Unguarded Love

21-Jealous

I nod, "Let's have some fun."

When we walk inside I notice the song playing. 

Rumor Has It By Adele. 

Frick I love this song. 

And It's the right song to make me feel empowered about this whole thing. Fuck Asa and how he makes me feel, I'm about to give him a taste of his own medicine.

Asa

"Feel better now?" Miles asks me as I take another shot. 

I glare at him, "Fuck off." I say before continuing to make out with Kelly...Shelly?

Not sure what her name was but it definitely ended in 'elly'

Miles was not impressed, claiming I was only doing it because of Percy. He couldn't be anymore wrong. 

The pink haired girl pulls away to take a sip of her drink. 

Ridge sits back down beside me, "Having fun?"

I just shake my head. 

We came here tonight to have fun, to celebrate our win from yesterday. Not talk about my decisions when it comes to Percy. 

Fuck I can't get that kiss out of my mind.

Her lips were as soft as I imagined and she tasted like fucking strawberries. 

I had to get out of there before I did something stupid, like ask her for more. 

Who the hell am I turning into? Thinking about asking a girl out on a real date. Wanting her to be my girlfriend. 

Shit Ridge is right, I am pussy whipped but without the pussy. 

She's gotten me to open up too much already and we aren't even together. 

The moment she finds out the whole truth she'll run the other way, and hell I wouldn't, couldn't blame her. 

"Holy shit." Ridge says and I follow his gaze. 

Holy shit is right. 

Percy and her blonde friend walk right past us and head over to the bar. 

She looks good with that red lip and I can almost imagine it wra-

"Should we invite them over?" Miles asks and I shake my head, "No."

I know what she's doing. 

She must've seen Ridge's story.

"Peyton looks good as fuck in that dress." Ridge groans from beside me. 

While he drools for the blonde I watch as a guy walks up to my Percy, completely forgetting about the girl beside me. 

She smiles at him and I watch as he says something making her laugh.

What the fuck could possibly be so funny?

I watch as she puts her hand on his upper arm. 

My fists clench under the table as his hand rests on her waist. 

She whispers something in his ear and he nods. 

"You good Brookes?" K.J. asks but I don't respond, I can't. My teeth are grounding together as she steps even closer to him. 

He says something to make her smile, then she kisses him?

What the hell? That can't be right. 

I abruptly stand from my seat and before I do something I'll regret, I walk off. 

I get into my jeep and drive back to the team house.

Today couldn't possibly get any worse. 

Persephone 

I break away from the kiss. 

"I think it worked." Danny says and I look over. 

Asa is gone from his seat. Phoenix gives me a little wiggle of his fingers, totally knowing what I am up to. 

"Thank you for helping me?" I say and he laughs, "Anything to help Seph."

Danny and I had a class together freshman year. We worked together a lot and hung out of class a few times. 

He is extremely cute and extremely batting for the other team. 

When I saw him tonight I realize it was perfect. I told him the story of Asa and well...everything and he offered to help me make him jealous. 

"He's probably kicking himself right now." Danny says and I laugh.

"Phoenix hasn't taken his eyes off of me all night." Peyton whispers, a blush on her cheeks. 

Danny looks over and then back to Peyton, "He is so into you."

"You think?" She asks and he nods, "Hell yes, and look at the way...oh you like him."

"N-no." She stutters, "No I don't, I am with Brendan."

"Still?" Danny asks and she rolls her eyes, "Yes and I am happy ok?"

So she is still stuck in Brendans black hole...

He holds his hands up in self defense, "Hey you do you babe, I am just saying that football player over there looks like an upgrade from the guy with a belly button ring."

"Does everyone know about that?" She asks and we both nod. 

Brendan is very proud of his belly button ring. 

"Plus looks aren't everything." She says playing with a bracelet on her wrist. 

"True but when he looks how Brendan looks and acts the way he acts, he might not be the one." Danny offers. 

Peyton shrugs, "I love him."

And thats where the Brendan conversation ends. 

We hang out with Danny for a little while longer, until Phoenix shows up beside us. 

"Hey blondie, Seph, guy I don't know." Phoenix says before throwing an arm around Peyton. 

"Danny." He introduces himself and Phoenix shakes his hand, "Ridge."

"You got Asa worked up." Phoenix says to me and I stifle a laugh. 

"That was my bad." Danny says and Phoenix nods, "Yeah it is."

"Asa is a big boy he can handle it. Besides I saw the girl he was all over on your story, he has no right to be upset." Peyton defends. 

Phoenix rolls his eyes, "Asa is man and as I recall blondie you said men are..what?" He asks, his tone full of humor. 

"Stupid." She finishes. There's a story there and I want to crack my best friend and have her spill the whole story later. 

"She's not wrong there." Danny says, "Instead of admitting he might actually like a girl he goes off and tries to forget. Has he never seen any rom-com ever? It never works, he is still obsessed with that one girl and if he would've just gotten over himself faster they could've gotten together sooner."

Danny is obsessed with romantic comedies. Doesn't matter if its a book or movie, he's seen or read it all. 

"Yeah well when it comes to Asa, he likes to keep himself guarded. His logic may not make sense to anyone else, but it makes sense to him." Phoenix defends his best friend. 

Those words follow me back to my dorm, even as I try to fall asleep that night. 

Why would he want to keep himself guarded from me? Or is it something else I don't understand?

_____

Edited

A/N Hot take Reverse harem books are so good.