It shouldn’t have caught me off guard, but it did.
“Okay,” I said, keeping my voice easy. “Thanks.”
Micah gave me a small, considerate look before turning to Bobby. “Ready?”
He pushed off the wall and followed her toward the doors, tossing me a simple, “See you tomorrow, man.”
I lifted a hand in return, but my attention drifted back to the empty hallway Teddy had apparently rushed through. I guessed her message was clear—she really didn’t want to talk to me.
***
Pour Decisions was half-full when I pushed open the door. I didn’t usually go to bars after training, but I was hungry and this place was the closest food to the stadium.
The second I scanned the room, my eyes snagged on a dark brown braid I knew all too well.
My brain tried to compute the fact that I’d been waiting for her, and she’d snuck through a side door, only to end up here. The first place I’d go. My gaze was stuck.
She nursed a glass of water in front of her, her long legs draped over each other as she perched on a stool, leaning toward… Leo, who was grinning and licking his lips as he blatantly checked her out. She smiled back at him, and a muscle ticked in my jaw. I wasn’t about to interrupt… Ah, who was I kidding? I was absolutely going to interrupt. A growl worked its way up my throat, but I swallowed it down. There was no fucking way I was going to let him think he could have a shot with her when she and I had unfinished business.
I stalked toward them before I had a full plan, weaving past high tables until I got close enough to hear Leo say, “—I guess I got lucky today.”
That was as far as he got. It’s also as far as I’d let him get.
“Teddy.”
Her head snapped my way. The smile vanished like it had never existed. The temperature in her eyes dropped a degree, then another, until the blue flamed just the way I liked it.
Leo blinked at me, still leaning on the bar. “Hey, man,” he said, slow and uncertain, before his eyes flicked to Teddy, brow furrowing as he took me in. “I, uh, didn’t see you come in.”
I didn’t answer him, my focus solely on Teddy.
“Can we talk?” I asked her.
Teddy swapped her legs around, putting the other on top. “I’m busy,” she said, flicking her braid over her shoulder. As she gave Leo a brief smile, my blood ran wild.
“You’re drinking water,” I countered, nostrils flared.
A warning flashed across her face. “That doesn’t count as busy to you?”
Leo shifted on his feet. “Should I… give you two a minute?”
Teddy didn’t answer, but her shoulders tightened in a way that told me exactly how fast she’d bolt if I gave her an opening.
“Yes, I need to talk to Teddy alone.”
He hesitated, then nodded, tapping the bar twice as he went.
Teddy’s lips pursed. “I was talking to Leo.”
“I could see that,” I said quickly. “Seemed you were both enjoying the conversation. Were you planning on kissing him too, then running off?” I paused, watching her response, hating the burn in my chest and the way I came across. Lust and frustration were a lethal combination, and that’s what I felt around her.
Her nostrils flared, a beat of silence passing between us. “Jealousy doesn’t suit you.”
“I’m not jealous.” There was a pain in my jaw from clenching my teeth together. Of course I was fucking jealous. I went green watching him hold her attention, wanting it for myself.
A humorless breath left her lips. “Sure.” She pivoted off the stool, moving quickly toward the hallway that led to the bathrooms.
“Teddy.” I followed, catching her by stepping into her path, not touching her, just blocking her escape. I was getting tired of chasing her. If she wanted space, I’d take it on the chin and let her have that. I wasn’t chasing her to convince her of anything; I just needed to know if this was something worth fighting for, or whether I needed to step back and let it go.
