Intercepting Love (Second Chances #5)(22)

In the girl’s locker room, the cheerleaders were changing so they could start their day with a workout and then practice their routines. All of them had on tank tops and really short shorts that always attracted the guys’ attention when they ran around the track. Most of the time I exercised with them to get my morning run out of the way.

“Hey, Kate,” Brianna called, “how are you today?”

Even though I felt like shit, I still put on a smile. “I’m doing okay. How about you? How’s the ankle?”

Brianna was twenty-one years old—the youngest on the team—and one of the sweetest girls I knew other than Lara. Pulling her long, chestnut colored hair into a ponytail, she hopped up and down on her bad ankle before answering, “I think it’s okay. It hasn’t been giving me any problems now that I do those exercises you showed me.”

“That’s great,” I said. “Just make sure you do those every day. Your ankle might feel better now, but if you stop stretching it, some of the pain might start coming back.”

She’d fractured her ankle several months ago, and had only been running for the past few weeks. It was great having her back. She was my running partner and I’d missed her.

Since I already had on my tank top and running shorts, all I had to do was put on my shoes, which I always left in the locker room. As I sat down to tie them up, Lindsey—whom I really didn’t care for—took a seat beside me. It wasn’t that I didn’t like her, but she cheated on my brother last year when they started dating. He didn’t seem too hurt by it, but it still bothered me that she did it. Not to mention she was completely self-involved and only talked about herself. I usually tried to avoid her at all costs.

“You know, I couldn’t help but notice the icy interaction between you and Cooper just a few minutes ago. Does this mean you two aren’t seeing each other anymore?” she asked curiously.

“What are you talking about? We were never seeing each other in the first place. He’s only been here for three days,” I claimed incredulously.

“Yes, but you two were looking kind of cozy the other morning in his car, and then we all saw you with Luke this morning. Does this mean that Cooper’s available? The girls want to know.”

Lifting a brow, I pursed my lips and stared at her. She wasn’t asking for the other girls, she was asking for herself. Her innocent emerald gaze wasn’t fooling me as she sat there batting her lashes at me, her platinum blonde hair in braids. Except, what could I say? Cooper was available, and as much as I loathed the idea of him hooking up with one of the cheerleaders, there was nothing I could do if he did.

“I think he’s available,” I said blandly. “You’ll have to ask him.”

Squealing, she jumped to her feet and grinned wide. “Great! I’m going to ask him to be my date this Saturday for the party. Thanks, Kate.”

Once all of the girls were out of the locker room, Brianna stayed behind to wait on me while I stretched. “You like him, don’t you?” she asked.

My head snapped up. “What? No. It’s not like that.”

She lifted a brow and smiled. “Don’t lie to me, Kate. I could see it in your eyes that you hated the thought of Lindsey asking him out. What happened between you two? I can definitely tell he’s into you.”

“Yeah, he’s into me, Brianna, but I’m pretty sure that’s because he wants to get in to me, if you know what I mean. He’s not a stick around type of guy, and that’s not what I want. Lindsey is more his type. Besides, I’m seeing Luke now.”

Brianna laughed and put her arm around me. “Oh, Kate, I can see it now. You are going to be in so much trouble. I wish I had two men fighting over me.”

She giggled the whole way to the field, and as soon as Cooper came into view, I stopped mid-step. He was smiling at Lindsey, who batted her eyelashes and brushed her fingers along his arms. Gritting my teeth, my stomach twisted into violent knots as I watched them, hating the fact that I had no right to go over there and tell her to f*ck off.

Yes, I was in trouble because I knew what I was feeling. That urge inside of my body to run right up to them and tell Lindsey to back off was something I had never felt. It wasn’t jealousy per se, but it was something similar to it. All I knew was that I didn’t like it.





Watching Kate during practice and not being able to talk to her was f*cking torture. I wanted to know what the hell her problem was and why she was being such a bitch to me this morning after everything I did for her. Unfortunately, she had left with Luke before I had the chance to speak with her.

My shoulder throbbed, but then again my whole body pulsed in anger. I knew I needed to calm down, which was why I stayed behind while everyone left. Lounging on the field didn’t exactly give me the peace I needed like it would back home, but it was a start. I had to get used to the heat, humidity, and the sound of traffic all around me whereas at home I didn’t have to worry about any of that.

“Are you going to be ready for the game this Saturday?” Evan asked, standing over me.

My response was immediate. “Hell yeah, I’ll be ready.”

“What about the party? Do you think you’re ready for that?”

I scoffed, “Please, I bet you guys don’t even know what a real party is like.”

Evan chuckled and sat down on the grass beside me. “Yeah, you’re probably right. We’re nothing but a bunch of country boys out here.”