Stars Landing [Book 3]

Chapter 17 - Towel Incident

A jog across the neighborhood took about twenty minutes to complete. It was so refreshing. Sera could have gone longer but her mind was running a mile a minute, thinking back on her conversation with Tegan about Christian Lu.  According to her friend, Sera was being a bit dramatic about the whole thing. As relieved as she was to know her relationship with Tegan wasn't in any kind of jeopardy, Sera couldn't shake off her insecurities. After meeting the jerk, she could see why Tegan was having a hard time getting over him. He was incredibly handsome. Sera wished there was a way for her to help Tegan move on. Maybe she could find her a distraction or another guy to pay attention to? That could help ease the heartbreak a little. Seriously! How invested could that asshole have been if he was openly flirting with other women?

Sera recalled the conversation she had with Tegan yesterday. "You flirted with Christian Lu?" Tegan asked over the phone. "Then what happened?"

"What?" Sera was confused.

"I'm asking if he flirted back," Tegan clarified. "He can be very persuasive so don't fall for any of his tricks. Okay? Trust me on this."

"Oh my god," Sera was outraged. "I'm not interested in him! I mean, I was at first, and I get why you're so into him, but the guy is a complete and total dick. I thought you might get upset with me if he told you about our little interaction."

"Don't even," Tegan scoffed. "I don't care what he thinks. You're my friend first, I'm going to believe you over him. Got it?"

"Got it," Sera replied. 

"You're allowed to flirt with anyone you want," Tegan added. "He's not my guy even if he's starting to think he is."

Sera was officially intrigued. "What do you mean he thinks he's your guy?"

"Let's just say Christian Lu is about to get a taste of his own bitter medicine," Tegan laughed.

Sera offered to help her friend in any way she could but Tegan insisted this was something she was going to have to do by herself. It sounded exhausting, but if that was going to make her get over him then Sera was all for it. She just hoped it didn't come to bite her in the ass when Rhea found out Tegan was keeping secrets. Sera didn't want to get caught in the middle.

Extending her run to the nearby dog park, Sera blasted her music and focused on her meal plan for the day. For breakfast, she was planning on having some whole wheat bread, a poached egg, and some blueberries. Lunch was still a good four hours away, but she had leftover chickpea and veggie salad that she could stir up with a few pieces of grilled chicken. Dinner was anyone's game. It was the largest meal of the day and the only time Sera really spoiled herself.

When she turned the corner and moved into the dog park, she saw a handful of people doing yoga on the clean green grass. The instructor was walking around, making sure everyone in her class was getting the stretch their body deserved. Sera moved towards a path that led to the other side of the neighborhood. It wasn't until she reached an intersection to all the duplexes that her eyes caught a familiar figure moving in her direction. Her eyes widened as she realized it was the Rookie. Why the hell did she keep running into him everywhere? Sera acknowledged her whereabouts. It was a good distance from where Red Jensen was staying. Maybe this obnoxious ass lived nearby. Should she slow down and confront him or just pretend she never saw him? No, Sera wasn't going to act oblivious. She was looking hot enough to confront the rookie.

Ser got ready to block the handsome tool's path. "Are you stalking me or something?" he asked, pulling his earbuds out. "What do I have to do to get rid of you?"

"Watch your mouth you dumb rookie," Sera spat. "I should be asking you if you're stalking me. Do you live nearby or what?"

"None of your business," came the hot-headed reply.