Jilted Jock - Rebecca Jenshak Page 0,18

profile alone. But the brush of his lips along the nape of her neck was unmistakable and I felt it all the way across the room.

Adele

Saturday mornings were lazy. It was the one day I allowed myself to sleep in. Eight a.m. wasn’t exactly sloth hour, but it was as long as my body could be still.

When I’d returned home from the restaurant, I’d gone to bed and turned the TV on in my room so I wouldn’t be tempted to listen for him coming in. And though I’d started to sleep with my bedroom door cracked to let kitty in if she wanted, I’d closed and locked the door last night. Even still, I was restless and slept awful.

After a quick shower, I made my bed and crept out to the living room. Finn was already awake, much to my surprise, sitting on the couch with kitty.

“Good morning,” I said as I walked to the kitchen.

“’Morning,” he returned, only looking up from his phone for a second.

In the kitchen I reached for my gratitude journal without thinking. It was always the first thing I did when I emerged from my room. I’d forgotten about yesterday’s list of possible kitten names and an unexpected thrill shot through me that he’d read them. Not just read them but considered them. I knew this because he’d crossed out all but one: Striker and beside it he’d written, I’m a winger not a striker. Winger is a shit name for a cat.

I bit down on my bottom lip to keep from laughing. I quickly jotted down my ten pieces of gratitude and then added a few more name options for kitty.

“I’m headed to Chance and Aubrey’s if you’d like to come along?”

I could tell he wanted to say no. Moping in my house – glued to his phone probably scrolling through the same photos of his ex and teammate that I’d got an eye full of last night – or making plans with randoms from the bar weren’t going to magically fix his broken heart.

“Come on. Chance will be glad to have another guy to talk sports with.”

He nodded slowly. “Yeah, alright.”

Arriving at my brother’s house with a guy that wasn’t Richard felt awkward. Finn must not have felt it because he pasted a big smile on his face as Chance spotted him and pulled him out back to sit and talk.

Aubrey and I usually followed but today we lingered in the kitchen for a few moments.

“He looks good despite the beard,” she said, peeking out the window to the back. “How’s he seem today?”

“Fine.”

She was quiet until I met her gaze.

“I told you, I don’t really know him. Maybe hot and broody are his defining character traits.”

“Oh my God. You finally admitted he was hot.”

I blushed. It was a fact really, not an opinion, but it still felt like a betrayal to Richard to say it out loud. “You know what I mean.”

“Hey,” she said softly. “It’s okay to admit another guy is good looking. You think Chance and Richard go through their days never noticing the gorgeous women they pass?”

Sometimes I did think that. At least about Richard. He never really mentioned beautiful people even in an abstract way like noting Kate Beckinsale somehow got hotter with age or staring a little too long at an attractive waitress. I couldn’t even remember if he’d ever called me beautiful. He praised my qualities like being caring and considerate and he often told me how much he loved how hard I worked at my job. Those were the things that were important to him – not looks. Why did that suddenly annoy me? It’s not like I wanted to be with someone who only cared about the outside either.

“I know you’re right, but I just don’t see him like that.”

She was scrutinizing me in that way she did, slipping back into her former days as a lawyer, so I grabbed my mug. “Come on, let’s go outside and enjoy the sunshine.”

The four of us sat at the outdoor table while CJ and Pixy ran around the yard. Aubrey sat next to Chance and they leaned into one another. I don’t think they even did it intentionally – it was just how they were together. Always wanting to be closer, drawn together like magnets.

“So, Richard’s coming next weekend?” Chance asked, placing his hand over Aubrey’s on the table.

“Actually, he’s coming in tonight. There is some big meeting in the California office on Monday and