The Line Between(26)

“Hmmm,” Grady eyed Chase with suspicion. “That’s very unlike you, Chase.”

Chase placed a hand over his heart, and with dramatic flair acted like Grady’s comment was hurtful. “I can be a gentleman,” he said. “I’m not a complete oaf.”

“I have a long string of girls who say otherwise, little brother. You only use your charm to get into a girls panties, and I’m willing to bet my left arm that our sweet Kennedy is way too smart for your bullshit.”

Chase gave me a once over, and winked. I felt heat crawling up my neck. “We’ll see about that.” He sounded so sure of himself, and his easy demeanor had me feeling a little more comfortable in his presence. I knew he was just kidding around, even if the joke was at my expense.

In an attempt to distract myself from the awkwardness of the conversation, I looked down the top of Chase’s jersey. I noticed that the front of my dress was noticeably drier, and started to lift it over my head.

“What are you doing?” Asked Chase. He looked genuinely perplexed. Clearly, it didn’t take much to confuse him because all I was doing was taking off his jersey.

“My dress is dry, so you can take this back now.”

I moved to slip the oversized piece of material over my head when Jade’s hands flew across the table and yanked it back down. What the hell?

“You might want to keep that on, and then wash it later,” she said. She was doing this weird thing with her eyes, and it looked like she was choking on something.

“You can wear it to the game tomorrow night,” said Chase, pulling me away from whatever Jade was trying to show me.

“I’m not going,” I replied. “I have to study.”

“Seriously? On a Saturday night?”

I nodded, and Chase responded with a pout. It earned him a playful slap from Grady, and a laugh from Jade.

“You’re breaking my heart here Kennedy, but I know how you can make it up to me.”

My brows darted up in a silent question.

“Go on a date with me,” he said. “It’s the least you can do after hitting my ball with your head.”

I laughed. I couldn’t help it. Chase’s puppy dog expression, and his cavalier smile made it impossible not to. Just then, the hair on the back of my neck stood up, and I turned in time to see Dane step into the coffee shop. I should’ve expected to see him here, considering he was assistant coach, but like it always did when I saw him, my heart still jumped.

“Ambrose,” he said, glaring at me. “The team’s over here.”

Chase frowned, looking between me and Dane, and then met my gaze. His face softened. “I’ll pick you up on Monday night,” he said. “Be ready at 7, and wear something casual.”

He winked, and then pushed back from our table before sauntering over to where the rest of the team sat.

Grady whistled, and Jade looked like she was about to burst.

“Honey bee, you’ve put a hex on my brother.”

“Why do you say that? It’s not like he gave me the chance to turn him down.”

“You do realize he never does that right?” Asked Jade. Her eyes were bright with excitement, and I couldn’t understand why.

“Never does what?”

“Asks girls on dates,” replied Grady. He took a sip of his coffee, watching me over the rim of his cup.

“It’s not a real date,” I said, sounding slightly oversensitive. Chase was just being nice. Wasn’t he?

“Whatever you say,” said Jade.

I shifted in my seat to look back at Chase, but instead I found a rather irate Dane glowering at me. His brows were scrunched up, and his usually pouty lips pulled taut until they looked like nothing more than a single white line.

“What the hell was that about?” Jades voice was a harsh whisper but I doubt Dane would have heard her.

“I have no idea,” I replied, facing her and Grady.

“Someone’s jealous.” Grady’s comment caught me a little off guard, and the idea that there was any semblance of truth behind it seemed nonsensical.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” I replied, finally grabbing a menu. I wasn’t hungry or thirsty, but I needed something to do with my hands.

“I know a jealous man when I see one, and honey, that boy over there is definitely jealous.”

I didn’t respond, and fortunately Grady and Jade had the decency to drop the subject.

Dane wasn’t jealous. He couldn’t be. Could he?





CHAPTER TEN

Dane

EVERY SPACE OF the apartment I shared with Reid was covered with a body. After another victory against the Auburn Tigers we decided to bring the party back to our place, and I knew it would’ve been better to have it at my parents’ empty house, especially if there’s alcohol, but I had an ulterior motive. I cranked the music louder, until I was certain the whole building could hear it, and grabbed a tumbler from the kitchen. I filled it with two fingers of whiskey, and joined Reid in the living room.