Page 23 of Only Ever Yours
I shook my head. “No, thank God. I don’t know what I’d say to her.”
Back off my man perhaps?
My friend’s eyes narrowed. “Why are you concerned about what Jase and Felicity do anyway?”
It would have been easy to brush it off, but because I needed the advice, I came right out with it. “I think I’m starting to see Jase in a different way.”
Ella practically sprayed her mouthful of wine all over the table at my admission. She composed herself and stared at me. “I’m sorry. Did you say you’re interested inJase?”
Letting out a hard breath, I sipped some wine and stalled for time. “Well, I mean, we’ve always been good at the flirty stuff.”
“Yeah, I’ve seen that.”
“And being around him more lately has been…interesting.”
“Wait, have you seen him naked?”
There had been more than a small number of times when we’d bumped into each other on the landing after he’d showered, wearing nothing more than a towel wrapped loosely around his waist. I couldn’t deny his body was ripped and tatted, and it might have turned me on more than I was prepared to admit.
“Of course not!” I held up my hands. “It’s just…how he’s acting around me. Like looking after me when we went out after I first got back. Gil would never have held my hair while I was being sick.” Then again, I wouldn’t have got drunk in Gil’s company because I couldn’t be sure how he would react.
“Are you sure you’re not seeing him with rose-coloured glasses? Your ex sounded like a total nightmare, and maybe you’re clutching at crumbs of goodwill, seeing something that isn’t there. Jase has always looked out for you, even when we were younger.”
Oh, Ella, why do you always have to be the voice of reason?
“Plus, you know Finn would go absolutely ballistic if anything ever happened between the two of you.” She laughed. “And anyway, Jase only ever seems to have casual relationships. They never last for more than a few weeks or a couple of months at most. The friends-with-benefits thing he has with Felicity seems to be his longest-lasting one. You don’t want to be just another notch on his bedpost. You wouldn’t want to risk everything for a fling.”
She has a point. I’m wasting my time even thinking about it.
Our food arrived, and the conversation turned to theproblems Ella was having with her boss, everything about Jase forgotten.
As we finished eating, my phone screen lit up with a message.
Finn
I’ve managed to sort a van out with Rob. How does Thursday work for you?
At least we would have the opportunity to talk more about the businesses while we were stuck in the same vehicle for hours on end.
Sounds great. Thanks, Finn. Really appreciate it.
At least I would be getting one part of my life back on track.
Chapter Nine
Jase
“So why can’t you do it?” I folded my arms across my chest.
Finn dangled the van keys at me. “Because I’ve got a meeting with a possible new trainer at the gym.”
“And that’s going to take you all day, is it?”
He shrugged. “It might. I’ve arranged for Rod to cover in the garage today. Take the day off for once.”
I frowned. “What’s in it for me?”
“The pleasure of spending the day with my sister and knowing you’ve done me a favour?”
