AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It was Sam’s.
If I had, it would have been obvious how I felt about him back then. Not just to Sam, but everyone. But Sam’s not here anymore. And now I’m sleeping with Jay. And apparently that means I’ve taken up the task of defending him even though I shouldn’t.
It’s not like we’re in a relationship.
Hell, after this weekend, I’m not even sure when the next time I’ll see him will be. Until we part ways, though, I plan to fully enjoy every second I have with him. Even if we have to be clothed part of the time.
Spencer breaks first, his laugher coming out in a huff as he bends over. Jay’s not far behind him, slapping Spence on the back as he howls. Mia is more reserved as she covers her mouth with her hands, the slight bounce in her chest the only indication she finds my sudden dominant personality amusing.
Rolling my eyes at all my friends, I line up a shot and quickly take it, sinking the solid purple in the corner pocket. I’m dancing in a circle, fist pumping the air, when my eyes lock with Mia’s. She’s shaking her head at me as she digs through her purse. Retrieving what looks like a twenty-dollar bill, she slaps it in Spencer’s palm.
“I thought it was best two out of three?”
“Yeah, but we made a side bet,” Mia informs me, taking the stick back and pulling me away from the table so Jay can take his shot. “I was confident you’d go at least the first game without hitting one of their balls in.”
“Spencer doubted me and he won because—”
“We’re stripes, hun. You sunk a solid.” Mia’s still laughing and shaking her head as Jay takes his shot, dropping two balls in quick succession.
Damn it!
The rest of the first game is uneventful. I miss all my shots, Mia makes all hers, and we take the first game. Irritated at their loss, Spencer heads to the bar for a round of drinks while Jay racks. I’m forced to break at the same moment Spencer returns with four bottles of beer.
His dumb ass walks behind me as I’m drawing the stick back, and I nail him in the balls. Hard judging by the groan he made as he fell to the ground, beers tumbling down with him, splashing the back of my pants and covering most of him.
“If I knew you were going to make it so I couldn’t have kids, I wouldn’t have invited you this weekend,” he jokes as Jay helps him up.
“Mia and I had a side bet,” I retort, turning my back to him and lining up to break again.
I’m not sure where my air of confidence is coming from, but I slam the stick into the cue ball, sending it sailing down the table, directly into the ball at the top of the triangle. The sound of balls clinking against one another as they scatter around the table brings a smile to my face. I hold that smile as I turn back to face Spencer once again.
“Nice break,” Jay states, his smile matching my own, the dimple on his left cheek appearing deeper.
“You bet against your partner?” Spencer asks, taking the fresh beer Mindi hands him, tipping it back before I can answer.
I look over my left shoulder to Mia for support, but she only shrugs her shoulders.
“No, but it got you to stop bitching for a second while I took my shot, didn’t it?”
Spencer shakes his head, adjusts his groin, and snatches the stick Jay’s extending to him. He has his game face on as he takes his next three shots, sinking two balls in a row before barely missing the last one. Mia comes back and matches his efforts. Jay impresses me by sinking three balls and then clearly missing his final shot on purpose. It doesn’t slip past Spencer either who calls him out, but his empty threats don’t seem to bother Jay as he sips his beer, leaning on a bar stool in the corner.
I make my first shot surprisingly but miss my next one. Movement from across the table catches my eye as I hand off the pool stick. When I look up, I find a young waitress clearly flirting with Jay though he’s not even looking at her. His eyes are locked on mine, dancing with amusement.
Stomping over to where they are, I slide between Jay’s open legs and steal his beer, taking a sip. The hoppy flavor hits my tongue, making me want to cringe, but I hold it in as I slowly swallow, turning my attention to the brunette with her hand on Jay’s shoulder.
“I’d like a Malibu and pineapple juice please,” I say, my voice as sweet as the drink I just ordered.
“Oh,” she says, taking a step back and avoiding eye contact. “Sure.”
I feel the rumble in Jay’s chest beneath where I’m resting my hand as I watch her scurry over to the bar and ask Mindi for my order. Mindi lifts her eyes, and when they meet mine, I can see the amusement dance in hers. I have a full drink sitting on the other side of the pool table.
“Why do I feel like you just peed on me? I didn’t realize you had a jealous bone in your body.”
Ha! If he only knew how jealous of Sam I was every time I saw them together.
It’s not something I’m proud of and I don’t plan on telling him. Ever. I’ve lived with jealousy wrapped around my heart for years. Honestly, my response to seeing someone hit on Jay surprises me as much as it does him. Still, if I only have a few days with him, it’s going to be me touching him. Me flirting with him. Me showing him attention. Not someone else. Certainly not someone who doesn’t know him or what he’s been through.
“Green isn’t a good color on me,” I state flippantly as I attempt to turn around and watch our friends battle it out.
