A Tournament For My Heart

Chapter Twenty- Routine Debriefs

I quickly place my hands on Kayden's chest to push him away but being as though I still have no upper body strength it did nothing.

He broke the kiss a second later removing his hand from my neck.

I guilty duck my head in embarrassment allowing Kayden's muscular frame to hide me.

"Y'all couldn't have waited another minute." Kayden said teasingly.

I slapped his shoulder hoping he would stop the embarrassment and I could hear him chuckle above my ear.

"My bad bro." Jace said and I could hear the amusement in his voice.

"Ahh shit he actually did it." Moose say proudly from the door frame.

"Stop it y'all are embarrassing her." Jaz said from the doorway and I knew she had a smile displayed on her face.

"Stop it shut the door." I heard Shayla arguing with the guys.

Two seconds later the door shuts. Kayden looks down at me trying to hide a grin. "You can stop ducking their gone now." He says.

I stop ducking looking at the door then back at him in embarrassment.

"See if you would've just answered me when I asked. You wouldn't have gotten caught." He teased.

I stare at him with a blank expression and he kisses the tip my nose.

He then whispers in my ear "You still never answered my question Carter."

I push him away or attempt too. He then leans back looking me in eye.

"I have feelings for you Kayden Carson." I admitted.

♠️♠️♠️

"Forget the chapter I feel like I skipped the whole book." I say to Shayla as we walk around the park trail.

The girls and I decided that today is a nice day to take a few laps around the park while I guess interrogating one another in the process.

Yesterday Kayden stayed a while and finished watching high school musical with me.

I fell asleep in the middle of it he said. So us girls didn't get to do our usual nightly debrief. So you can say that's what we are doing now.

"What do you mean?" Shayla asked.

"The Snapchat of you and Jace. So is it official." I question trying to hide a happy smile.

"Yes it's official." She said with a big smile. Me and Jaz jumped up and down happily. "We made it official last night."

"I'm so happy for y'all." I say "Y'all cute or whatever."

Shayla rolls her eyes teasingly. "Okay we taking about me but what about you sis."

"Yeah what did we walk into." Jaz said teasingly.

I place both of my hands over my face still walking "Stop."

"Or I will never remove my hands." I say muffled into my hands.

"It was very much giving Rom Com." Shayla said matter of factly.

I remove my hands laughing "I guess it was wasn't it?" I say.

Shayla then stops to sit on the bench. Jaz and I both join her.

"So are y'all official?" Shayla asked hopefully.

"No." I say in thought. "We just admitted how we felt about each other."

I then furrow my eyebrows "I don't know if we should be official. Our friendship means a lot to me." I breath.

"What are you saying exactly?" Jaz questions.

I shrug my shoulders in confusion "I like him that's no secret. But I don't want to lose him if it were to not work out. The friendship would never be the same you know." I say to them.

Shayla nods her head "I completely understand." She agrees.

She places her hand on my thigh "But you will never know what could flourish from the relationship if you decided to not go for it. You could have your best friend and partner in one. Look at Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively. Lebron James and Savannah."

I look at her and laugh "girl you will never pass up an opportunity to bring up celebs."

"I'm just saying." She says hiding her own laughter behind a small.

"Just think about it. And think about your friendship do you really think.... Worse case scenario if it didn't work out Kayden would not be your friend? And base your answer off that." Jaz adds.

I small slightly at the advice given by both girls.

"We'll your not out the clear." I say turning my head to look at Jaz.

I smile knowingly "How was the ball with Moose?"

Her lips turn upward "He was the life of the party as he always is." She says.

"Hmm." I say bumping her shoulder.

"Hmm." She copies me wrinkling her nose.

Shayla looks over at us "Y'all are weird." She says which resulted in us laughing at our own antics.

♠️♠️♠️

"Best sushi ever." I gush as I place a roll in my mouth chewing.

Kayden's lips turn upward slightly from the opposite side of the Island where he stood.

Currently I am in the boys dorm sitting at the island across from a standing Kayden. For some reason chairs aren't his thing I guess.

Kayden invited me over hinting at that he had a surprise for me.

When I entered the smell instantly graced my nose. I immediately knew it was the sushi I've been having a craving for.

"Happy now?" He asks as he leans on the table with both hands.

I nod my head.

I am.

But I also still had a lingering thought in my mind now that I've told him how I felt.

I swallow a roll of sushi before saying "So can we talk about.... yesterday?"

As if he could sense the seriousness of my tone he pulled a chair to sit "Yes ma'am." He said giving me his full attention.

Butterflies.

Is that butterflies I felt?

I shake it off internally. Now was not the time to get distracted.

"So... ummm.." I say finding it surprising hard to spit out what I want to ask.

He creased his eyebrows trying to figure out what was running through my head.

I breath out looking away feeling unsure.

"You regret it." He says and I lock eyes with him instantly. "The kiss." Kayden finishes.

"No no I don't regret it. I just- maybe we - I don't want to ruin our friendship Kayden." I stammer under the intense gaze of his eyes.

His head falls down slightly before picking it back up "So don't let it."

There it is again my heart beating rapidly. I don't know what response I was expecting. Maybe for him to just agree and pretend it didn't happen. Even though we know that's not what I really wanted.

"You will always be my friend Kali. That would never change and I mean that."

I swallow nervously and shake my head "I don't want to risk that." I say surprising myself.

He nods his head in acceptance. "Okay." He says softly.

I could sense the disappointment. But he would never show it. I had to blink back the tears that almost threatened to escape.

I may be self sabotaging. Am I?

"A friend is what you want a friend I'll be. The ball is in your court Kali. It's always been."