Page 15 of Someday Not Soon

“You are way overestimating my skills with anything related to balls.” I regret the words as soon as they’re out of my mouth. The wordballsis never a wise choice when around a previous fraternity patron.

“I’m sure you’re very talented withcertaintypes of balls,” he quips, tossing a wink in my direction. It makes my skin crawl, but I remind myself that this is exactly what I wanted—the attention of a good-looking guy to distract me from the rest of my depressing life. But looking at Levi is like staring at a perfectly wrapped present I have zero interest in unwrapping.

Willing my brain to get with the program, I force a smile. “So what’s the name of the stick thing?”

“This would be your cue stick,” he replies, handing me one. “It’s your secret weapon. Handle it right, and you might stand a chance.”

Rounding the corner of the table, he walks up behind me. “For your first lesson, I’ll help guide you.”

He grabs my hips, pushing my ass back into him as a bullshit excuse to position me to take my shot. I tense andtake a small step over to create distance between us. “Thanks, but I think I got it.”

Not taking the hint, he places his hands on my shoulders and digs his thumbs into my neck. Everything about it feels wrong. His touch. The way he’s eyeing me purely as a prize to be won, assuming I’ll be swooning over him any minute now. My stomach feels queasy when I think about this going any further with him.

My shoulders remain stiff as rocks, as I come to the internal decision that Operation Getting Fucked by a Groomsman is an absolute no-go.

“Let me help you relax. You’re tense as hell,” he murmurs. The words slither over my skin, but all I can do is fixate on the green felt of the pool table, trying to figure out the right choice of words to tell him to back the hell off. I’m not built for confrontations. My body locks up, retreating inward like a tortoise in its shell.

Before I can speak, the soft thud of footsteps on the hardwood floor catches our attention. I glance up, and there’s Jude, standing in the doorway like a storm waiting to break. Levi straightens immediately, his posture stiffening as he throws an arm around my shoulders, a possessive move that feels like he’s marking his territory.

Jude strides into the game room, trying his best to act casual when he’s anything but. His shoulders are squared, eyes sharp, every step deliberate. With the way Levi and Jude are glaring at each other, it feels like they are about to start dueling for my hand in marriage.

Jude’s eyes lock straight onto mine. It’s as if he’s peeling back layers, seeing right through the mask I’mdesperately trying to hold up. There’s no hiding from him. We’ve always been like this, two halves of the same whole. Even after all this time, he reads me effortlessly.

He picks up on the discomfort between Levi and I like it’s a frequency only he’s attuned to. If there’s one thing our history has taught me, it’s that Jude isn’t the kind of man to idly stand by when he senses I’m uncomfortable.

“You okay, Ella?” His voice is calm, but laced with intent, as he strides across the room, closing the distance between us. It’s a moment of déjà vu, yanking me back to the first time we met on my failed date ten years ago. The memory flickers through my head—his unwavering focus, the way he seems to zero in on me, as if no one else in the room matters. Then and now, both the same.

“Just learning how to play pool,” I reply, attempting to sound convincing, though the words feel flimsy even to my own ears.

Levi quickly steps in. “Want to join us?” His tone is casual, but his eyes flash with a competitive edge as he sizes Jude up, clearly irritated by the interruption, yet trying to keep it cool.

Jude steps forward and takes a cue stick from the rack on the wall. “I’d love to. It’s been awhile, so I might be a bit rusty though.”

He is, in fact, not at all rusty.

By the end of the game, Levi is practically vibrating with frustration, his jaw clenched tight as Jude wipes the floor with him. What started as an overly flirty lesson on pool quickly escalated into a full-blown showdown, and Jude didn’t just win—he made it look effortless. He rippedLevi’s game to shreds, all while maintaining his typical easy going demeanor. Acting as if this was simply another uneventful weekday night for him.

Sauntering over, with his pride barely masking the sting of defeat, Levi slings a burly arm around my shoulders. “Time to finally get back toourgame.”

Jude glances over at us as he hangs his cue back on the wall. I can read him as easily as he reads me, and I catch the flash of protectiveness tinged with jealousy. It’s a feeling I’m almost ashamed to admit I enjoy.

Levi rubs chalk on the point of the stick, scowling at Jude as he strides toward me.

“Want to grab a drink?” Jude asks, tipping his head toward the kitchen.

A flicker of pride ignites in my chest, warming me from the inside out. Because somewhere beneath all the layers of our complicated past, he still cares about me in some form or another. Out of all the people in this house, he’s choosing to be here, near me. Either offering me an out, or because he actually wants to spend time with me. It’s hard to decipher which.

More than anything, I want to slip my hand into his, feel his fingers close around mine, and let him pull me away to wherever the hell he wants. To step back in time as if the years haven’t rushed by.

But I don’t. What overrides every other feeling, is the vengeful, broken piece of myself that is pissed off that he’s acting like he caresnow.

All these years have passed and there has been zerocommunication. No explanation or apology. Nothing. And now, all of a sudden, he wants me to go stroll off with him.

Taking his hand would come with the risk of opening that door all over again. And I need to keep that door firmly shut. Nailed down. With a cement wall built in front of it.

“I’m sorry, I can’t,” I reply, holding strong.

Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Levi’s barely hidden smirk. He fully believes he’s the winner in this little made up pissing contest.

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