Perfect for You by Ashelyn Drake

around his waist and tug him toward me.
    “Hey, Ash,” Jackson says. “Come play pool with us.”
    I’m sure Liz is still bent over the table.
    “Maybe later.” Ash pulls me closer. “I’m good here.”
    Jackson gives me a look. He doesn’t trust me not to hurt his friend again. I get it. He walks into the kitchen without saying a word.
    Ash turns my face back to his. “Don’t worry about him. He’ll get over it.”
    “I’m going to get another drink. I put my water down somewhere.” Ash doesn’t have his soda anymore either. We must have dropped them during our make-out session.
    “I’ll go with you.”
    “No, I’ll get it. You stay here.” He looks toward the kitchen where Jackson is standing by the counter. I lay a hand on his arm. “It’s just something I have to do. I won’t feel right until I talk to him.”
    Ash kisses my forehead. “I’ll be right here.”
    I smile and take a deep breath, preparing myself for Jackson’s disapproving glare. There are a few other players in the kitchen too, and I don’t really want an audience. “Jackson, could I talk to you for a second? Somewhere else, maybe?”
    Jackson grabs a beer off the counter and points toward the back deck. I follow, wondering if he’s only drinking to make it easier to talk to me. He opens the deck door and motions for me to go out first. I can’t help thinking he’ll slam the door behind me, locking me out of the party.
    “What?” His tone isn’t the least bit nice.
    “I want to explain about what happened after the Football Challenge.”
    “Why? You obviously made up with Ash. Why do you care what I think?” He takes a big gulp from his beer.
    “Because you’re his friend. I don’t want you to hate me.”
    “Didn’t say I did. I just don’t trust you.”
    “Fair enough. But I want you to know that I didn’t cheat on Ash. I wouldn’t do that to him.”
    “So, you weren’t hanging out with some other guy all day? That’s not why you were late to watch your boyfriend win the Football Challenge? ’Cause last time I checked, tennis players don’t wear bathing suits on the courts, and I’m pretty sure I saw you and Noah enter the stands together so you were definitely together before you showed up.”
    Okay, it does look bad, but I turned down Noah’s challenge to kiss him and made it clear that I’m with Ash. “I was with Noah before I got to the Football Challenge, but we were in a group. It’s not like it was a date or anything. We went to the water park. I spent more time with Lindsey and Emma than Noah.”
    “You’re hanging with that crowd now?” He takes another sip of beer. I guess I should be happy he’s not chugging it to get through our conversation.
    “Not really. They invited me along, and I needed a break from all the court time. I’m sure you have times where you want to get away from the field,” I say, trying to appeal to his inner athlete. Of course the outing had also been about proving to myself that Noah and I can just be friends, but I’m not about to tell Jackson that.
    “Ash was humiliated, you know. The guys gave him a hard time, and if he’d hit that guy, he would’ve been benched.”
    “I know. I talked to Noah. It won’t happen again.”
    “It better not. We have a real chance this season, but if Ash’s head isn’t in the game because he’s worried about you running around with some other guy…” He doesn’t need to finish the thought. I get the message: Jackson’s watching me.
    “I know this is so not cool in guy world, but I love Ash.” Maybe admitting that will get me somewhere with Jackson.
    “Then do Ash and everyone else a favor.” He leans toward me, his beer breath slamming into my face. “Act like it.”
    I nod because I don’t know what else to do. He walks back inside, leaving me alone to think about the new football-player-sized shadow I’m going to have until I prove I’m worthy of Ash.
    Ash steps out onto the deck. “I saw Jackson come