Page 14 of Chasing Wild Heart

Daphne shoots her arm in the air and waves her hand like a kid in class. “Oh, I know! I know the answer.”

Tabby and Eden chuckle. I pinch the bridge of my nose, knowing I should listen to the perceptive freshman spitfire.

Practices over the past two weeks have been… less hostile. Almost fun. Dash continues to give his irritatingly helpful advice. And I remind him to “shove it up his ass” with little bite.

During the most recent meet, he made a sarcastic joke about another team, and I laughed! Out loud! Then the bastard smiled and stared at me for a hot second. It was weird.

“Daphne,” Eden calls out jokingly. “What would you like to share with the class?”

“They’re falling in love,” she repeats in a sing-song tone. “It’s so obvious.”

Obvious?I wrinkle my nose at the notion. As one of the two parties involved in falling in love, shouldn’t I at least be aware of my own feelings?

I know Teenage Juni squeals with joy whenever Dash pays the slightest bit of attention to her. Doesn’t matter if it’s a quick glance. Or saucy grin. Or “move faster, Mitchell!” Because any attention is good attention.

Teenage Juni is a fucking idiot and on the verge of scribbling Mrs. Juniper Black all over her notebooks.

Adult Juni doesn’t like the way her heart beats a teeny bit faster if he’s standing a little too close. Or when he’s quick to volunteer to spot her at the weight bench.

“Have you slept with him yet?” Tabby asks, shoving her tongue in one cheek as her hand strokes an invisible dick outside the other.

“What? No!” I laugh at the comically obscene gesture, not her question.

“But you’re going to,” Eden guesses with a sly wink.

“I mean…” I lift my shoulders and hold my hands up in surrender. “Have you seen him without a shirt?”

My dirty whore of a mind kicks into overdrive whenever my eyes roam over his deliciously contoured torso. Any time my gaze falls below his waist, I force myself to look away before I do something embarrassing. Like drool. Or jump his bones.

“But why is it obvious to us and not to them?” Eden asks, pointing an accusatory finger at me. “Why is she just standing there like a dumbass–”

“Hey!” I protest, narrowing my gaze at my teammate, who simply ignores me.

“And not trying to seduce him or something?” she finishes, looking toward the other two for answers.

“Because she’s not in a terrible rom-com that would stoop to such degrading and manipulative ways?” Tabby guesses dryly.

“Because she’s too busy fighting her attraction,” Daphne adds with a pop of her shoulders.

“I am not!” My retort objects to the authoritative tone in Daphne’s statement rather than the solid logic. “Also, is that how relationships begin now? Fuck each other first, and then just magically fall into a relationship?”

“When was the last time you went on a legitimate date?” Eden questions, tapping a manicured nail against her lips as if she’s internally searching for her own answer.

“Fighting my attraction?” I challenge, picking up my palette knife and stepping toward Perry. “I freely admit he’s hot, and I would bang him.”

“Could you imagine being in a relationship with him?” Daphne fires back just as I turn to fully face the wall so she can’t see the pink stain spreading over my cheeks.

Because, yes, I could imagine spending more time with him outside practice and meets. I could imagine us taking runs together that would lead to fun chases and tickle sessions and passionate kisses.

“Maybe,” I answer, hoping I sound nonchalant despite the images in my mind creating a questioning ache in my chest.

“Mmmmm.” The genuine indifferent reply points out I’m full of shit and fooling no one.

Just because my mind can create a beautiful and imaginary relationship doesn’t mean I want it, right?

WhythefuckamI here?I berate myself, standing awkwardly outside the locked building door leading to Juni’s apartment.

The darkness from the third-floor window suggests she could be tucked in for the night, but deep down, I don’t think that’s true. I couldn’t even explain my logic because I don’t even know why I’m here. At an hour where most of the residents in the neighborhood are turning in for the night. Where a handful wander out for a few drinks at the nearby haunts.

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