The Outsider

17. Definitely A Crush (Part One)

17. Definitely A Crush (Part One)

My eyes didn't leave Jasper as I came to a stop in the doorway separating the changing room and the showers, though, I could say for certainty they did not stay locked with his.

How could they?

Jasper was standing in front of me, not looking away, holding his shirt in his hand and wearing a pair of running shorts, leaving little to my imagination—which was going wild. It was as if I was looking at one of those drawings you see in a Ancient Greek book of Gods.

Except he was covered with tattoos as well as muscle.

"You're here late," Jasper broke the silence, and I realised how weird it was for me to continually stare at his body.

"Cool tatts," I said, trying to play off the fact I had been gaping at his nipples for the past minute.

My voice hadn't agreed with that plan, though, as it had come out a lot squeakier than I had wanted it to.

Jasper nodded his head at my words, shoving his shirt in the bag that was sitting on the bench beside him before digging around inside it and pulling out a towel.

I hadn't moved from my position and was still glued to the floor. My gaze not shifting from Jasper, and why would I want it to?

There was one reason, and that reason would cause several problems considering I was only wearing a towel.

"I'm showering," I managed to say, finally shifting out of the doorway, and moving my gaze toward my bag. "Was. I was showering," I corrected. "I'm done now."

"Clearly." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jasper straighten up after he spoke. "I wasn't starting conversation. Just stating a fact."

"Maybe," I said, turning to look at him. "But now that we are talking, maybe we could... talk."

Jasper looked at me for a moment, his eyes scanning my face, and it felt like a thousand things were going through his mind, although only one word came out.

"No."

Turning away from me again, Jasper started making his way toward the showers and in a last-ditch effort to make him speak to me, I blurted out something I didn't think through.

"I'm not afraid of you."

Jasper stopped in his tracks, and for a moment, there was silence in the changing room, and for a split second, I wondered if I should be afraid.

Without saying a word, Jasper turned back to look at me, and quietly walked my way, maintaining eye contact until he came to a halt right in front of me. His face barely an inch from mine. I watched as his eyes left mine and trailed down my body before they shot back up to meet my own and he pushed me back against the wall of lockers and held me there.

My heartbeat began to speed up as his arm pressed against my bare chest and I could feel the heat coming from his own shirtless body.

"I'm not like everyone else," I muttered, failing to keep my voice steady.

"Why?" Jasper whispered, his voice almost inaudible, and I felt myself lean my head closer to his.

"Not what I thought you were going to say," I whispered back. "I thought you'd say, 'you should be,' or something. You know, be cliché. Like Edward from Twilight. Oh, my God... are you a vampire?"

I could have sworn Jasper leaned forward even more as I could now feel his breath on my lips, and I don't think I had even been this turned on in my life.