he’s not going to take kindly to you using him like this.” Jase immediately sees my eyes widen at his statement. “I just mean that he must have some lingering feelings for you or something, because of the way he lets you bag on him. He never even flinches, even when you are being so unprofessional with him. He lets it all go. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that he does this because it’syouand that no one else would get away with this shit.”
I look away from him, considering his words. “Even though he takes random women home from the bar right in front of me?”
“Even though he does that,” Jase says matter-of-factly.
“What makes you say that?”
“Because we never see these woman again and neither does he. And because it’s not really done in front of you. He never brings them to the table; he just sort of disappears.” He runs a hand through his hair, watching me carefully before saying, “I’ve seen the way he watches you. There’s a bit of pining happening there.”
“Pining? You think he pines for me?” I ask him, stifling a laugh.
“I do. I think he does. August loved you, Hendrix. I think you were the girl he couldn’t get over,” he says with a shrug.
“What, did he tell you that or something?” My voice raises in shock, my hand flies to my mouth in surprise. Looking around I hope no one else heard me.
“No, but when we went to him about Cassie being removed the team, he didn’t even flinch when you asked him to let her back on,” Jase reminds me.
